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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Client Requesting I Install Cameras
trix23 06:02 AM 03-22-2017
I'm a new provider (Nov 2016) and am struggling to find clients and get my name out there. I had an interview yesterday and the woman was telling me about how the center she sent her son to for years was not giving the type of care she wanted and requested that I install cameras. I told her I can look into it. I don't really want them and know she has trust issues with the other place. Ideas?
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Blackcat31 06:05 AM 03-22-2017
Originally Posted by trix23:
I'm a new provider (Nov 2016) and am struggling to find clients and get my name out there. I had an interview yesterday and the woman was telling me about how the center she sent her son to for years was not giving the type of care she wanted and requested that I install cameras. I told her I can look into it. I don't really want them and know she has trust issues with the other place. Ideas?
Oh lawdy.... this is a controversial subject/topic for sure!

Here is another thread that will explain why very well!
https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82389
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Pestle 06:39 AM 03-22-2017
In my experience, there are very few parents looking for family day care that expect cameras. I wouldn't do it just for one potential family, regardless of how I felt about it generally.

It takes a long time to fill all available spots. When I attended the licensing orientation, the organizer said that the two biggest things to know are:
1. Employees = complications. Stay small if you can, and definitely stay small for the first few years
2. Budget for 1-3 kids for your first year or two. You will not fill all your spots until you've been operating for a while. This is a word-of-mouth gig

And that's true. I have one full-time kid and five part-timers right now, and only two of the six kids came through advertising. The other four were all word-of-mouth, and I'm about to start an infant waiting list for more friends of my current families. This is after 10 months of operating. (At one point I had 3 full-timers, but I learned the hard way that, when there are preschoolers on the market for day care, it's often because of issues that keep them bouncing from one place to another.)

I'm lucky that, a few months after I quit my office job, my husband was able to take that job! He was working a low-paying job and I was making the bulk of the income plus getting health insurance and life insurance through my employer, so basically we flipped our jobs and we're doing just as adequately as we were before I left the office. Otherwise, we'd be in trouble, since I have only two kids most days.
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childcaremom 07:06 AM 03-22-2017
I need to be able to work with dcps who trust me.

This dcm would get a big NO to cameras and a suggestion that if cameras are a deal breaker for her then she needs to go somewhere that has them already.

I wouldn't sign her on, either. Period.
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nannyde 07:21 AM 03-22-2017
I will install cameras in my home for them if they install cameras in their homes for me.

Since parents commit the huge majority of abuse and neglect upon children, I would need to be able to watch them to assure they aren't abusing the child and then bringing them to me. I don't want to be in the window of suspicion if a child is abused by their parent.

If I can watch them at home it would make me feel much safer caring for their kid.
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daycare 07:32 AM 03-22-2017
Originally Posted by nannyde:
I will install cameras in my home for them if they install cameras in their homes for me.

Since parents commit the huge majority of abuse and neglect upon children, I would need to be able to watch them to assure they aren't abusing the child and then bringing them to me. I don't want to be in the window of suspicion if a child is abused by their parent.

If I can watch them at home it would make me feel much safer caring for their kid.
I love how you always flip script. Too funny and Yet so true.
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DaveA 08:11 AM 03-22-2017
Nope. I'm not putting cameras in MY house just so you can feel better. If you don't trust me to watch your child find care elsewhere.
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Leigh 09:30 AM 03-22-2017
Originally Posted by nannyde:
I will install cameras in my home for them if they install cameras in their homes for me.

Since parents commit the huge majority of abuse and neglect upon children, I would need to be able to watch them to assure they aren't abusing the child and then bringing them to me. I don't want to be in the window of suspicion if a child is abused by their parent.

If I can watch them at home it would make me feel much safer caring for their kid.
EXACTLY! This is what we should all tell parents with such requests!
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debbiedoeszip 09:42 AM 03-22-2017
Originally Posted by nannyde:
I will install cameras in my home for them if they install cameras in their homes for me.

Since parents commit the huge majority of abuse and neglect upon children, I would need to be able to watch them to assure they aren't abusing the child and then bringing them to me. I don't want to be in the window of suspicion if a child is abused by their parent.

If I can watch them at home it would make me feel much safer caring for their kid.
Omg, this all the way LOL!
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Ariana 11:51 AM 03-22-2017
Yeah ok I will install cameras for a crazy lady? Nope.
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AmyKidsCo 12:01 PM 03-22-2017
Originally Posted by Ariana:
Yeah ok I will install cameras for a crazy lady? Nope.
This.

Either you trust me with your child or you don't. Period.
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Meeko 04:28 PM 03-22-2017
Originally Posted by nannyde:
I will install cameras in my home for them if they install cameras in their homes for me.

Since parents commit the huge majority of abuse and neglect upon children, I would need to be able to watch them to assure they aren't abusing the child and then bringing them to me. I don't want to be in the window of suspicion if a child is abused by their parent.

If I can watch them at home it would make me feel much safer caring for their kid.
Yep!

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Mike 07:21 PM 03-22-2017
Originally Posted by nannyde:
I will install cameras in my home for them if they install cameras in their homes for me.

