Thinking outside the box: Flexible Care

Few program options... all those extra spaces

As many of us in daycare land know, we typically only have a few program options to offer families- 5 full days, 3 full days, 2 full days, half day morning only and lets not forget our before and after school programs.

But what about all those extra spaces available when those part time children are not there? Or when your half day children go home? Chances are you have the staff in place when these children are not there, so why not open up those spots to other families.

Now just hear me out, I know this is a scary uncharted road that most daycare wont touch with a 10 foot pole. But it CAN be done! And it can make you extra money without much effort.

No more 9 to 5 schedules

Parent's and families in this post pandemic world are not working normal hours or schedules. Many are still working from home and don't need full time care, or they may not know their schedule in advance. After all we know that things come up all the time.

So what if you opened up those spots to hourly or drop-in care? Your staff is there already, so that is not a problem. Your rooms have the space open, not a problem. Scheduling the spots and families-we have found the problem.

How can we manage this without pulling out the 5 strands of hair we have left on our heads? Our good ole trusty pen and paper, notebooks, excel sheets etc. Sure you could do that, but how many times have you lost that paper or set it down in a room and now it has a Crayola masterpiece on it? More times than you care to remember.

The Right Tools for the job

So how can we use these open spaces to create more revenue without additional labor costs? In all the years that I had been in childcare, talking about or even the thought of drop-in and hourly care was just unheard of and always had the stigma of it being too much work to figure out.

But with the right tools not only can you manage, schedule and create revenue, there will be very little work on your part. Tools that can give your customers the ability to request visits or blocks of time in your center, without needing any of your time. Tools that can show you what your expected revenue would be if you accepted that request.

What could you do with an extra $100 per class per day? Maybe purchase that extra piece of equipment, or treat your staff to a luncheon without it having to come out of your pocket, or even staff bonuses or pay increases.

I have talked to several director friends about this same concept and all of them looked like they had seen a ghost and immediately were shaking their heads no so fast I could feel the breeze through the phone. And then I shared with them how I was able to make this concept of hourly and drop-in care a reality- Child Care Seer.

I know, I know, I have named dropped them again but they are that GOOD! They are the only tool I have ever used over 23 years that makes this crazy scary concept easy. Yes, easy.

From their Availability graph that literally shows you where your open slots are, to allowing families to see this same graph and make a request for a visit, I mean it cannot get any easier than that! A couple of clicks, and boom you just made extra revenue while using the staff you already have in your center.

Make It Happen for You

Seriously think about this not so scary concept, reach out to the Child Care Seer team by visiting the website, www.childcareseer.com , Or take the leap and start a free center. It is a new year, why not try something new!?