Unregistered 08:06 PM 09-15-2015
I recently cut my daycare size down due to health issues. Several of the families I chose to keep on have decided to leave though. I now only have one child in addition to my own child so I take care of two children....can I still call myself a daycare? I have a license and am on food program but I do not plan to take on more children for a few months while I recover from surgery. Mom of my current child doesn't know she is the only parent I still have though it is obvious when she drop off and pick up that he is only child here. Should I tell her why no other kids are here? I dont want her to think something is wrong or that I am more ill than I let on!
jenboo 08:49 PM 09-15-2015
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I recently cut my daycare size down due to health issues. Several of the families I chose to keep on have decided to leave though. I now only have one child in addition to my own child so I take care of two children....can I still call myself a daycare? I have a license and am on food program but I do not plan to take on more children for a few months while I recover from surgery. Mom of my current child doesn't know she is the only parent I still have though it is obvious when she drop off and pick up that he is only child here. Should I tell her why no other kids are here? I dont want her to think something is wrong or that I am more ill than I let on!
Yes you can still be a daycare. I wouldn't say anything unless she asks. Families come and go all the time.
nothingwithoutjoy 09:48 AM 09-16-2015
I email families daily, and tell them everything. To me, we are raising their children together, and therefore we should have very open communication. Just as we would expect them to tell us things that affect their child, I think we should do the same.
I'd shine it in the most positive light possible. Tell her that at the moment, you have only 2 children, and you have decided to keep it that way for a while, as you take the time to recover fully (or whatever). I've had low numbers a few times: when I first started, when my family had three deaths in one year, when we faced another family crisis. I just wasn't able to go to the work of filling spaces at that point. And the low numbers were a blessing at hard points in my life. This summer, there were some days I had only 2 or 3 kids. I decided to take full advantage of it, and do car field trips. We went to several plays, and the parents loved it. Another time, when I had three kids every Monday, I was able to get us a just-for-us swim class and drive us there. It's been lovely. Play up the advantages: lots of one-on-one time, field trips (if you're up for it), or whatever feels right.
The more communication, the better. If mom sees that you're doing awesome stuff (and it doesn't have to be big--just a great conversation between the two kids as they play, documented for her to see...), she can see the advantage of a small group.