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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Verbal Offer Still Stands After Everything?
MaritimeMummy 09:37 AM 04-18-2013
This is sort of a complicated situation, so please bare with me while I try to explain it...then hopefully you can tell me what is ethical for me to do.

I have a contract that states that I do not accept children under 12 months.

I have a client whose daughter started with me last March when she was 18 months, 2 days a week to socialize her.

She hs a home based business with flexible hours, but she hired a sitter to come into her home to care for her baby son.

Everything was going well until just after her christmas break. I was emailed and told that it was getting too expensive paying for two child care situations, and that they were pulling their daughter. I understood but I wanted to throw it out there that we could compromise and I would be willing to take her son sooner than 1 year.

She thanked me but was very clear that she wouldn't want to start him in care outside of the home until 18 months like their daughter. She said that she would continue with me until I filled her daughter's spot.

A month later, despite my efforts to fill the spot, I had no interest (my location is a killer). I told her she was free to pull her DD anytime. DCM changed her mind and said they could make it work, and we went back to normal...sitter at home with the baby, daughter coming to me.

I got an email from DCM suddenly on Monday night asking if it would be okay to bring DS for a morning and start him coming to me. Turns out, the home sitter reduced her hours and DCM is left with me to pick up the slack.

The baby is 10 months, doesn't walk or crawl.

How tied to my verbal offer back in January to take the baby earlier than 12 months am I?

I am hesitant because things changed since we spoke about this last and honestly, I fear for the safety of a young baby in my home at this point due to my son...he'll need leg braces. I mentioned this yesterday and got some great answers on how to deal, but frankly, he's a boy prone to temper tantrums and throws himself on the floor a lot. NOT safe for a non-walking child, IMO.
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Play Care 09:51 AM 04-18-2013
Originally Posted by MaritimeMummy:
This is sort of a complicated situation, so please bare with me while I try to explain it...then hopefully you can tell me what is ethical for me to do.

I have a contract that states that I do not accept children under 12 months.

I have a client whose daughter started with me last March when she was 18 months, 2 days a week to socialize her.

She hs a home based business with flexible hours, but she hired a sitter to come into her home to care for her baby son.

Everything was going well until just after her christmas break. I was emailed and told that it was getting too expensive paying for two child care situations, and that they were pulling their daughter. I understood but I wanted to throw it out there that we could compromise and I would be willing to take her son sooner than 1 year.

She thanked me but was very clear that she wouldn't want to start him in care outside of the home until 18 months like their daughter. She said that she would continue with me until I filled her daughter's spot.

A month later, despite my efforts to fill the spot, I had no interest (my location is a killer). I told her she was free to pull her DD anytime. DCM changed her mind and said they could make it work, and we went back to normal...sitter at home with the baby, daughter coming to me.

I got an email from DCM suddenly on Monday night asking if it would be okay to bring DS for a morning and start him coming to me. Turns out, the home sitter reduced her hours and DCM is left with me to pick up the slack.

The baby is 10 months, doesn't walk or crawl.

How tied to my verbal offer back in January to take the baby earlier than 12 months am I?

I am hesitant because things changed since we spoke about this last and honestly, I fear for the safety of a young baby in my home at this point due to my son...he'll need leg braces. I mentioned this yesterday and got some great answers on how to deal, but frankly, he's a boy prone to temper tantrums and throws himself on the floor a lot. NOT safe for a non-walking child, IMO.
If you can no longer accommodate the request I think you need to be very honest with this mom. "Mom when I initially made the offer things were different. Unfortunately things have changed and I am no longer able to do it."

Personally, I would make every effort to accommodate the mom because I did put the offer out there. I live in a small town and that would hurt me.
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MaritimeMummy 10:03 AM 04-18-2013
Originally Posted by Play Care:
If you can no longer accommodate the request I think you need to be very honest with this mom. "Mom when I initially made the offer things were different. Unfortunately things have changed and I am no longer able to do it."

Personally, I would make every effort to accommodate the mom because I did put the offer out there. I live in a small town and that would hurt me.
I'm also waiting to hear back about a job either today or tomorrow. If I get it, i will be slowly transitioning out the day care and ending it, and this family will be first.

If I don't get the job though...I can see the baby being here being a large problem. I should have my contract to say no children under 18 months, in all honesty. I have no desire to care for an infant.
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Play Care 10:31 AM 04-18-2013
Originally Posted by MaritimeMummy:
I'm also waiting to hear back about a job either today or tomorrow. If I get it, i will be slowly transitioning out the day care and ending it, and this family will be first.

If I don't get the job though...I can see the baby being here being a large problem. I should have my contract to say no children under 18 months, in all honesty. I have no desire to care for an infant.
If you are looking to get out then I would tell mom what I initially said and think no more about it. I'm just thinking from my, small town perspective, it would hurt me if I wanted to continue. I would LOVE to not take anyone under 14 months!!
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MaritimeMummy 12:32 PM 04-18-2013
Well, I got the job. I start in June. I may be fair and just tell this mom straight up that I can't do anything long term but if she needs care until she gets something straightened out, or until my son gets his leg braces in 3 weeks...whichever comes first...I could do part time temporary.

Honestly, I have wanted to get out of childcare for a while and this job couldn't have come at a better time.

Alternatively, her asking me to care for her 10 month old couldn't have come at a worse time for her. :-(
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AmyKidsCo 01:12 PM 04-18-2013
Personally, for just 1-2 days a week I'd take the baby 2 months early and figure out a way to keep him safe. I don't see how much different the situation would be in 2 months, even if the baby is walking.
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