I completely understand your frustration. I worked in wealthy daycare centers and school systems for about fifteen years, and I saw the same abusing of hours happening there, too. We would open at 7, and parents were there, waiting in the parking lot in the dark, for us to open. Same parents were last to pick up at 6 p.m. In a few situations, the parents really needed those hours and in others, parents figured they were paying, so why not use the full day?! At my daycare now, I've always made it practice to take part time families- I love families that don't need me full time, and have grandparents helping out, some of the moms only work three days a week, and are home 1-2 days (nurses usually). The few full timers I've taken (not saying they're all like this) on always told me their kids were #1, they would keep them home on their days off, etc- but it all changed maybe a month in, and they were first ones in, last ones out. I am certainly not making as much money as I could be making, but this works for me!

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