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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Losing daycare kids to school
LannieJ 02:34 PM 07-23-2014
Hello,
I am currently at capacity, but in 2 weeks I will be losing 6 kids to school programs. 1 of the kids is entering Kindergarten out of my district, so I understand, but the others I don't.
2 of my kiddos are entering Kindergarten & going to afterschool programs so that mom can save money; 2 of my kiddos are going to church run pre-K programs that cost more than I charge; 1 is going to a free pre-K program out of my area so that mom doesn't have to pay (but will end up paying someone because pre-k programs out here are only 4 hrs p/day)
I understand that it is the nature of the business that kids have to grow up and move on. However, it kinda hurts (my heart & pocketbook) to lose kids. I know that the afterschool program will not give the kids what I do, they'll be just number. Also, I have a stellar pre-K program. When my kids go to Kindergarten, the teachers are surprised they learned so much from a home-based daycare & request my kiddos be in their class!
I guess it's more prestigious to say their kids are in school vs daycare and in other cases better to save a couple of bucks than to have your child in a place where they're loved & cared for, not just looked at.
I know, I know, I shouldn't take it personally, but I do. I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time separating this business from my personal feelings because I love all of my kiddos so much.
Thanks for coming to my pity party.
I am currently at capacity, but in 2 weeks I will be losing 6 kids to school programs. 1 of the kids is entering Kindergarten out of my district, so I understand, but the others I don't.
2 of my kiddos are entering Kindergarten & going to afterschool programs so that mom can save money; 2 of my kiddos are going to church run pre-K programs that cost more than I charge; 1 is going to a free pre-K program out of my area so that mom doesn't have to pay (but will end up paying someone because pre-k programs out here are only 4 hrs p/day)
I understand that it is the nature of the business that kids have to grow up and move on. However, it kinda hurts (my heart & pocketbook) to lose kids. I know that the afterschool program will not give the kids what I do, they'll be just number. Also, I have a stellar pre-K program. When my kids go to Kindergarten, the teachers are surprised they learned so much from a home-based daycare & request my kiddos be in their class!
I guess it's more prestigious to say their kids are in school vs daycare and in other cases better to save a couple of bucks than to have your child in a place where they're loved & cared for, not just looked at.
I know, I know, I shouldn't take it personally, but I do. I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time separating this business from my personal feelings because I love all of my kiddos so much.
Thanks for coming to my pity party.
Michelle 02:40 PM 07-23-2014
Originally Posted by LannieJ:
Hello,
I am currently at capacity, but in 2 weeks I will be losing 6 kids to school programs. 1 of the kids is entering Kindergarten out of my district, so I understand, but the others I don't.
2 of my kiddos are entering Kindergarten & going to afterschool programs so that mom can save money; 2 of my kiddos are going to church run pre-K programs that cost more than I charge; 1 is going to a free pre-K program out of my area so that mom doesn't have to pay (but will end up paying someone because pre-k programs out here are only 4 hrs p/day)
I understand that it is the nature of the business that kids have to grow up and move on. However, it kinda hurts (my heart & pocketbook) to lose kids. I know that the afterschool program will not give the kids what I do, they'll be just number. Also, I have a stellar pre-K program. When my kids go to Kindergarten, the teachers are surprised they learned so much from a home-based daycare & request my kiddos be in their class!
I guess it's more prestigious to say their kids are in school vs daycare and in other cases better to save a couple of bucks than to have your child in a place where they're loved & cared for, not just looked at.
I know, I know, I shouldn't take it personally, but I do. I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time separating this business from my personal feelings because I love all of my kiddos so much.
Thanks for coming to my pity party.
awe, I am sorry you are losing so many love bugs!Hello,
I am currently at capacity, but in 2 weeks I will be losing 6 kids to school programs. 1 of the kids is entering Kindergarten out of my district, so I understand, but the others I don't.
