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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Favorite Kid Gave Notice Today....
meganlavonnesmommy 02:50 PM 07-26-2011
Sucks! My favorite child/family gave their two week notice today.

I am so sad. They've been with me for 4 months. The little girl is a total sweetheart, and we all love her. Her family is literally THE best family I have ever had in care. They are respectful, communicate great, pay ontime, keep their child home when they are off work. They are great!

What stinks even more is its no fault of my own. They are totally happy with my care, and love having their daughter in my home. But they are having a baby soon, and I dont do infant care. They have been on a waiting list for the daycare center, and a spot opened up. If they dont take the spot now, they wont have a spot for the baby later when its born. The wait list for the infant care is LONG, and priority is given if the baby already has a sibling in the center. So to secure the spot for the infant, they are taking the spot now for the older child.

I was happy they were happy with the care I provide, but sad she is leaving.

I'm not worried about filling the spot, I always fill them quickly, but I know I wont find another family as good as this one. And I will have 3 full time spots to fill in the next 2 months, as I have two that are going to school soon too.
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daycare 03:48 PM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by meganlavonnesmommy:
Sucks! My favorite child/family gave their two week notice today.

I am so sad. They've been with me for 4 months. The little girl is a total sweetheart, and we all love her. Her family is literally THE best family I have ever had in care. They are respectful, communicate great, pay ontime, keep their child home when they are off work. They are great!

What stinks even more is its no fault of my own. They are totally happy with my care, and love having their daughter in my home. But they are having a baby soon, and I dont do infant care. They have been on a waiting list for the daycare center, and a spot opened up. If they dont take the spot now, they wont have a spot for the baby later when its born. The wait list for the infant care is LONG, and priority is given if the baby already has a sibling in the center. So to secure the spot for the infant, they are taking the spot now for the older child.

I was happy they were happy with the care I provide, but sad she is leaving.

I'm not worried about filling the spot, I always fill them quickly, but I know I wont find another family as good as this one. And I will have 3 full time spots to fill in the next 2 months, as I have two that are going to school soon too.
What a bummer, I feel for you...


this happened to me too... My family was with me for quite sometime and knew that I didnt take babies, but assumed that I would. I already had two kids from the same family and could not take the baby, so the family left. They were not upset with me until I refused to help them find another DC........I was really sad, as everything about the kids and family were great...........until they left....lol
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Preschool/daycare teacher 04:30 PM 07-26-2011
That does really stink. We just lost two full timers today, siblings, but they didn't leave on good terms (dcm pulled them out). It's a relief they're not coming back, in one way (mom just tries to cause problems, wouldn't think twice of suing for anything, children think they're exempt from having to follow rules, etc) but we have a terrible time in our area filling empty spots. Especially full timers. Besides that, as much trouble as the family is, and the children, I love those two. They can also be really sweet when they aren't mad at us for enforcing a rule on them lol. So I hate to see them go.
I can especially see how hard it'd be for you to say good bye to your family. Good families ARE really hard to come by Just be strict and accept only the best from the interviewees
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meganlavonnesmommy 05:28 PM 07-26-2011
The moms term letter was so nice, went on and on about how happy she was here, and how much she will miss us, and what an amazing provider I am. So at least I know they were happy with my care.

That's the hard part, is being picky about kids. I tend to want to take the first one I interview because I am afraid of the loss of income. When realistically I always fill them quickly. So I do need to be more choosy.
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daycare 05:34 PM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by meganlavonnesmommy:
The moms term letter was so nice, went on and on about how happy she was here, and how much she will miss us, and what an amazing provider I am. So at least I know they were happy with my care.

