If you’ve been thinking about changing the hours of your daycare business but were a little hesitant, we have some tips for you. Changing your daycare hours can be challenging for daycare providers because you really don’t want to lose or upset clients, but you have to do what’ is right for your daycare business. Once you have decided to change your hours, you may not know how to go about doing it and how much notice to give.
A daycare provider asked: “I would like to change my daycare hours how would you all go about doing that?” We asked the fans of OwnADaycare on Facebook who are daycare owners: Here are their best responses.
I would just send out notice. Effective ____________ Day care hours will be as follow: _______________. Don’t give room for negotiation. If you want these new hours just let them know, with notice.
In your handbook, does it say anything about hours, fees or policies may change? Write a letter and give them at least 30 days’ notice or whatever your policy says. Make sure you attach a new contract with the changes. Have each family sign it, make a copy and keep one and give them one.
Make an amendment to your contract and write it out. If your current clients have a problem with it they may need to find other care for the children.
In Texas, you have to notify your state rep and then you’d probably want to send an email or a newsletter to your parents.
I would give them at least a month’s notice as well and depending on how much earlier you are closing or later you are opening, you may have to consider lowering your rates.
Been there done that. I used to do night care I just gave everyone a 30 day notice and offered them day spots, if they did not want to or could not switch they had 30 days to look for a new daycare.
I changed my hours this past year also. I did it gradually. As I got calls for daycare I just gave them my new hours. So I still had some kiddos on my old hours but as they left to go to school my new kids were on my new hours. Took about a year, but at least I did not lose the families I had. I am not good at saying goodbye to my kiddos so I didn’t want to lose them before I had too.
Will they fit in with the hours the parents are using now? If not you’ll need to give plenty of notice so if they choose, they can find new care. When I changed my rate, I sent out a notice 2 months ahead of time. Also, give them some of the reasons you feel it’s necessary, like you need more quality time with your own family, etc.
I would write up a letter simply stating that your hours are changing. Then those families, who stay with you, have them sign an updated contract with the new hours. If you require a two week notice for families leaving, then I would think that would suffice for this change you are making.
I would give official written notice and give 30 days’ notice. My contract I have with my parents states I have the right to change policies and rates at the beginning of each year with a 30 day notice.
I changed my hours also. When I decided to do this finally, I told all of my parents verbally, then in email and in the new contracts. I knew like in Sept. that when new contracts come out in Jan. my hours would change. It gave parents plenty of time to make other arrangements if they have to. Lucky me no parents left. They all stayed. I told them that I needed to change hours due to my kids’ sports activities. It was too much staying open until 6pm and trying to feed my family before we had to leave. They all understood. I close at 5pm now.
I told all my parents in writing that as of this date my hours of operation would be 7:00am-5:00pm. However, be prepared to loose people because they may not be able to work around your new hours. All my parents were picking up by 5:00 so it didn’t matter.
I would write a letter to the parents saying you are changing your hours. Give them at least 2 weeks to a month’s notice of the change. Also, you may have to notice your licensing/registration department to let them know of the change also.
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