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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Hiring a Substitute
JeepGirl6 02:51 PM 04-11-2011
I need to know how to go about this....Should I put an ad on craiglist in my area...My situation is, I am most likely getting a unit secretary position in a childrens hospital close to my home. I know orientation is April 25th. They are calling my references now, the lady from human resources said they will most likely get back with me this Wednesday or next Monday, because the office is closed Thursday and Friday this week...I told her at the interview that I need to give the parents (10 families) a two week notice to find alternative child care. I am hoping she remembers this because I really don't want to leave the families without child care... I am not telling the parents until they actually offer me the position which will be either this Wednesday or Next Monday....

One of my concerns is I have one family that the mother goes to school and her final exams are the first week of May...If they want me to start that week, I will leave her without child care the Tuesday and Thursday, the day of her final exams...Do you think it would be okay to try to hire a substitute for those two days? Or I could try to find a relative, but I don't know if they would be able to handle a 12 hour day....it would be my grandmother..I am just so clueless right now..I don't want any of the parents upset with me...With this new position, my schedule would be...Week One work Monday, Tuesday, Saturday ( off W, Th F) Week Two work Sunday Thursday Friday ( off M, T, W) and this the same schedule every other week. I will be able to keep my day care open three days out of the week, but the days will be different every other week but go back to being the same, if that makes sense. I have my schedule a month in advance, same pattern every month...I think some parents will be able to work with this...My biggest concern is the next couple weeks with the orientation and such and being able to accomodate the parents needs until my schedule is set in stone...

Any advice???
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Michael 02:53 PM 04-11-2011
Some other threads on the topic: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=substitute
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cheerfuldom 05:16 PM 04-11-2011
I'm confused.....are you planning to take the job AND keep the daycare open indefinitely?
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JeepGirl6 05:34 PM 04-11-2011
Yes I plan on taking the position and keeping my daycare open the days that I don't work there. I will be doing my day care all three days every week I will not be working at the hospital.

My concern is trying to find coverage for week of orientation....I would only need to hire a substitute to watch the children a total of 3 or 4 days and that would be it and then my schedule would be set.

The job is 3 ten hour shifts, so it is a part time position, so financially I still need to do my day care to make ends meet for now. I think I would miss it if I gave it up all together, but I think this might be the break that I need and I get the best of both worlds, the medical field and my day care, two things I have a passion for.
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Country Kids 07:05 PM 04-11-2011
Does your daycare children have the type of schedules you are going to work? I can't imagine asking my parents to alter their schedules so I can do another type of work. Also if not who will watch them and do you think parents will be willing to do that long term?

Anyway, yes I would definetly find a sub since you are the one doing the other interview especially since you are the one interviewing for another job.
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Abigail 07:55 PM 04-11-2011
If you for sure want to do both, you must have plenty of energy! Do you have any families who have a rotating schedule already? Do you earn enough income with the ten you already have to make it ends meet okay? Would you be comfortable with someone in your home with the kids while you're at your hospital job?

Lots to think about. I would..
A. Hire an employee to continue the same schedules, but place an ad ASAP to start training the person in and trust them with the kids and your home alone. This would work just wonderful for your families since you care about them so much instead of making their kids attend part time care with you and part time care elsewhere. You would have to lower your rates I bet to help them make ends meet with two part time daycare rates, so I would lean towards keeping your daycare open the same amount of hours just hire an employee part time and a back up incase the employee is sick.

B. Tell the parents you've decided to take a job at the hospital part time and will no longer offer full time care and give them two weeks. I would let them know your availability from here on out and even offer a drop-in option to keeps parents from wanting to walk out on your new plan. I would be prepared with new negotiated rates as well.
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JeepGirl6 04:43 AM 04-12-2011
I guess that is one good thing, I don't have any full time children. All of the families that I have, they currently bring their children 1-3 days a week. Out of the families I care for, I know two of the families are able to work with my new schedule, I am losing two families the 2nd week of May, 3 of my families have a rotating schedule, so I don't know if they will be able to work with my schedule or not and I am not sure about the other families... I haven't said anything to the families yet until I have the job offer in hand, hec I don't even know what the hourly pay is!

Right now I making good money running my In-home day care, but once the second week of May comes, I am losing two of my families ( just for the summer), both with siblings, which drops my income $1,000 a month, so I will be making the same doing my day care as I would be working in the hospital if they would say offer me $12.00 an hour, but I hope it's at least $13.00 an hour with all my credentials and experience. Financially, I would like to continue to do my daycare to get my debt paid off, which I will not be able to do with just the hospital job alone, so the extra daycare income will help a little. I have $13,000 in school loans and $3,500 in credit card debt that I would like to get paid off.

My plan is the work at the hospital the two week days they need me and then do my day care the other 3 days. I will not be hiring someone to run my day care. Yes, I may lose a few families that may not be able to work with my new schedule and I am ready for that. In my previous post I was implying I needed a substitute just for the week or two of orientation and that was it because I haven't got the details yet so I am stressing already when I don't even know if I need a sub yet. I talked to my cousin last night whom has worked in child care centers for the last 6 years and she said she can help me out since she is unemployed right now, so I hope it all works out.

My problem is I am always looking out for everyone else including the parents..I need to look at for myself and worry about myself...They already have their careers intact, they don't look out for me, they will be able to find another In-Home Provider.
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mac60 06:21 AM 04-12-2011
Do what you need to do, what is best for you. Because after almost 12 years in the business, that is exactly what each and every family that has came thru my door has done. They do not ever take into consideration the provider in the decisions they make. They want to go down to 2 or 3 days a week from ft care....they don't care how it affects you. We need to put ourselves number 1 in line.
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