Interview during daycare hours?

[DCMom]

Hi,
I need to set up an interview for my second of two daycare spots. Would you do this during daycare hours or not? Reasons? Experiences?
TIA Ariel

[sunnydays]

I always do interviews outside of daycare hours. I don't feel it's safe to invite a stranger into teh daycare while I am here alone with the kids. Aside from that, it is very hard to focus on talking to the parents while trying to watch the other kids and things can get a bit chaotic...kids tend to act up when they know you are not paying full attention.

[Crayola kiddies]

I never do interviews during daycare hours for security reasons. You have no idea who this person is and if I was a parent with my kids in daycare I wouldn't want my provider bringing strangers into the house ...... Plus if there is ever a time the kids are going to act up that will be the time. I take the hit and do them on my own time

[kidlove]

I always interview DURING daycare, not only do I not want to lose my very important family time, but I also feel it is very important to have the "potential" family see me "in action". Always check my schedule and pick a day with lesser kids or "not so difficult to manage kids", so I can give enough time to both Day Care and the Family. And always have the interview during the AM "slow-time"....we have a period just after breakfast and busy off to school kids going out the door that the children are allowed 30 minutes of "programs" on TV, while I finally sit to do coffee and watch them quietly. thats my "interview" time as well!

[Inspired by Reggio]

I do my first interview AFTER hours for several reasons ~ primarily because for years I have to listen to my spouses horror stories from work about the seedy underbelly of society and while I like to believe that the world is primarily an awesome place and focus on the good with his work experiences being the 'rarity' of society I was raised to hope for the best but to plan for the worse so to speak.

I do not want to be home alone with the children while having a 'stranger' coming into my home who as mentioned could be any whacko as well as I do not want to expose the currently enrolled children to too many strangers cause sometimes you can interview a few people finding the perfect one you actually 'want' to accept into care and finally I just had too much experience over the years with people who go around 'interviewing' childcare centres when in reality they are just looking for free play dates for their children and wanting to be nosy about what childcare providers 'do all day' :(

My interviews have 3 stages the email / phone interview, the tour of the program after hours and the final stage is during program hours for a morning about 1 hour in length.

I hate giving up evening time to interview as well but I do it because I prefer to be able to have my spouse home and to give them my undivided attention cause trying to interview and 'work' at the same time can be very challenging. If we both feel we are a match and they are 99% sure they want to sign a contract and I want to have them THEN as the last stage of the process I invite them to come for a daytime visit to see the program in action and for me to see their child interact with the group and than to see me in action managing the group before we commit to signing the contract.

[cfred]

I do interviews any time the potential clients want to come. I usually prefer people come during daycare hours so they can get a feel for my interactions with the children, their kids can participate, so on. I've never had a problem with it. Sometimes, if I'm really lucky, the visiting children will cry when their parents tell them it's time to go home....that usually secures the client:)

In 11 years, I've never once had a problem interviewing during daycare hours.

[Momof4]

I always interview after daycare hours and then if the family is very interested in the space and they pass all my criteria I set up a morning playdate for them so they can meet the children in my care and see me 'in action' with them.

However, since this is only your second space that you are filling I don't think you would be too overworked if you interviewed during daycare hours. But I wouldn't do that with 5 children. I always tell people that I give the children 100% of my attention and that's why I can't have them here any more than for a short visit but only if I'm pretty sure we're signing the contract. I don't let strangers in my home when I'm responsible for 5 children.

[fruitloop]

I always do interviews outside of daycare hours. I don't feel it's safe to invite a stranger into teh daycare while I am here alone with the kids. Aside from that, it is very hard to focus on talking to the parents while trying to watch the other kids and things can get a bit chaotic...kids tend to act up when they know you are not paying full attention.

Exactly this! I only hold interviews on evening or weekends. The very very odd time I will hold 1 during my nap time if I only have 1 or 2 kids here but it is always a time where I can focus 100% on the familiy I'm meeting with.

[Play and Learn]

During daycare hours, and the parents AND child(ren) have to attend. The reason I do them during daycare hours is:
1. to see if the child(ren) mesh with mine
2. I have another business I run during the evenings/weekends, and evenings/weekends are MY FAMILY TIME!

Good luck!

[mimi]

I interview after d/c hours. This way I can have an uninterrupted conversation with the potential client, they get to meet and speak with my family (who involve themselves in the d/c) and it is just more relaxed and I can get to know the child abit as well. Also, the number one reason is there are no strangers who will cross my threshold during daycare time. If our home needs a service call, I call my hubby when they arrive and they have to wait for him to come home (he works near by) before entering. The service personnel are always understanding. I assure my d/c parents of this as well - saftey first.

[apples and bananas]

My first interview is always after daycare hours! I never bring a stranger into the home. Once I've met with them and they sign on ... deposit and all... then they can come into my house during daycare hours.

You hear too many scary things now a days. Better be safe then sorry.

[kidlove]

If I were a parent, watching the "interaction" of the provider with the other children and the way the provider handles the shuffle of me and the kids at the same time would say a lot about her abilities to multitask and handle "stressful situations". The way I see the whole "stranger" in the house thing is this: I have a sign out front that says I'm a Daycare, they already know my address, anyone could come in contact or watch you with the children in a park or other public place......my Daycare parents trust me (so theirs no worries over having interviews during hours) not to mention, they understand this is a business of profit, I can't make a profit if I can't do things like take on new clients. And family time totally outweighs and business in the evening. Have to add, my husband says "no business after close!" I respect that. He is understanding enough to remove himself during the day "all day" the least I can do is give his home back in the pm. ;)