Is this normal for in home daycares?

[Anonymous]

Our in home provider closes pretty frequently and at the last minute, usually when she doesn’t feel well. Today, she says she’s not feeling her best, is COVID negative, but is still closing and “should be good tomorrow”.

This happens, on average, at least once or twice a month. It was really bad a few months back…literally every week it was something. It got better over the summer, but at the same time, we were on vacation for three full weeks out of the summer, so not sure if she had any closures while we were gone.

DH and I both WFH but it is extremely inconvenient to have to keep DS1 home at any given time. I completely understand illness, etc., but shouldn’t she have a backup provider or a sub when she’s not available? Or, is this just par the course for in home care? Our older kids went to centers, and our one other experience with an in home was very different as the owner had 2-3 staff.

[Anonymous]

Does it matter? It sounds like it’s par for this one. If you want more reliability, you’ll have to switch to an in-home that has back up staff (ask when you tour) or a center, or a nanny from an agency that provides back up care.

[Anonymous]

I used a nanny, not in-home daycare provider, but this is why I didn't like having a nanny. Ours was older and frequently sick. Left us without reliable childcare a lot.

[Anonymous]

This hasn’t been our experience but our provider has back up people available and listed on our contract.

[Anonymous]

This is not normal. I would look for alternate care.

[Anonymous]

Not normal at all.

[Anonymous]

Not normal at all.

[Anonymous]

Not normal. Our in-home provider has had to close for 2 days due to Covid outbreak. She apologized profusely, over and over again and you could tell she felt absolutely terrible about it. I was not at all upset because these things happen and it is definitely out of the ordinary for her.

I would look elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Not normal at all. We've had each kid in a different home daycare until 2.5 and neither has ever closed unexpectedly, not even one time. Not even during covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not normal at all. We've had each kid in a different home daycare until 2.5 and neither has ever closed unexpectedly, not even one time. Not even during covid.

Oh sorry, I forgot she did have to close one time when SHE got covid right when my son started but like the pp said she was HORRIFIED (we were of course like IT'S FINE!! DO NOT WORRY!) and said she had never had to close due to illness before. Most of my friends have kids in home daycares, also have rarely heard of them closing.

[Anonymous]

Not at all normal. My in-home provider didn’t close even once during Covid, and certainly not before. We both work in-person and we would not be able to handle such frequent closures.

[Anonymous]

No - have been with ours for 6 years and she rarely closes - so I know for sure she is super sick when she does. She also has a subsititute that she tries to use if at all possble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our in home provider closes pretty frequently and at the last minute, usually when she doesn’t feel well. Today, she says she’s not feeling her best, is COVID negative, but is still closing and “should be good tomorrow”.

This happens, on average, at least once or twice a month. It was really bad a few months back…literally every week it was something. It got better over the summer, but at the same time, we were on vacation for three full weeks out of the summer, so not sure if she had any closures while we were gone.

DH and I both WFH but it is extremely inconvenient to have to keep DS1 home at any given time. I completely understand illness, etc., but shouldn’t she have a backup provider or a sub when she’s not available? Or, is this just par the course for in home care? Our older kids went to centers, and our one other experience with an in home was very different as the owner had 2-3 staff.

I sent my child to a single provider in-home for almost 4 years and she never closed except for pre-scheduled vacation and 1 day for jury duty in all that time. Sounds like your provider has something else going on.

[Anonymous]

Not normal. Mine has never closed unexpectedly. If she is not available due to an emergency or appointment she notifies us about her backups. They are background checked and named on the contract.

[Anonymous]

Not normal. Precovid I had 5 unexpected closures over a 10 year span. The first year of covid was a bit of a mess, but since then I have had to close two days unexpectedly. Having to take a day off stresses me out way more than spending a day with 5 toddlers.