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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Changing My Closing Time..How To Tell Parents?
Unregistered 05:19 AM 04-20-2017
Im currently open from 7am-5:30/5:45 pm. After a year of doing daycare, i just cant work that long anymore. I want to close at 5. My life situation has changed and 5:30 used to be ok but now that last half hour is just burning me out. Its usually just one child that needs me until 5:30. The other family, before enrolling, wanted to make sure 5:30 was ok because sometimes they may need it. That is rarely like once a month but usually picks up by 5pm. My other family sometimes picks up at 5:15..but its just them starting work late because they didnt want to wake up that morning. So im sure if I told them I close at 5, they wouldnt ignore their alarm clocks anymore. The other families pick up by 4:30. So its only 2 families that im worried about and dont know how to tell them im changing my hours. Any advice?
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Unregistered 05:57 AM 04-20-2017
How many kids do you have and can you implement a policy that changes your hours for all new kids coming on board?

I just switched mine. I was 7-530. That was getting long. I just two days ago updated my site to reflect 7-5p with graduated rates and leave times (3,4,5 pm).

I lucked out that one of my parents asked for later like 630 and I put my foot down and said no so they had to give notice. After two week notice had a gap for a week before my new baby started. Works out perfectly.

That one you feel could go into work earlier give them a month notice. How bad do you want to keep the 530 one? Are they aging out of care soon? It may be a gradual switch and phase in thing. I get burning out though. My day is not done when the kids leave. I also stated that on the site. I need time to clean, book work, respond and meet new parents, and further my training.

Plan it out so you don't come off unprofessional and piss off a parent. Good luck.
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Blackcat31 06:09 AM 04-20-2017
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Im currently open from 7am-5:30/5:45 pm. After a year of doing daycare, i just cant work that long anymore. I want to close at 5. My life situation has changed and 5:30 used to be ok but now that last half hour is just burning me out. Its usually just one child that needs me until 5:30. The other family, before enrolling, wanted to make sure 5:30 was ok because sometimes they may need it. That is rarely like once a month but usually picks up by 5pm. My other family sometimes picks up at 5:15..but its just them starting work late because they didnt want to wake up that morning. So im sure if I told them I close at 5, they wouldnt ignore their alarm clocks anymore. The other families pick up by 4:30. So its only 2 families that im worried about and dont know how to tell them im changing my hours. Any advice?
Dear Parents

As of May 1st, ABC Child Care will now be closing at 5:00 instead of 5:30. Please make arrangements to have your child picked up by 5:00 PM.

Thank you

Provider

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childcaremom 06:13 AM 04-20-2017
Dear dcps,

From time to time I find it necessary to make some changes to my business. Effective May 1st, I will be closing at 5 pm. While I hope that you will be able to accomodate these changes, I understand if you need to make alternate care arrangements.

Please sign and return this by Monday April 24th.

Your provider

Please choose one of the following:
__ I can accomodate those changes and my child will remain enrolled.

__ I cannot accomodate those changes. The last day my child will be in care is Friday April 28, 2017.



***This is exactly how I handled it when I changed mine. I would have extras printed off so if parents do not bring it back on Monday, then you have one for them to fill out right then and there. Also, start advertising to replace. I lost the ones I predicted I would but had prepared for that. I did 2 weeks notice (which is what my contract states). That is LOTS of time for parents to make alternate arrangements who need to. Also, you do not need to discuss the whys with parents. "It was in the best interest of my business." Never be afraid to make changes for that work for you.
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Unregistered 06:15 AM 04-20-2017
The 5:30 child i dont mind leaving. I plan to give a month notice to help parents transistion or find new care. I have 5 families and one of them thinks i close at 5 already. Im just a chicken and feel guilty when i have to change things or enforce my policies lol ugh
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Blackcat31 06:19 AM 04-20-2017
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
The 5:30 child i dont mind leaving. I plan to give a month notice to help parents transistion or find new care. I have 5 families and one of them thinks i close at 5 already. Im just a chicken and feel guilty when i have to change things or enforce my policies lol ugh
#1 rule in daycare

NEVER apologize for doing what YOU need to do or for putting your family first.

#2 rule in daycare

Understand that guilt and sympathy are emotions and NOT actions.