That's the hard part, is being picky about kids. I tend to want to take the first one I interview because I am afraid of the loss of income. When realistically I always fill them quickly. So I do need to be more choosy.
That's the hard part, is being picky about kids. I tend to want to take the first one I interview because I am afraid of the loss of income. When realistically I always fill them quickly. So I do need to be more choosy
I think that we all can relate to that!!
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Unregistered 06:56 PM 07-26-2011
No way would I let a great family go because they were having a baby. I love babies! And great families. And income. Must be nice to know you can replace them so quickly that it's ok to not take their newborn. Here, getting new kids is a struggle, so even if I had a no-infant policy (why?!!) I'd probably make an exception for present clients. I guess in some ways it's more important for me to nourish the relationships w/ families, and especially w/children, than it is to be as strict about "respect" and "policies" as it seems so many on this forum are. And somehow, this works out so that my parents give me raises un-asked, remember my birthday generously, treat all of the children in care as friends of their children, etc. Oh, kind like we're a FAMILY (day care)!
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PeanutsGalore 10:00 PM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
No way would I let a great family go because they were having a baby. I love babies! And great families. And income. Must be nice to know you can replace them so quickly that it's ok to not take their newborn. Here, getting new kids is a struggle, so even if I had a no-infant policy (why?!!) I'd probably make an exception for present clients. I guess in some ways it's more important for me to nourish the relationships w/ families, and especially w/children, than it is to be as strict about "respect" and "policies" as it seems so many on this forum are. And somehow, this works out so that my parents give me raises un-asked, remember my birthday generously, treat all of the children in care as friends of their children, etc. Oh, kind like we're a FAMILY (day care)!
Megan's reason for not accepting infants might have something to do with licensing. She may not be able to accept infants with her setup. And even if it's nothing to do with licensing, she has every right to work with the age range she is comfie working with. Some people can work with a large group of mixed ages and meet their needs; some people can't, or choose not to. It's all ok, and I think it's admirable that she didn't take a kid on just for money when she's already decided her program really can't adapt to it.
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daycare 10:39 PM 07-26-2011
Originally Posted by PeanutsGalore:
Megan's reason for not accepting infants might have something to do with licensing. She may not be able to accept infants with her setup. And even if it's nothing to do with licensing, she has every right to work with the age range she is comfie working with. Some people can work with a large group of mixed ages and meet their needs; some people can't, or choose not to. It's all ok, and I think it's admirable that she didn't take a kid on just for money when she's already decided her program really can't adapt to it.
I second this. If you know you can't meet the needs of a child then you should be fair to the child and the family and admit it. If your in this business for the money you're in the wrong business. I have done the same thing by losing a family because I could not take their infant. My program Is not set up for children under 2.
If I were to have taken the baby, then my whole program would have gone out the window and I would have risked losing my other clients... Not worth it for me and would not have been fair to all the kids in my care.
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PitterPatter 04:17 AM 07-27-2011
Originally Posted by meganlavonnesmommy:
Sucks! My favorite child/family gave their two week notice today.

I am so sad. They've been with me for 4 months. The little girl is a total sweetheart, and we all love her. Her family is literally THE best family I have ever had in care. They are respectful, communicate great, pay ontime, keep their child home when they are off work. They are great!

What stinks even more is its no fault of my own. They are totally happy with my care, and love having their daughter in my home. But they are having a baby soon, and I dont do infant care. They have been on a waiting list for the daycare center, and a spot opened up. If they dont take the spot now, they wont have a spot for the baby later when its born. The wait list for the infant care is LONG, and priority is given if the baby already has a sibling in the center. So to secure the spot for the infant, they are taking the spot now for the older child.

I was happy they were happy with the care I provide, but sad she is leaving.

I'm not worried about filling the spot, I always fill them quickly, but I know I wont find another family as good as this one. And I will have 3 full time spots to fill in the next 2 months, as I have two that are going to school soon too.
Aw I would be very upset as well. Try to look on the bright side. At least were able to have a great family in your daycare and enjoy the little girl. I too had a good family go yrs ago. In 5 yrs time 1 family that I enjoyed having, parents AND kids! They seem to be rare around here.
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meganlavonnesmommy 05:30 AM 07-27-2011
Dont get me wrong, I love infants. I just dont love infants and toddlers together. :-) I learned very quickly in this business what keeps me sane, and what doesnt. For me it, its no babies.

I have a group of 7 kids, ages 2-9. I am by myself, no helpers, no assistants, just me, for 11 hours a day. We are a very active group, and I am very hands on with the kids. From my experience, when I have infants and toddlers mixed, both groups suffer because they are not getting the attention they deserve. The older kids suffer because I have a baby in my arms, and cant be as hands on with them as I need to be, and the baby suffers because they are waiting on me because I am busy with the older kids.

I'm not critizing those of you that have infants and toddlers, or saying you dont do a great job. I am sure you balance it amazingly! But for me, its too much. I go crazy!

Plus, our licensing rules for infants are insane, and I prefer to not deal with all the crap they make us do with infants. I also dont have the space for pack and plays, we have a 3 bedroom home that is 1800 square feet. Some of our infant rules are:
We can not use bouncers, swings, exersaucers of any kind. The infant must not be in the pack and play if awake. If the baby is awake, it must be either in your arms, or on the floor.
we have to provide the formula (we can not charge the parent for it)
all bottles must be made ahead of time and labled with the date, time and name of the infant
infants must be placed in a sleep sack to sleep. If they fall asleep before they are put in the sleep sack, then you have to put one on before you put them in the crib.
Each pack and play needs to have a written statement signed by the parent stating if that child can roll over or not. It has to have a picture of the baby, and their age. This statement must be posted on the pack and play and also on the wall next to the pack and play
You can not be in a seperate room from the infant, ever, even to go to the bathroom or cook lunch. They must be in the same room as you at all times.

it goes on and on.

