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JenNJ 09:55 AM 02-28-2012
Originally Posted by daycare:
The way you are stating it, it sounds like you are saying that if you have a child enrolled PT and then a family wants to interview for a full time spot, that you would let that PT child go so you could take the FT?? IPO, I don't think that's fair.

This is exactly what I do. It isn't unfair. It is business. They want to have the part time schedule to save money. I want the full time schedule to make money. Neither party is right or wrong, just on different sides.

I want to be paid for 5 full time slots. If I have 4 full time slots filled and one part time slot filled I am losing potential income on that part time slot. As long as I don't have someone waiting for that full time space, I am happy to fill it with a part timer.

If I get a call for a full time contract, I interview them. If I am willing to accept them into care, I go to the PT family. I say, "I have a family waiting for a full time slot. Your child is only here 2 or 3 days a week. There are two ways we can work this - #1) You can take the full time space #2) Or you can have two weeks to find alternate care for little Johnny."

I work 55 hours with the kids whether I have one child here or five. I want five here so that I maximizing my income. If I have any open spaces on any days I am losing money. I try my best to fill those gaps.

In the end, I am just the daycare provider. It is up to their parents to make sure their child is in a stable situation. If they really value one long term caregiver, the decision to pay for a full time space when they only need part time care is easy. If they value their dollars more than a daycare situation, the decision to find a new caregiver will also be easy. it comes down to what they value more. Sometimes they value the caregiver more, sometimes they value their money more. Neither is right or wrong. It is just a preference.


If you take a part time family, it will be up to you fill the other days of the week with another PT family. This is why I only take full time or if I can't fill the FT spot, I will allow a M_W_F or a T-H, this way two kids will take up a full time spot.

That is great in theory, but it isn't always that easy. I have a lot of people looking for T, Th, F slots and M, W, F slots. Those don't match up. And just because a client has a wacky schedule doesn't mean I need to be the one to solve it. I will accept them into care as long as the schedule works for me. If I begin losing money on that spot, I need to figure out a solution. The easiest solution is finding a full timer. Second best is having a part time family pay for the full time space.
I answered in bold.
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