How Many of You Offer Preschool

[mac60]

Just wondering how many of you offer preschool, and how many of your families take their children elsewhere for preschool 2 or 3 days a week.

I have a preschool program which covers kindergarten readiness. I have so far only had 2 families in 10 years go elsewhere for pk, and am soon going to have another one. I hate it in that it is a total disruption to my mornings and I am constantly having to make up what the child who left missed, and it is frustrating. It throws off my schedule 2 or 3 days per week, it throws off my lunch schedule, it makes it hard to plan because the child is gone 2 or 3 mornings per week,etc. I don't think parents think about these things, the effects it has on the provider and her schedule.

I also do not deduct anything if they leave for 2 or 3 hours 2 or 3 times per week. I offer preschool, it is their choice to go elsewhere. I also have to get their child ready to go, be on the lookout when they return. So no deductions on my end.

Just wondering what others do.

[Persephone]

Maybe remind that family that you do do preschool. Maybe they forgot? Seems silly to me to take your child somewhere else when the childcare does it. Why pay more?

[Crystal]

I offer an exceptional prek program. In 13 years I have had one family want me to accomodate her child going to prek elsewhere while he came here for child care. I told her that I would not accomodate that and if she chose to enroll her son in another prek program, she would have to find alternate child care. She kept her son with me.

Personally, I have worked hard to earn my Master Teacher Permit, and find it offensive when a parent thinks they need to place their child in a prek program, as it insinuates that my program is not up to par. My kids go to kindy already starting to read, know basic mathematical concepts, can write, etc. They are not going to get more than that by going to a state run prek program.

[tenderhearts]

I do a preschool program activies and crafts to all my kids (when ready 2is), it's things I do myself and prepare, I tell my families upon entering care them that I am not a "teacher" but this is what I do and show them what we do. I have never had anyone take their child elsewhere for preschool. One of my dcb I have just turned 4 and back when he was a baby his mom told me that she was looking for a preschool for when he turned 3, well by the time he turned 3 she decided not to do that and left him here. Well last week he had his 4 yr checkup and she was amazed at all the things he did for the doctor, abcs, 123,'s, faces, she thanked me for what a great job I have done, I said thank you of course but told her I can't take all the credit and she said well pretty much most of it because most of that stuff we've never done with him before, I thanked her and told her how much that meant to me, it really made me feel good. I would remind the family of the program you do and hopefully will change their mind, seems ridiculous they woudl do that.

[mac60]

Personally, I totally feel that these families do it as an "image" thing. Kind of like they can go around and say X goes to ***xx preschool. I am grateful that 98% of my families have approved of what I have done and the work I have put in it.

[Persephone]

I think that's totally true. The playgroup that my son and I go to sometimes is like that. Everyone's going to this one preschool, afternoon classes. (their kids are the kids that don't take afternoon naps) My son will be going to morning classes at a different preschool, I don't think any of them are going there, which is find with me, because I'm not sure they are the kind of kids I want DS to be friends with, they are kinda of snobby. The only reason we do their playgroup is because it's the ONLY playgroup in the area that I know of.

[Preschool/daycare teacher]

Our Day Care also offers Preschool. Any child of preschool age are automatically enrolled in my preschool classes at the beginning of the year until I feel I have all I can handle, then any other children are just enrolled in daycare. We even have some children who come from the outside just for preschool (9-11:30 am) on their age appropriate days (2 1/2-3 yr olds are T/Th, 4 & 5 yr olds are M/W/F). So far there is only one child who goes to preschool elsewhere, but that's only because he was already attending that preschool before he started daycare with us and because his older brother had gone to that preschool. This 4 yr old child does preschool with me in the mornings also, but goes to his other preschool 2 days a week in the afternoon. His schedule has, thankfully, not interrupted anything for us. He leaves during free play right after preschool ends and returns during naptime (but he comes in very quietly and lays down and goes right to sleep until it's time to get up, so it's no problem at all).

[originalkat]

Originally Posted by Crystal

I offer an exceptional prek program. In 13 years I have had one family want me to accomodate her child going to prek elsewhere while he came here for child care. I told her that I would not accomodate that and if she chose to enroll her son in another prek program, she would have to find alternate child care. She kept her son with me.

Personally, I have worked hard to earn my Master Teacher Permit, and find it offensive when a parent thinks they need to place their child in a prek program, as it insinuates that my program is not up to par. My kids go to kindy already starting to read, know basic mathematical concepts, can write, etc. They are not going to get more than that by going to a state run prek program.

I totally agree. I offer a preschool program and would not accomodate a child leaving during the day to go somewhere else. If they want daycare only then I am not the right provider for them. I market my program as a preschool so when people enroll they do so knowing that an alternate preschool is not necessary.

[Carole's Daycare]

I offer a preschool program, and have 2 of my 6 leave for preschool. The one pays full rate anyway, as she doesnt need the school district preschool. Next year mom isnt going to send her, once she realized what a pain it is for no added benefit (she has to pay & gets no bussing since the child tests as not needing the program) The other child attends 3 mornings per week and pays part time rates here, but she has cerebral palsy and has a special IEP through the district that includes speech and physical therapy beyond what I have time or training to provide. Prior to that she had therapists come to daycare 1x per week