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Tigerlilly 09:02 PM 01-04-2018
Do any of you just not offer part time care? I really could not figure out a good way to offer part time care without limiting my prospects for full-time clients. So I thought about just doing drop in care at a slightly higher rate and those drop in clients would not be considered full time contract clients. They or I could terminate at any time and they would not be held liable for two weeks notice but there is no guarantee that the spot would remain open.
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LysesKids 12:50 AM 01-05-2018
Originally Posted by Tigerlilly:
Do any of you just not offer part time care? I really could not figure out a good way to offer part time care without limiting my prospects for full-time clients. So I thought about just doing drop in care at a slightly higher rate and those drop in clients would not be considered full time contract clients. They or I could terminate at any time and they would not be held liable for two weeks notice but there is no guarantee that the spot would remain open.
I do FT only with a Daily drop-in option (no guarantee); I can only have 4 babes, so PT here isn't feasible - I phased it out last year. I have similar contracts, but the drop-in is worded to explain the price difference & no guarantee.

I also have a clause explaining fee is still due if they don't give minimum 24 notice to cancel or they no show (fee is paid at drop off time). If they no show, no pay, then they cannot rebook another day without pre paying me @ least 24 in advance
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Second Home 06:08 AM 01-05-2018
If I didn't offer part time care I would have no current clients.
I do let all families know that a full time family may possibly replace any part time family . And I would give the part time family first opportunity to go full time ( or pay full time ).
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Blackcat31 06:15 AM 01-05-2018
I offer care on the following options:

5 days a week
4 days a week
3 days a week (same days)
3 days a week (varying days)

Each has it's own rate.
Parents choose the option they want and that dictates their weekly rate. Parents do not get the option of switching back and forth. Pick 1 option.

I offer drop in care (less than 3 days a week) but it's not guaranteed space and it isn't always available when needed and comes with a much bigger rate (per day).

I rarely use the words "FULL TIME" or "PART TIME" as parents almost always interpret that much differently than I do and in my experience it relates best to hours and I don't set my rates or services according to hourly anything.

For me instead of full time or part time it's just # of days per week.
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Jupadia 08:02 AM 01-05-2018
For me it would depend on how many kids are in care. When I started I could have 5 plus my own. So I was able to offer at least 1 pt spot. More my first year or so when I started cause I had space.
Now I can only have 5 including my own so I only really have 3 spaces. Money wise I can't afford to offer a pt space now. Now I only offer full time since it's all ways hard to fill the pt space with kids of opposite needs of availbe space.
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HappyEverAfter 09:04 AM 01-05-2018
I don’t offer part time. I only offer full time. But, if they pay the full time rate, they can attend as much or little as they want. I actually have one dck who does this. Usually she’s out at least one or two days a week but they always pay the full rate. Her parents like that they have the option to bring her daily or keep her at home and they’re happy with the quality of her care here so they’re happy to pay the full rate even if they don’t always use all their days. DCM always communicates well ahead of time what days and times to expect her too.
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kendallina 10:06 AM 01-05-2018
I only offer full time, which I consider at least 6 hours a day for 5 days/week. 6 hours/day is significantly cheaper than 8 hours/day, though. I like having lower numbers in the afternoon, although this year everyone is here until almost 5 anyways.
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CityGarden 03:46 PM 01-05-2018
I will be honest I love the income PT care provides me. I have a M/W/F group and a T/TH group.... you can enroll in both for a 5-day option. I also allow 1/2 day and full day pick ups. All of my clients are PT and my program was structured that way from the start.

Since they are only coming 2 or 3 days per week I am able to charge a higher monthly rate and they don't feel the financial burden as much which then means I earn more per spot. In example on a weekly basis (not using my own rates) if the going rate in an area is $50 per day = $250/wk full time with that same spot I can charge a M/W/F person $55 per day = $165/wk and T/TH person $55 per day = $110/wk making my take home for that spot $275/wk allowing me to make $25 more per week.

Things I do not like about PT care, is the desire for parents to swap days (which I decline) and I do not like having so many pick up times. I had three drastically different pick up times (after lunch, after nap time, after parent got off work) starting Monday I am down to just two but eventually I would like to switch to just one.

But to answer your question just say no to PT if that is what you want, it may take longer to fill the spot but then it is easier space wise and parent interaction wise to have fewer clients. I do not like drop in care at all, the parent interaction and paper work does not make it worth the effort plus it requires more of me to help the child fit in with the group.
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Justjoy 05:00 PM 01-05-2018
One of the 1st children I had was P/T. 3 days a week and 8 weeks old. Best baby ever. Then a little over a year later mom had baby #2 and I started caring for him at 8 weeks too. Another awesome baby. After almost 3 years later I still care for them both 2-3 days a week. I will never let these sweeties go, until school time...lol. I get along great with the parents and we are like family.
If the child is decent and you get along with mom & dad, I'd definitely keep the child.
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Sunchimes 07:18 PM 01-05-2018
I will never say never, but I will say I hope not. I have done it because I had to, but not in several years. I have 2 heading off to Pre-K in the fall. It is hard to fill places here, too many SAHMs doing it for cut rates. It is also hard to find part timers whose times work out. I am hoping for 2 full timers, but I can't be too picky. All will be warned that if a full timer wants in, they are out. (Unless they are a stellar family and I adore the child.)
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