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daycare 08:36 AM 02-18-2011
Long story but here it goes:

sorry kind of long..

For sometime now I have been considering increasing my license from small DC to Large DC so that I could allow for those families that are PT to use other days of the week as drop in. Often they need to, but I can’t allow it right now as I am at my max capacity daily.

Here is where the issue lies:

I have been caring for a set of brothers for about a year they attend 3 days a week. Love the kids, love the family. We all fit like a glove. So the Mom is expecting with their 3rd child, finally a girl. Parents are super excited and have already asked for the baby to attend the DC.

Currently I do not take infants, or any child under 20 months, as my DC is ran as a preschool. All of the parents are aware of this. As of date, even if I wanted to take on their new baby, I could not as I don’t have an open space for her.


The parents have always paid on time, with the exception that over the last several months (even before finding out about PG) the parents have paid me on the pay date, but have asked me to hold the check for a few days before cashing. At first I did not mind, but now its happening more and more.
So I started thinking hmmmm what should I do here. If I increase my license, I will need a helper that I will have to pay. I will also have to pick up one more full time kid to cover the cost of the employee. (am I forgetting anything else that I would be out of pocket for hiring an employee, never had one) The parents are already having a hard time paying for two kids and now they are going to be adding a 3rd. I am worried that if I go through all of this to keep the family are they going to be able to pay me? I have no clue how to bring this up to them and I don’t even know if this is what I really want to do. What would you do?


Right now, things could not be more perfect with my daycare as far as my students and parents go, am I making the right choice to hire a helper, increase my license, (which is gonna cost me about $1100.00 to do) just so that I can keep this family??


Also how do I bring this up to the family?
Reply
melskids 08:44 AM 02-18-2011
i was in the same dilemma a few months ago.

i decided it wasnt worth the hassle of added expenses, time, or work for just one family. she is actually due this week, and she still hasnt decided what she is going to do. the kids (her other 2 are SA) are telling me she plans on quiting her job and staying home with the baby. she hasn't told me this yet herself, but i would have gone through all the trouble for nothing. i dont have an opening until september for the new baby, so its up to her to find other care until then.

i prefer being a small group anyway.

i would have considered expanding if i had already had a waiting list, and could fill up quickly, but there wasnt anyone else knocking me door down to get in, KWIM?
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PeanutsGalore 08:47 AM 02-18-2011
From your description, it sounds like it might not be worth if financially.

I wouldn't say anything to the family. If you determine it's not worth it financially, then it's not worth it and you just let them know that you love them, but don't have room for an infant right now. The decision is really yours and has to be mostly determined, I think, on your ability to drum up enough business to profit from increasing your license. I wouldn't count on one family to be able to meet the profit margin; I'd look at business in the area as a whole.

Hope you're able to make a decision soon!
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dEHmom 08:47 AM 02-18-2011
i started typing response but pc froze. grr.

I wouldnt' bother. Just explain you offer a preschool program, and there is no possibility of infants. They require so much extra care, and it would greatly affect the preschoolers.

I'm sure she would leave the other 2 because she is satisfied already. And may just find someone to watch baby until baby is older. And let her know that as soon as an opening comes available she would have first dibs.
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daycare 08:48 AM 02-18-2011
yes I know exactly what you mean and thank you so much for responding... I needed to hear this...
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Tags:economy, new family
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