Starting a Co-op...am I crazy?
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svogel
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| A few of us in our NW DC neighborhood are thinking of starting a co-op for little ones who are just too young for the DCPR co-op. Has anyone been through this process before? Any words of wisdom? |
Anonymous
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I considered it a while back but decided ultimately to go with an established coop. I'd recommend visiting and talking with established coops so you get a full picture of things and know what happens and what to expect.
I think it's a great idea and can be a wonderful experience for everyone, but you should definitely make sure you set up some rules and expectations ahead of time. You don't have to be rigid but do need to make sure everyone is on the same page about things like: - Who's allowed to be there (i.e. siblings) - What the process is if someone isn't able to coop (switching, paying for a sub if needed, etc.) - Where you will have it - What the costs are and who will pay for them and when There are several associations (none I can remember offhand) that have websites with PDFs full of tips and info for setting up a coop. |
Anonymous
| I've actually been considering something like this myself and live in Friendship Heights. Do you have an email I could contact you at? |
svogel
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|
OP here. Thanks for the responses and questions. These are definitely key issues to consider.
To the PP, if you'd like to contact me, you can reach me at sarah.vogel824@gmail.com to talk about the co-op idea. I have a few other parents interested as well! |
Anonymous
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a couple thoughts:
1) if you are talking too young for DCPR you are talking babies, so this will really just be supervised play / a Mother's Day out, right?. We did DCPR with our kids, and think managing that with younger children would be tough / would require a much higher ratio. And having co-oped in another preschool now as well, you definitely have to be prepared for people to be unavailable last minute. 2) have you considered structuring this as more of a babysitting co-op, but one with standing play dates a day or two a week? That way you can tap into one another as a babysitting network in general, and also facilitate easy sitting opportunities at the play dates. |
Anonymous
| Be sure to check with your insurance company about this. |