I am very lucky to be able to fill my spots very quickly. So that is part of it I am sure. If I was worried about filling the spots, I would probably feel the pressure to change my hours and ages so I could stay full.
Our local area is such that there is way more children that need care than there are daycares with spots for them. I work on a military base, and with families constantly coming and going due to change of orders, there are always new kids right around the corner. Plus the prices of the care on base is drastically cheaper than off base, the military regulates the prices. So parents usually look to us for care first, instead of off base because they know they will get quality care for cheaper rates. So the competition is lower than what most of you deal with.
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nannyde 07:23 AM 07-27-2011
Originally Posted by meganlavonnesmommy:
Dont get me wrong, I love infants. I just dont love infants and toddlers together. :-) I learned very quickly in this business what keeps me sane, and what doesnt. For me it, its no babies.

I have a group of 7 kids, ages 2-9. I am by myself, no helpers, no assistants, just me, for 11 hours a day. We are a very active group, and I am very hands on with the kids. From my experience, when I have infants and toddlers mixed, both groups suffer because they are not getting the attention they deserve. The older kids suffer because I have a baby in my arms, and cant be as hands on with them as I need to be, and the baby suffers because they are waiting on me because I am busy with the older kids.

I'm not critizing those of you that have infants and toddlers, or saying you dont do a great job. I am sure you balance it amazingly! But for me, its too much. I go crazy!

Plus, our licensing rules for infants are insane, and I prefer to not deal with all the crap they make us do with infants. I also dont have the space for pack and plays, we have a 3 bedroom home that is 1800 square feet. Some of our infant rules are:
We can not use bouncers, swings, exersaucers of any kind. The infant must not be in the pack and play if awake. If the baby is awake, it must be either in your arms, or on the floor.
we have to provide the formula (we can not charge the parent for it)
all bottles must be made ahead of time and labled with the date, time and name of the infant
infants must be placed in a sleep sack to sleep. If they fall asleep before they are put in the sleep sack, then you have to put one on before you put them in the crib.
Each pack and play needs to have a written statement signed by the parent stating if that child can roll over or not. It has to have a picture of the baby, and their age. This statement must be posted on the pack and play and also on the wall next to the pack and play
You can not be in a seperate room from the infant, ever, even to go to the bathroom or cook lunch. They must be in the same room as you at all times.

it goes on and on.

I am very lucky to be able to fill my spots very quickly. So that is part of it I am sure. If I was worried about filling the spots, I would probably feel the pressure to change my hours and ages so I could stay full.
Our local area is such that there is way more children that need care than there are daycares with spots for them. I work on a military base, and with families constantly coming and going due to change of orders, there are always new kids right around the corner. Plus the prices of the care on base is drastically cheaper than off base, the military regulates the prices. So parents usually look to us for care first, instead of off base because they know they will get quality care for cheaper rates. So the competition is lower than what most of you deal with.


Those baby regs military regs or Virginia regs?
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kidkair 12:03 PM 07-27-2011
Just let the parents know that you'll take them back when baby reaches 2 (or however young you let them be) if you have openings at that time.
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Auntie 01:49 PM 07-27-2011
Originally Posted by meganlavonnesmommy:
Sucks! My favorite child/family gave their two week notice today.

I am so sad. They've been with me for 4 months. The little girl is a total sweetheart, and we all love her. Her family is literally THE best family I have ever had in care. They are respectful, communicate great, pay ontime, keep their child home when they are off work. They are great!

What stinks even more is its no fault of my own. They are totally happy with my care, and love having their daughter in my home. But they are having a baby soon, and I dont do infant care. They have been on a waiting list for the daycare center, and a spot opened up. If they dont take the spot now, they wont have a spot for the baby later when its born. The wait list for the infant care is LONG, and priority is given if the baby already has a sibling in the center. So to secure the spot for the infant, they are taking the spot now for the older child.

I was happy they were happy with the care I provide, but sad she is leaving.

I'm not worried about filling the spot, I always fill them quickly, but I know I wont find another family as good as this one. And I will have 3 full time spots to fill in the next 2 months, as I have two that are going to school soon too.
That is a bummer. I can understand why they had to do what they had to too. I am sure they struggled with giving notice as well.
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meganlavonnesmommy 05:14 AM 07-28-2011
Those are the Army regulations, not the state regulations.
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