Originally Posted by nannyde:
The obvious difference is that each wal mart customer doesn't contribute to a large percentage of their total revenue. The reason day care parents in home day care have so much power is that their payment covers a large percentage of the business income.
Parents who have their kids in Centers don't have that much power. If they pull out the Center looses one percent or so depending on the size. In home day care it can be 15-25 percent for the average home day care. This is the dynamic that makes the relationship so unique.
My comparison is that we don't have to explain to parents WHY we don't offer a service they want. In the situation of the OP there wasn't any reason at all to be that specific with the parents. The parents wanted drop in care, control over the child's schedule whenever he DID show up, and only pay for whatever days they decided to bring him. Those are services very few providers offer. It's even more rare with successful providers because there is no money in it and the amount of work involved for the money you do get is not worth the effort. Loose loose for the provider. Win win for the parents... until the provider discontinues the service. Once that happens... well see above.
All the provider had to do was notify the parents that she doesn't provide the service anymore and she is giving them two weeks to make other arrangements. During that two week time the parents would need to provide a SET schedule and pay in advance on pay day for the set schedule. If the parents asks what services the provider DOES provide she can firmly say "full time slots only with set schedules (arrival and departure time) and the child maintain the same schedule as the other children". That's what I now offer. Want it?
End of story. If the parents gets upset (which they will when they are getting THIS big of a NO) then the solution is always just discontinue services without payment and we will all be square.
If you read the Mom's emails she said everything in one sentence "I thought that you were a small daycare that would be more concerned with the welfare of the children and their schedules instead of your own schedule. BAM that's the money shot. She wants the provider to do what she wants her to do "for the sake of the child" but not for the sake of money, good working conditions, a happy provider, a stable group, etc. When you have parents talking about "flexibility" you might as well bend over because flexibility almost ALWAYS means that they do what they want and you get paid either a regular amount that you would normally get daily for a regular kid or even less.
If you are going to be FLEXIBLE then you must have a markedly higher daily rate for flexibility. Flexible for the sake of the child means the parents get cheap drop in day care whenever they want and just pay for those days. Flexibility for the "sake of the child" means you do as you are told.
Nan
Im sorry, but as a mother, all Im seeing you ladies talk about on here is dollar signs...Just as in Doctors, its all about the money, since when did actually enjoying and taking care of children because you want to, and get the benefits of it turn to dollar signs.... Pretty fricken SAD! Hence why my child was pulled from an in-home DayCare... You talking about not getting anything from it??? How sad for your families you take care of...
Enjoy your career Ladies..........