Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How Do You Keep Enrollment Up?
awestbrook713 10:39 AM 10-18-2011
So I started in august and am doing well. I will have 9 enrolled children as of next month. I was pretty nervous at the beginning of the school year and losing most of my kids to school programs. I am just now starting to pick up again and feeling a little relief. Summer should be really busy if everyone stays but I am looking at kids ages and seeing I am gonna be in the same boat as I am again next year. What do you do to keep your numbers up and your days full? I see a lot of you have age limits for children you take and I am beginning to think I will be doing the same. How do parents usually handle a policy that says you will only watch their child to a certain age?
Reply
cheerfuldom 10:44 AM 10-18-2011
every program has its limits on age. it shouldn't be a big deal to put a limit on what your program can sustain. If the parents don't like it, too bad. That doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong.
Reply
laundrymom 10:50 AM 10-18-2011
I try to enroll two new infants a year. It's natural progression that they go off to school together. I don't keep part time kids so once they are in school they are too big for my program. Each year I say goodbye to two and meet two new ones.
Reply
MarinaVanessa 11:01 AM 10-18-2011
I'll use my situation as an example. I don't like to take SA kids so I have a cater to kids from 6 weeks to 5 years old. Even though I say 5 years I explain that it means early 5 year-olds meaning just turned 5. I don't transport to school, I don't help with homework and I don't have activities or toys for children that are older than 5 years old. I specialize in early childhood only so therefore the entire program and it's acticites are structured for those ages. Most parents at that point decide to enroll their kids in after-school programs like Boys and Girls club or choose a daycare that can pick-up and drop-off their child to and from school. No hard feelings.

I may from time to time agree to keep a child enrolled that I have had for many years after they turn 5 as long as the parent find the child transportation and understands that the child will have to keep himself occupied with the toys that we already have. Most I have are ok with this during kindergarten and then once they hit 1st grade they "graduate" a friend of mine's DC that offers only SA care from 1st grade and up. It's really a great partnership that we have. She sends me the babies, I send her the SAers. Maybe you can look into this kind of thing? Even if you don't find someone that specializes in SA's maybe you can work with other DC's so if they have baby openings or SA openings and you need a toddler they can refer calls for toddler care to you and you can refer baby and SA care to them.
Reply
Meyou 11:09 AM 10-18-2011
I only start children when they are 9 to 12 months which is generally when mamas are going back to work in Canada after maternity leave. I know I'll have them for 4 years so I can see my openings far in advance to book for the new babies starting. My two openings next Sept are filled by a baby and her older sister (currently attending two days/week but used to be FT) when the mat leave for the baby is done.
Reply
awestbrook713 11:16 AM 10-18-2011
I was just typing a long message to explain what ages I have and realized while typing how silly it is to hold spots for SA kids. When I hand out my policies in January I will put in that I will watch kids age 6 wks to 5 yrs. The current children I have can stay until the end of summer or until I have there slot filled with a more permanent child. I love the daycare part of my job but really hate the decision making part.
Reply
Tags:age limit, enrollment
Reply Up