Hours

[WAHMderful_Life]

Anyone open early morning and close in the afternoon? basically all I need to know, is it hard to fill these spots or easy?

I am wanting to do maybe 6-3:15 that way all kiddos are gone by the time I need to go pick up my own kids from school when they start in a couple yrs.

Thanks

[laundrymom]

I work 4:30a-5:30p. M-F
Have since about 91.
I don't know if I'd have nearly the success filling spots if I closed at 330.

[Controlled Chaos]

I work 7-5, most kids are here 7:30-4:45. I know my hours already weed out a lot of families. I have thought about doing prek instead of all day daycare once all my kids are in school. Like a 9-12 and a 1230-3:30 half day session. I think that is the only way I could stay full in my area. Depends on the market though...

[Blackcat31]

I started charging based on pick up time with 3:00 being the earliest pick up.

80% of my families pick up by 3:00
when I used to have 100% of my families from open to close.

[midaycare]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

I started charging based on pick up time with 3:00 being the earliest pick up.

80% of my families pick up by 3:00
when I used to have 100% of my families from open to close.

I started doing this too, except I didn't get the same results. No one picked up earlier, I just got a small raise. Oh well...

No one around here gets out of work by 3, and that includes teachers. Even factory workers here can't pick up until 4, and they often have overtime.

So, to the OP, it depends on your area. What works for BC definitely doesn't work for me. Some people need to stay open crazy long hours to keep business if there is a ton of competition. If you have a field of work around you that can pick up kids at an earlier time, start advertising and marketing for them.

[Movingforward]

I don't have half days but I know a few providers that do that and they have no problem filling their spots.

[Crazy8]

I can't even get many that can do my 4:30pm closing, much less any earlier! Most people around me work until 4:30-5pm, even teachers can just barely get here by 4:30.

If you have jobs near you that require employees to work those early hours I am sure it can work!

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by midaycare

I started doing this too, except I didn't get the same results. No one picked up earlier, I just got a small raise. Oh well...

No one around here gets out of work by 3, and that includes teachers. Even factory workers here can't pick up until 4, and they often have overtime.

So, to the OP, it depends on your area. What works for BC definitely doesn't work for me. Some people need to stay open crazy long hours to keep business if there is a ton of competition. If you have a field of work around you that can pick up kids at an earlier time, start advertising and marketing for them.

A majority of my families work until 5 too but they have friends/family that are able to pick up.

I didn't ask any of them to do so, just offered the incentive. Taking it or not taking it was on them.

[Mike]

All depends on the needs in your area. If there is a factory nearby that has a 7-3 shift, that could be your source of clients, but even if the factory is very close, you will get stuck now and then with a kiddo until 3:20 or even 3:30.

Another option is, if there are any schools nearby that get out at 2:30, maybe teachers have pre-schoolers that need to be watched until school is done.

I changed my hours a few years ago from 7am-4:30pm to 8am-3pm. Thankfully I have been able to fill with families that have flexible schedules, stay at home, or have someone else that can pick up early. I love my shorter hours and has helped with burn out and I get to spend time with my own kiddo.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

You could start slowly trying to change your hours for incoming clients/advertise for a spot those hours to begin changing over your daycare.

[Controlled Chaos]

Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist

You could start slowly trying to change your hours for incoming clients/advertise for a spot those hours to begin changing over your daycare.

. This is how i went from working 630-6 to 7-5. It took a year of phasing in families with specific hours. I have a spot in septmeber i am trying to fill and i am considering working until 515 for a family i really like. Not sure yet if theyre worth it.

[Nisaryn]

Originally Posted by WAHMderful_Life

Anyone open early morning and close in the afternoon? basically all I need to know, is it hard to fill these spots or easy?

I am wanting to do maybe 6-3:15 that way all kiddos are gone by the time I need to go pick up my own kids from school when they start in a couple yrs.

Thanks

I just started looking into this kind of schedule as well since my son has appointments most evenings now. I've switched to just drop-in and part time care/early hours care. I'm offering 4am to 2pm and I've actually already received quite a few inquiries. Being near two major military bases and several hospitals I get a lot of people that need earlier drop-offs than I usually offer but now that I'm offering it I've gotten a few hits. So yes, I would think that would work.

[daycarediva]

Originally Posted by Mike

All depends on the needs in your area. If there is a factory nearby that has a 7-3 shift, that could be your source of clients, but even if the factory is very close, you will get stuck now and then with a kiddo until 3:20 or even 3:30.

Another option is, if there are any schools nearby that get out at 2:30, maybe teachers have pre-schoolers that need to be watched until school is done.

I think you could advertise at hospitals, nursing homes, factories. IME- you're going to get families who WANT to spend time with your children, I have been weeding out my late pickups for a while now. I just changed my hours to close at 5, and guess what? EVERY SINGLE 5:30 family could manage to pick up themselves.

In Sept I am going down to 8-4:30, because I refuse to enroll earlier or later. The parent who goes in later drops off and the parent who gets out earlier picks up. No more open to close (7-5:30) daycare families.