How much do you pay for full-time child care?

[javaj]

Getting ready to have our 2nd child (I'm due in July!) and I'm just wondering what others are paying for child care.

We pay roughly $170 a week for our 4yo, he's in a child care center. If we were to place our infant in the same center, his fee would be $215 per week. That'd be about 20K per year for both kids, yikes! This is with the 10% corporate discount too.

I'm considering other options, but I'm really more comfortable with the "safety in numbers" issue at child care centers vs home day cares.

 

[Cthia]

Congratulations!!!!


I was paying $212.50 for an infant rate up to 15 months. Now I am paying $192.50 for toddler rate. The rate will change when she moves over to preschool. I will assume it will go down since it will be based on an hourly rate and not by the day.

For my oldest when she is in daycare during the summer it costs me $160.00 a week at a local community center.

 

[javaj]

bumping for more votes!

 

[puffkin]

We too are just looking into this with our baby due in a few weeks. I plan on going back to work end of May/early June. The center we decided on is $155 week for full time infant care. They supply everything except formula. It is $10 a week cheaper once he would move to the toddler room, but then you have to supply diapers (they supply the wipes/ointment though and all food).

The others schools we looked at were in the $160-$175 range for infants, but they all supplied different things and had different policies and procedures. I too am more comfortable with a licensed center than a home care situation. Good luck with looking, the prices are overwhelming, but unfortunately we have no other option.

 

[Bob Slydell]

We pay monthly -- $1420 a month for our 5 year old's pre-K and our 9-month old's childcare (same school -- Goddard School). I think our youngest's portion of that is around $825 a month.

 

[Miss Kelly]

My Mom operates a home daycare in rural Virginia and charges $70 for infants, $65 for 1-5 years, and $30 for before/after school kids.

BUT, our standard of living is very, very low. A good job around here pays $10 an hour.

 

[mainewmn]

OMG!

I can’t believe how much a day care cost now days. When my boys needed it I paid $100 per week for both of them! We provided formula and diapers/ointment they provided the rest.

 

[suevee]

Daycare is much more expensive in Md around the DC area. I get $200 per week per child. No discounts. But after 30 years I am leaving the business....sometimes that make me sad....

 

[nliedel]

I am in trouble here and have to put my babies in daycare for a few weeks and I have no clue how to pay for it. I am need some major surgery and will not be able to lift the babies (1 and 2) for four weeks. I am going to have to put them in some kind of care and the prices we have been quoted are so high I am not sure how we can do it. This is a mess!

 

[dcgrumpy]

my kids are now home but were in Tutor Time up until a year ago. We paid $206 a week for our 4yo and $242 for our 1.5yo. That included $20 extra a week for each of them for early drop off and a 10% discount for the 4yo.


ETA
they provide breakfast, lunch and snacks unless they ate baby food. Luckily ours didn't start until they were eating table food We had to bring diapers, wipes, bottles, ointment, bug spray, sunscreen, sheets, blankets

 

[barkley]

i just checked the website for the place my kids went to-

infant/toddler care-full time (they permit nothing less even if you won't use it) $823.00 per month plus around $600 per year for registration and mandatory fees. they provide NOTHING (you bring your own bottles, wipes, diapers, formula, sheets for the crib...)

potty trained 3rd old and up-560 per month and around $600 per year registration/mandatory fees. they provide NOTHING (parents round robin on providing the snacks, and you get hit up regularly for money for art supplies, field trips, mandatory school t-shirts, upgrades/repairs to facility).

both charge a $1 per minute late pickup fee.

 

[mickeyboat]

My kids have always been in home day care. I felt better thinking they were in a loving, home environment than in a cold, noisy center - not that this is the case, just that's what I thought.

For the first two years we paid $22 per day per child. Then we switched to another place where we were charged $125 per week full time for both kids (that's not each). I couldn't believe how lucky we got. The provider is a former teacher and has been baby-sitting for years, many of my friends have sent their kids there, and this woman taught my SIL's when they were in school.

The kids are in K and I now pay $135 per week, but I am going to look into something different for the summer and for now on. This provider really likes the little ones, and my kids sometimes get bored there.

Denae

 

[tw1nsmom]

I am in trouble here and have to put my babies in daycare for a few weeks and I have no clue how to pay for it. I am need some major surgery and will not be able to lift the babies (1 and 2) for four weeks. I am going to have to put them in some kind of care and the prices we have been quoted are so high I am not sure how we can do it. This is a mess!

Do you have anyone in the family, or church/community organizations who could help? When the twins were 6 monthd old, I had relatively minor surgery, but couldn't lift them for a week. They ended up going to 3 different friends houses on three different days. We filled in the rest with my mom and paying younger teenagers to be mother's helpers. I was right there to direct and supervise, but they did all the lifting.

Other places to check...Nanny agencies, YMCA (the ones around here have childcare for people exercising...maybe if you explained your situation they could help out), or the hospital social worker might have some resources or ideas.

 

[kimwim8]

Right now I pay $165/week for my 4 year old full time in preschool (child care center). Hours are 8 - 6pm, hot lunch and 2 snacks/day are provided. We bring our own sheets/blanket/pillow for nap time & that's about it. Registration is a yearly $25 fee for established students, $50 for new students.

Two years ago when I had both kids in there full time, I paid almost $400/week. I love the facility, the staff and the teachers. My kids are/(were) taught all day long, and not just babysat, so I willingly pay the money. I can watch DS online and see what he's doing, which is AWESOME.

I'm actually going to miss that school when DS goes to Kindergarten in the fall. It's been a 5 day/week place for me to go for over 4 years now.

 

[piglet too]

We pay $140 a week at a home daycare that is ran by a friend. My DD can get there as early as 6am and stay as late as needed, so long we tell her if it will be after 6pm. She gets any meals and snacks that would be needed based on the time she is there.

 

[Minnesota!]

DS (20 months) is in a center, and we pay $214/week, after our 10% discount (non discounted is $238/wk). Up to 18 months, we were paying $240/week.

However, we are switching him to a home place (where I went, and I have known the lady literally since I was 6 months old...otherwise there is no way I would trust any home situation) and although we haven't discussed prices yet, I am assuming she will be about $150 a week. Which saves us $256 a month..

 

[Stitchfans]

At the Y I was paying 175.oo a month for an hour in the morning. the one before that was charing me $381.oo a month for an hour in the morning before school and a half an hour in the evening after school. maybe that is the job to have daycare?

 

[labdogs42]

I pay $130 per week and my son goes to a child care center. He is in the infant room and when he moves to the 1 year old room, the fee will go down to $122. In the baby room, I provide his food, diapers, wipes, etc. When he moves up, he will get 2 snacks a day and hot lunch provided by the school. It is a great center and a reasonable price. Other places around here charged up to $180 a week and some of those didn't include food. I love my daycare center!

 

[javaj]

Thanks for sharing! It is nice to know what the different rates are.

The center that my 4yo goes to provides all food, we will be providing diapers/wipes/formula for the infant. We also pay for our 4yo's "extras" -- such as $16 per month for twice a month computer classes.

 

[Rachie0507]

I don't have my kids in daycare--but I am a licensed daycare provider (home daycare). Home daycare is the norm in my area--you very rarely hear of people using centers. My 'moms' like it because it provides the home atmosphere and they participate in family-like routines. Maybe it's a regional thing, I don't know. This is the first time I have heard negative opinions about home daycare.

I charge by the hour because I take a mix of part-timers and full-timers. But my rate basically works out to $150 a week. Same rate no matter what age. For infants, the parents provide formula, baby food, diapers and any creams/ointments. I provide wipes, blankets/sheets and equipment.