Is This Family Child Care Provider Heartless?

A family child care provider recently announced to her families that she was reducing her hours (currently at 11.5 hours a day). She's worried that she will burn out if she continues working these long hours. She gave them a month's notice.

All but one family is fine with the reduced hours. However, one family is going through a rough period in their relationship and wants to be able to pick up their child under the old schedule every other Friday.

The provider doesn't want to accommodate this family's schedule. She's told the family they need to find someone else to pick up their child on time every other Friday or they need to find other child care arrangements.

The provider worries that she is being heartless? Is she?

Of course not!

This provider, like all providers, is entitled to set her own hours and to change them whenever she wants.It's your business. You are not required to accommodate the needs of all families. You could decide to reduce your hours and charge late pick up fees. But, this provider didn't want to work longer hours so she gave the family a simple choice: show up at the new pick up time or find other care.

It's always good advice to act on what you need to make your business work for you. When you do so you will be in a better position to provide quality care for children over the long run.

See a description of this provider's situation as posted on daycare.com and the responses she received.

Tom Copeland - www.tomcopelandblog.com

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