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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Leaving for Preschool?
CountryRoads 09:05 AM 08-23-2019
Just curious what others' thoughts/experiences are on this.

On one hand, I would love to only keep kids until they are, say 3 or 4, and then they go to preschool. Unfortunately, most kids here do less than 1/2 day preschool, so they would still need daycare the other half of the day. But, that's also a good thing since I don't lose out on any $$ and don't need to fill a spot at that time. On the other hand, I get slightly offended thinking that I wasn't good enough and feeling like parents don't think their children learn anything here. I'd like to think I prepare them for preschool.

Do you daycare kids typically leave your daycare to go to preschool? Do you encourage it? Dislike it?
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Cat Herder 09:17 AM 08-23-2019
I only allow one drop off per day, per family, so it simply is not an option. The only people who leave here for preschool are people who want free preschool.
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springv 11:20 AM 08-23-2019
We do a preschool curriculum within our daycare and the children benefit from it in the long run
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Annalee 11:23 AM 08-23-2019
Originally Posted by CountryRoads:
Just curious what others' thoughts/experiences are on this.

On one hand, I would love to only keep kids until they are, say 3 or 4, and then they go to preschool. Unfortunately, most kids here do less than 1/2 day preschool, so they would still need daycare the other half of the day. But, that's also a good thing since I don't lose out on any $$ and don't need to fill a spot at that time. On the other hand, I get slightly offended thinking that I wasn't good enough and feeling like parents don't think their children learn anything here. I'd like to think I prepare them for preschool.

Do you daycare kids typically leave your daycare to go to preschool? Do you encourage it? Dislike it?
Some years I lose kids to pre k sometimes not. Last year I had three that stayed with me until Kindy. Pre-k are income eligible here unless there are extra spaces, then become available for all. No matter what you offer, providers, ooops educators as the state now calls us, can't compete with free.

In the past, I have lost kids to "preschool" but that doesn't happen much anymore.....I think I finally, after 27 years, have proven my daycare kids are getting "preschool" here

So many stigmas that flow through the clients' brains. I used to take offense easily but there is no logic anymore. So if clients decide to move on, so be it. But I do not allow any pre-k or preschooler to come back, get off the bus, or whatever. Once they are gone, they are gone....no part-timing here.
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Cat Herder 11:27 AM 08-23-2019
Originally Posted by springvalley112:
We do a preschool curriculum within our daycare and the children benefit from it in the long run
I do, too.

All QRIS programs do but parents don't fully understand the difference. Mine is actually higher rated with a much lower ratio than all but one of our local big-box centers. Only the parents that do their research get it, now. It will take some time for the information to trickle down.

No matter how well I perform, I can't compete with free for those that want it.
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sahm1225 12:09 PM 08-23-2019
We have a preschool a few block from my house, so I often take the kids to/from preschool. It’s only 2h 40min, so pretty much they’re at school During Nap time.

I usually keep kids until they go to kindy. I’ve had a few leave for centers that called themselves preschools and most at some point have come back and said it wasn’t a wise decision (it’s usually pricey and 15+ kids to one teacher).

It doesn’t bother me if they leave, but I appreciate when parents are up front that they want their kids at a ‘school’ when they turn 3.
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DaveA 12:20 PM 08-23-2019
Our pre-k is 1/2 day and school provides busing. They are easy to work with and stress not being jerks to local providers. I encourage parents to enroll DCKs in it the year before kindergarten. I'm good at what I do, they're good at what they do. It's just 2 different program styles. DCPs know that pre-k doesn't count as "school age" for rates. The only time I've "lost" a child to pre-k was when they really only needed care for a few hours a day anyway due to different family work schedules.
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knoxmomof2 12:58 PM 08-23-2019
My first daycare kid, I felt "needed a different program" (he was a handful behaviorally and I was just done). My 2nd stayed on until Kindergarten because they wanted her to enjoy being a child while she still could (smart parents &#128522. Mom told me the teacher said she was more than prepared for Kindergarten. Even though I know it, that felt good to hear!

My 3rd daycare kiddo was the first where the Mom wanted to put her in Preschool. Dad didn't. Mom had a Masters degree (and let you know it very quickly) and Dad was an entrepreneur and wanted her to be a kid. They compromised on sending her at age 4 instead of 3 like Mom wanted. So, that was my first situation like that and, yes, it offended me. Especially since Mom made statements or comments that indicated she felt I was subpar. Honestly though, I was so tired of Mom by the time DCG was 4, I was happy to see it happen. I learned from her to be clear in interviews that we learn through play, with a more focused learning time for the 4 year olds, but my main focus was quality care and not trying to turn their child into Einstein by the age of 2.

The next one had delays and needed speech therapy by age 3.5, so Mom decided to send him to a Preschool where they did it all. Understandable. The last one just left a couple of weeks ago for a PreK3 private preschool. Mom and Dad both have Masters degrees, so I'm not surprised. I assumed they were enrolling him early to up the chances of gettimg him into the Kindergarten program, but Dad mentioned that was way out of the budget, so no clue on that but it doesn't offend me nearly as much since that first incidence. I've just learned that different people are looking for different things and I feel good about what I offer, so that's not going to change. I know if I get a family where at least one parent has a Masters degree (because they make it very clear *eye roll*), they're probably moving kiddo to Preschool.

If they tell me in the interview that they intend to, and I was already on the fence about them, I'll pass and let them know that I prefer to work with a family / child long term. It's a lot of work to bring a child in, get to know them and their needs just to have them move on early. If I like them otherwise, I just go in knowing that. I also hate when I'm expected to put in the work of potty training a child expressly so that they can attend Preschool.... That smarts a bit. Knowing that I'm working myself out of a client.
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hwichlaz 01:16 PM 08-26-2019
I get them ready for kindergarten here. If they want to send them out, that is fine. But all of my policies still apply. Full weekly rate, no drop-offs or pickups regularly interrupting nap time, and I do not transport.
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Blackcat31 01:24 PM 08-26-2019
I do a full preschool curriculum too and previously didn't really care if they went to brick and mortar preschool and came to daycare only half the day or week etc as long as they followed my policies and rules.

This year however, I have decided that once a child goes to somewhere else I do NOT want them in care at all.

These last few years I've noticed the issues I have with kids and the specific kids I have issues with all come from outside sources.

For example I have a family I've had in care for 8 years (3 kids) and the youngest started going to preschool 2 days a week this last year. Child goes a.m. only and arrives to daycare T/Th at 11:45 just before lunch.

The behaviors of this child have gotten horrible and the stuff the child brings into care (behaviors etc) are just not the type of stuff I want to deal with so I decided this year if any child was going to attend an outside preschool or play group regularly (even if the parent pays the full week) I don't want them in care.

I have another family that enrolled their child in preschool 4 days a week and want me to take the child on Fridays only and days where there is no preschool. They're willing to pay a full week even though child isn't attending.

I decided I don't care. I just don't want all the "school stuff" brought into care so I told them if DCK goes to preschool you'll have to find alternate care for them elsewhere. They are now rethinking their plans. They have until Thursday this week to decide.
I don't care either way.
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Cat Herder 07:44 AM 08-27-2019
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
These last few years I've noticed the issues I have with kids and the specific kids I have issues with all come from outside sources.
That is why I shut it down, too. They come back with negative behaviors, injuries, are filthy/hungry, overtired and almost constantly keep the sniffles/coughs. The illness exposure risk for the younger kids doubled.

It was not worth the negative effects on my program. I like the peace of no turnover. It makes for such a pleasant learning environment and illness transmission and sick days are minimum.
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Tags:preschool - schedule, preschool debate, qris, subsidy
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