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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How To Explain How Many DCK's I Have To Parents
mrsp'slilpeeps 10:36 AM 01-10-2012
Ok here goes, hopefully y'all can keep up

These are my regular DCK'S:

1, DCB & DCG (Siblings) are here 2 days a week. Depending on the day, they both attend school.

2, DCB & DCG (Siblings) are here 2-3 days a week. On tues DCB attends school.

3, DCG is here 3 days a week.

4, DCB is here 2-3 days a week.

These are my Drop in DCK'S:

1, DCB & DCB (siblings) are here 3-4 times a month.

2, DCG is here 3-5 times a month.

3, DCB is here 4-6 times a month.

Plus I have 2 of my own kids that attend school.

Now I have to explain that all of these kids come on different days. I am allowed to have 6 kids, not including my own under my care.

So some days i find that i am at my limit for the day and somedays i have one child.

I have no choice on taking in more kids for drop in. I would have to close if i didnt.

If a parent ask's why there are kids they have never seen before here, do I owe them an explanation?

I should also add that in the 1.5 yrs that i have lived in this town, I have never had an inquiry about full time child care. If I held out for full time kids, i would be closed.
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bice99 10:42 AM 01-10-2012
That is some puzzle to work with. I charge a weekly minimum for up to 3 set days. It's equal to 3.5 days of care ratewise. I tell parents that PT kids pay more per day b/c I have to juggle them and it means more parents, kids, germs, paperwork and differences to deal with. If I kid comes 3 days per week I cannot just magically find another kid to fill in the other 2. They might overlap and that doesn't always work b/c of the numbers I need to stay under. When I explain it to them that way, they have a better chance of seeing the big picture. I did drop in my first year and it was hard on me, the kids and my normal daycare kids. Now I only do drop in for my normal kids, who are all PT, if they need to come on a day they aren't normally here and I can stay under my numbers.
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Solandia 10:42 AM 01-10-2012
I have done part-time/drop in (on purpose!) for the last 9months or so...and My go to answer is "I keep within my licensing ratios at all times. My long term kids, that I have had since they were babies, are 2, 4, & 5yo....I only have the 2&5yo three days a week, the 4yo is two days a week. I have a few drop-in/emergency backup/snow day type of clients."
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SimpleMom 10:51 AM 01-10-2012
Ok, I'm assuming Drop-in is a norm for you. I tell parents my numbers are all within ratio. I have a TOTAL of X amount of kids and no more than XY on any given day. If they have more questions I try to explain ratios/ages/and variances.
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DCMom 10:51 AM 01-10-2012
I don't have drop in, but I do have permanent part-time (set days) and school age. I have 16 kids on my roster, but it is rare that the maximum # of 14 is here all together. Even in the summer I usually only have a max of 10 on any given day.

For me, there is enough overlap of part time/full time, that they see each other at least once a week.

If someone does ask, my standard line is (with a smile): The faces may change, but the licensing ratios are the same.
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mrsp'slilpeeps 10:52 AM 01-10-2012
Well most of my DCP dont care but are just curious.

But I do have 1 DCM that looks at me and the wheels start grinding and I know what she is thinking.

All of my Drop in parents also know to call me 2 days before, as I may not have room, and they are fine with that.

I prefer to have more than 1 child here, it just makes the days so much better.
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harperluu 10:53 AM 01-10-2012
I too have a roster of drop-in and parttimers. Most parents just mind their own business. Since I don't think you owe them an explanation unless they directly ask you whether you're over capacity, I only provide the child's first name and age if they ask in a statement that goes something like this...

Parent: I've never seen that kid before (direct quote. Ha!)
Me: That's Tommy. He's 3. We're so excited to have him today.

That's it. They don't need to know how you run your business, or how long someone is there or why or what or how much. Just keep it simple. Don't over explain or infer they are a drop-in child.
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mickey2 11:00 AM 01-10-2012
Tell them how many different families that you have and that you provide care for many of the children who come on a part time on/call basis providing space is available at the time it is needed and that is why at times there is an unfamiliar face.
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laundrymom 11:03 AM 01-10-2012
I would tell them that you have 13 families but are limited to 10 children at any given time. Schedules and availability will determine the actual attending number at any given moment. But that you will never be over your limit.
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Blackcat31 11:05 AM 01-10-2012
In MN, the licensing regulations require us to state what class license we have and how many children we are allowed to care for as well as how many we have enrolled at the current time in our handbooks or written policies. But nothing personal or identifying.
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Mary Poppins 11:11 AM 01-10-2012
I have a sign in sheet at the door with each child's first name only on it so my parents can see who is in/out at what time. I have had one dcm ask me specifically about a dcb who was hit and miss because she thought he was such a cutie and he'd peek around the corner behind the gate and smile at her at drop-off/pick-ups lol.