Since parents commit the huge majority of abuse and neglect upon children, I would need to be able to watch them to assure they aren't abusing the child and then bringing them to me. I don't want to be in the window of suspicion if a child is abused by their parent.

If I can watch them at home it would make me feel much safer caring for their kid.
Another I agree.
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trix23 10:27 AM 03-26-2017
Same lady wants to pay monthly based on the amount of weeks/days. I told her that I charge my monthly fee based on:

Weekly rate * 52 / 12 months

She wants to pay the exact amount for the month we are in at the time. That's too much hassle and fuss. I told her that clients pay the same amount each time, regardless if they pay weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

I may be an individual, but I am a business first.
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Blackcat31 06:34 AM 03-27-2017
Originally Posted by trix23:
Same lady wants to pay monthly based on the amount of weeks/days. I told her that I charge my monthly fee based on:

Weekly rate * 52 / 12 months

She wants to pay the exact amount for the month we are in at the time. That's too much hassle and fuss. I told her that clients pay the same amount each time, regardless if they pay weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

I may be an individual, but I am a business first.
Sound to me like this lady needs a nanny.

You are a business that gets to set your own rates, hours and policies. The ONLY thing this mom should get to decide is if those rates, hours and policies work for her.

If not, she needs to move on.

I understand you need the income but taking this client would not be a wise thing to do in my opinion.
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Unregistered 11:22 AM 03-28-2017
Had this happen almost a year ago! Dcm told me I should have cameras in my home for her to view her children. I said No way to the cameras and sent her on her way out the door with both of her kids. I won't tolerate that at all. You don't trust me then bye bye we are done!

its a red flag! Don't take this family on! The second they don't like the way you do things they will make false reports against you!
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Mom2Two 01:47 PM 03-28-2017
If you feel comfortable, you can let her know that it doesn't bother you for parents to occasionally show up unannounced. If a parent did it all the time, I wouldn't like it, but all my parents have had days when they just showed up early without texting for whatever reason, and there's never been a problem.

If I had been beating their child or yelling, I wouldn't have been able to cover it up and still answer the door promptly, if that makes sense.

If a parent wanted more reassurance than that, I wouldn't think we were a good fit. We live here too--it's not just a daycare.
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renodeb 11:00 AM 04-04-2017
I would never put cameras in. This is my home and I would not want to loose that feeling.That parent will probably have trust issues where ever she goes.
Deb
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Unregistered 05:39 AM 04-12-2017
Don't do it. Some parents may read this and say wtf. I caught my last daycare ignoring my baby in the corner on camera and I jerked her out! Yes there are some benefits, but that is a commercial facility. But this is MY HOME. I have personal conversations on the phone with my partner and with creditors when the kids are sleeping. Even if I don't include sound how as a parent are you going to know that all the kids are napping or that I am ignoring them? There are NOT going to be cameras in every inch of the house.

Also cameras can be hacked and also turned on remotely. I don't want the risk of 1. Your child being watched by some creep 2. The cameras turning on remotely and someone watching me during the off hours.

Finally when it comes to choosing parents, listen to the comments above. This is my 2nd round opening a daycare two different locations. Over 4 yrs now. It really is a numbers game you are playing, the risk and liability of bringing people into your home and opening yourself up is high. I always have a 2 week trial period to really test out the parents communication styles and expectations, why?

There are so many multiples when you are dealing with parents. I deal with a lot of infants. So you have parents that are sleep deprived, hormonal, stressed, new at this, feel guilty because you are raising their child essentially, they have to go back to work and don't want to, or their child behaves better in your care than at home. Those are just a few short reasons.

If you pick a high strung, severely hormonal possibly post partum depressed mom, single parent with higher stress due to no support system, poor communications skills, their primary language is not yours. This list can go on. You automatically increase your chances of conflict and not being able to work through the multitude of things it takes to raise a child together. You are co-parenting no doubt about it. It is a very close relationship. But finally you are a business NOT family.

So when you interview families taking the time to learn to read the energy between the couple, and utilize that trial period. If you don't have one, put one in your contract.

The advice above that it takes months to build clientele. Not always, it really depends on how well you market yourself and your location, prices, theme etc.

Both times I opened first time full in a week. Second time full in 3 weeks. Door flyers, then FB groups (neighborhood, moms groups, etc.) Granted it takes a while to sort through parents and I have a tight open and close time frame and age restrictions so that really limits me. But I stay full.

Wish you the best, unfortunately it takes going through the school of hard knocks to learn how to read people. Also looking at this from a business/risk perspective NOT like grandma. You can love the kids, doesn't mean you have to have a business relationship with the parents. Good luck.
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itchyfeet 01:25 PM 04-19-2017
I started at the beginning of last year and the number one lesson I've learned is to only work with DCP's who I trust. I very nearly quit after the first few months due to a needy and non paying DCP, and it left me rediculiously stressed out. I only have great parents now and it changes the nature of the work and my feelings towards it completely. Trust your instincts. And remember - it's your home. You have the right to have it feel that way.

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Tags:cameras suggestions, parents - ask too much, video cameras, video monitors
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