Originally Posted by storybookending:
I am not sure that contracted hours would ever work in my case. Most jobs around here are 8-5 or 8-4:30 (depending on alloted lunch break) salary type jobs. There is a fairly large clinic/hospital with hospital hour like shifts that differ from the norm (6AM-3PM) but I am unwilling to open earlier than 7AM. The clinic has its own daycare where at least one parent must be employed there and their rates are based on what the parents salary is. I used to sit for a family of two doctors. They were/are paying $285 a week for their daughters spot while her medical assistants child is in the same class paying over $100 less a week. My hours are not bad now. I advertise 7:00-5:30 but I rarely work “open to close”.
Same here (as far a job types and hours etc) but it's amazing how quickly a daycare family can get assistance from a friend or family member if it means they save money.
I had a family that used services from open to close. Parents struggled with listing a back up person for alternate care if needed... said they literally knew no one in town and had no family or other relatives near by.
I changed my rate structure. The new rate scale made it so they would be paying an additional $50 per week.
Suddenly mom had neighbors and friends coming out of the woodwork wanting to help out and pick up the child earlier than mom or dad were able.
I don't spend a single second worrying about job hours, availability of family, friends or neighbors when I set my rates. I worry only about being compensated for the later pick ups and it's truly enlightening to see that family's that couldn't manage previously manage great now!
Add money into the situation and parents suddenly "think" differently.