Other than that, it's really none of their business unless you are warehousing children and they become suspicious. Then it is definitely their business!
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countrymom 11:14 AM 01-10-2012
I have the same thing. Everyday is different. i do have full timers but the rest are part timers and drop ins. So its hard to explain to families too. I hate when people ask, "how many kids do you have"
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familyschoolcare 11:17 AM 01-10-2012
When parents ask usually at the first interview how many children do yo u have. I explain how many I am lic. for and I give them the sex and grade and

days of my regular kids" then and and I have a few children that come on an as needed bases if I have room.
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familyschoolcare 11:19 AM 01-10-2012
Then when it comes up who is this at drop off or pick up I say this is giving first name only. So far nobody has asked for mor information.

Op--do you have sign in/out sheet, if not you might whant to start using one if someone was to "complain" that would be your proof that your where never over your limit.
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Meyou 12:37 PM 01-10-2012
Originally Posted by laundrymom:
I would tell them that you have 13 families but are limited to 10 children at any given time. Schedules and availability will determine the actual attending number at any given moment. But that you will never be over your limit.
I agree with laundrymom.
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SilverSabre25 12:42 PM 01-10-2012
I have said, in the past, that I can have a maximum of 4 daycare children at any one time and left it at that.

I hate that question during interviews. Or, "What are the ages of the kids you watch?" I hate that one too, especially when I have a variety of part-timers.
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kidkair 12:52 PM 01-10-2012
During interviews I just list off that I have X full timers, X part timers, and X drop-ins. I let them know because my sign in sheet has all the kids listed first and last name mainly because that was what was required for state pay and it's also right by the door so in an emergency someone can grab it and do a head count very quickly and be able to contact each child's parents should something happen to me.

If any current parent questions a new kid I just let them know the new kid's status so they know about how often they'll see this new face.
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Mommy2One 01:35 PM 01-12-2012
As a parent doing interviews, I always thought asking the quantity and rough ages of children currently in care was standard (oops!). When my daughter was younger, I didn't want her to be the only little one and getting trampled or bossed by a bunch of older kids and now that she's 2.5 I don't really want her to be the oldest and playing by herself while the provider takes care of a bunch of infants.

That being said I would be fine with a rough estimate and a simple explanation (I take part time and drop in kids so my numbers vary day to day and you might occasionally see a new face. I will usually have at least X children and never more than Y children. Right now I regularly have A infants, B young toddlers and C who are almost ready for preschool).
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cheerfuldom 01:39 PM 01-12-2012
I used to have this issue too. I would say that I have total number of X amount of kids who are not all here on the same days. The average I have here is X number and the most I would ever have is X.

Most parents want to know the max number of kids you would have on a certain day.
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familyschoolcare 01:52 PM 01-12-2012
Originally Posted by Mommy2One:
As a parent doing interviews, I always thought asking the quantity and rough ages of children currently in care was standard (oops!). When my daughter was younger, I didn't want her to be the only little one and getting trampled or bossed by a bunch of older kids and now that she's 2.5 I don't really want her to be the oldest and playing by herself while the provider takes care of a bunch of infants.

That being said I would be fine with a rough estimate and a simple explanation (I take part time and drop in kids so my numbers vary day to day and you might occasionally see a new face. I will usually have at least X children and never more than Y children. Right now I regularly have A infants, B young toddlers and C who are almost ready for preschool).
Thank you so much for your response. For me it is not that the question is strange. I understand compleetly why parents ask it. Just not always sure how to answer B/C things could change even just from the time I answer the question to the time their child starts.
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mac60 05:58 PM 01-12-2012
As long as we stay "legal", it is not their business. Asking a provider how many kids she cares for is the same as asking a parent what they make per hour/salary at their job. I was taught that those are personal questions and it is rude to ask them. When I am asked that question, I simply say I have a small group and most are not full time clients.

It is a fine line in my opinion.

I recently did drop in care for 1 child for 1 day. A couple days later a mom asked me if there was a new kid, as her daughter said yyy was here. I personally don't believe it is her business at all if I have another child here 1 day or 1 hour. Of coarse I told her that I only helped the family out for 1 day, but it really wasn't any of her business. Funny how some people think My Business is their business, but it is not.
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Sprouts 07:50 PM 01-16-2012
I recently took a group picture for the holidays, so whenever someone comes for an interview and asks how many children I watch, i just say it varys by day, smile, then point to the pic hanging on the wall
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Countrygal 04:51 AM 01-17-2012
In WI it says right on our Certificate, which we are required to keep posted, how many children we are Certified for. My certificate says clearly on it 6 children. I would show them my posting spot which has pictures of the kids, my certificate, the current newsletter and the calendar and a copy of my handbook and tell them to feel free to check the bulletin board regularly for notices, upcoming events, etc. Then I would point out the spot on the Certificate and explain what it means (that I can have six children in attendance at any given time, including my own). I'd then hope they'd take the time to look at all the other neat stuff I have posted there! ROFL!!!!
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Tags:interview, interview - questions, parent notification
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