2 of my kiddos are entering Kindergarten & going to afterschool programs so that mom can save money; 2 of my kiddos are going to church run pre-K programs that cost more than I charge; 1 is going to a free pre-K program out of my area so that mom doesn't have to pay (but will end up paying someone because pre-k programs out here are only 4 hrs p/day)
I understand that it is the nature of the business that kids have to grow up and move on. However, it kinda hurts (my heart & pocketbook) to lose kids. I know that the afterschool program will not give the kids what I do, they'll be just number. Also, I have a stellar pre-K program. When my kids go to Kindergarten, the teachers are surprised they learned so much from a home-based daycare & request my kiddos be in their class!
I guess it's more prestigious to say their kids are in school vs daycare and in other cases better to save a couple of bucks than to have your child in a place where they're loved & cared for, not just looked at.
I know, I know, I shouldn't take it personally, but I do. I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time separating this business from my personal feelings because I love all of my kiddos so much.
Thanks for coming to my pity party.
I hate it when this happens
the kids will miss your love and warmth and the parents really have no idea what kind of mistake they are making
big hugs
Shell 03:45 PM 07-23-2014
This is a sensitive topic for me as well. I had a wonderful dcg- parents were my friends, and they assured me dcg wouldn't leave until she was at least 4, if not older (not to mention the substantial discount they were given and opening early for them for months and on and on). I was heart broken the day dcm came to me saying they were moving her to a preschool for the hours and because dcm was feeling "pressure" to put dcg in a formal daycare. What really hurt is that I used to be a preschool and K teacher, and a darn good one. She really couldn't have found a better program than what I was offering- but so it goes 
sugar buzz 04:04 PM 07-23-2014
I've dealt with this, as well. I finally made it my policy that I would only provide care until age three because DCF in my area LOVE this big, expensive, private, prestigious daycare/preschool in our town, and I would lose them at that age to it, anyway. My latest little graduate was supposed to start in the fall, but his parents bumped him up to summer. His new teacher lives in my neighborhood and told me that he cried and asked about me for four straight weeks. His parent's love the uniforms and car magnets that advertised the school and told me that he had no problems transitioning.
His parent's love the uniforms and car magnets that advertised the school and told me that he had no problems transitioning.
AmyKidsCo 04:23 PM 07-23-2014
I think we've all experienced this at one time or another... or will in the future. IMO it's the idea that children need to be in "school" to "learn" and since most in-home child care programs don't look like "school" (big building, chalk boards, etc) parents think their children aren't learning anything important with us.
Childminder 05:57 PM 07-23-2014
Last fall they started free preschool for 4 year olds in my district. Lost five out of six kids. This year they will be offering free preschool to 3 year olds too. There aren't enough children to go around and if I can only have two under 18 months and/or four under 30 months. I'm screwed.
Unregistered 08:38 PM 07-23-2014
Originally Posted by sugar buzz:
I've dealt with this, as well. I finally made it my policy that I would only provide care until age three because DCF in my area LOVE this big, expensive, private, prestigious daycare/preschool in our town, and I would lose them at that age to it, anyway. My latest little graduate was supposed to start in the fall, but his parents bumped him up to summer. His new teacher lives in my neighborhood and told me that he cried and asked about me for four straight weeks. His parent's love the uniforms and car magnets that advertised the school and told me that he had no problems transitioning.
Out of random curiosity, was is it a Primrose School?I've dealt with this, as well. I finally made it my policy that I would only provide care until age three because DCF in my area LOVE this big, expensive, private, prestigious daycare/preschool in our town, and I would lose them at that age to it, anyway. My latest little graduate was supposed to start in the fall, but his parents bumped him up to summer. His new teacher lives in my neighborhood and told me that he cried and asked about me for four straight weeks.
His parent's love the uniforms and car magnets that advertised the school and told me that he had no problems transitioning.
Play Care 03:37 AM 07-24-2014
One of the reasons I started offering preschool transportation was because of this. I get to keep kids until K, and parents still get the "real"
preschool experience... Have there been times I've thought that I do pretty much the exact same things as the school? But if parents want to pay my full tuition and pay preschool tuition, then that's on them.