You can express your feelings anytime but they don't require you to act on them.
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Unregistered 06:21 AM 04-20-2017
Im the type of person who always feels i need to explain myself. I have to rememeber this is my business, my rules. The main reason why i need to change my hours is that the parents dont seem to respect that i have a life outside of work. Ive had parents 30 mins late and not let me know until 5:30! The 5:30 parent is ok with paying my late fee. She doesnt understand that i dont want her money, i want to spend time with my family!
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childcaremom 06:26 AM 04-20-2017
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Im the type of person who always feels i need to explain myself. I have to rememeber this is my business, my rules. The main reason why i need to change my hours is that the parents dont seem to respect that i have a life outside of work. Ive had parents 30 mins late and not let me know until 5:30! The 5:30 parent is ok with paying my late fee. She doesnt understand that i dont want her money, i want to spend time with my family!
Up your late fees. I also tell families right during the interview that I expect them to pick up on time. That I will charge fees if they are late. And that I am not a good fit if they cant make it on time. I've termed a few bad apples for this very reason. You shouldn't feel bad: they should. It's so disrespectful.
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Blackcat31 06:30 AM 04-20-2017
I wouldn't raise the late fee if she doesn't care about having to pay it and you really don't want the money anyways.....

I'd simply apply 3 strikes you're out instead.

If the parent picks up after 5:00, three times, I'd term immediately.

Late pick ups are disrespectful and should be handled with immediate consequences if they are something you do not want to deal with.
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LittleScholars 09:16 AM 04-20-2017
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I wouldn't raise the late fee if she doesn't care about having to pay it and you really don't want the money anyways.....

I'd simply apply 3 strikes you're out instead.

If the parent picks up after 5:00, three times, I'd term immediately.

Late pick ups are disrespectful and should be handled with immediate consequences if they are something you do not want to deal with.
Blackcat shared this policy with me before I revised my handbook. Since I added it, not a single family has been late. I obviously haven't had to enforce it, but I think it very much signaled that I cared much more about my time than late fees.
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AmyKidsCo 09:41 AM 04-20-2017
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Dear Parents

As of May 1st, ABC Child Care will now be closing at 5:00 instead of 5:30. Please make arrangements to have your child picked up by 5:00 PM.

Thank you

Provider
That's what I did. I set the date for Sept 1, which is the beginning of my contract/policy year, and started posting the notice in my newsletter several months ahead of time.

Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
#1 rule in daycare

NEVER apologize for doing what YOU need to do or for putting your family first.

#2 rule in daycare

Understand that guilt and sympathy are emotions and NOT actions.

You can express your feelings anytime but they don't require you to act on them.
That's a great reminder! And don't let parents try to make you turn emotions into actions.
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Ariana 10:04 AM 04-20-2017
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
#1 rule in daycare

NEVER apologize for doing what YOU need to do or for putting your family first.

#2 rule in daycare

Understand that guilt and sympathy are emotions and NOT actions.

You can express your feelings anytime but they don't require you to act on them.
Brilliant!
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daycare 10:21 AM 04-20-2017
I moved to tier times set and based on that last 30 minutes of care, I sky rocketed the prices that everyone just automatically picked up at 4:30pm.

It took me a good year to go from 6:00pm to 4:30pm.

I love it!!!!
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AmyKidsCo 11:42 AM 04-20-2017
Originally Posted by daycare:
I moved to tier times set and based on that last 30 minutes of care, I sky rocketed the prices that everyone just automatically picked up at 4:30pm.

It took me a good year to go from 6:00pm to 4:30pm.

I love it!!!!
I keep thinking about doing this, but I know some of my parents (like my DD and her DH) HAVE to work until 5 so I'd feel bad penalizing them for something they don't have any control over. Their only option for earlier pick up is us, which wouldn't make my day shorter, or my 74 yr old parents, and I couldn't do that to them.
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daycare 11:48 AM 04-20-2017
Originally Posted by AmyKidsCo:
I keep thinking about doing this, but I know some of my parents (like my DD and her DH) HAVE to work until 5 so I'd feel bad penalizing them for something they don't have any control over. Their only option for earlier pick up is us, which wouldn't make my day shorter, or my 74 yr old parents, and I couldn't do that to them.
I get you. I guess I don't have that emotion involved. I have my best interest before theirs. I changed to the tier rates when it only affected two families. I was ready to loose those two families and replace with others that could meet the new times.

You are penalizing them, you are making them pay for the extended time they are there. You are just getting paid for it now.

Sorry I just reread is this your family ?
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