How much for full time infant care?

[Skatermom23]

My BIL and his wife just had a baby and need to look for full time day care. They have hinted at me watching the baby and I have mixed feelings about this. So, I am curious as to what the rate is for full time infant care...either in a family home or a center??

 

[dyna]

I think the going rate here in Barely Indiana Nearly Kentucky is about 5 to 6 an hour. My DD was not able to pay half that this past year for her baby who turned a year old in Jan. My other DD babysat him for 2 an hour even then it was not always possible for her to get paid on time but they did keep it within a reasonible amount of time.

Now that DD has yet another baby she won't be able to pay anymore for 2 than she did 1 when she goes back to work which hopefully will be soon.

 

[Liberty Belle]

The centers (home and other) charge anywhere from $135 to $175 per infant, per week. Plus there's usually a small joining fee ($50 or less). I'm in Lexington, Kentucky.

 

[dfarner]

Full time in my area is close to about $175/wk or so for an infant. We will be putting my DD1 in a center p/t this fall and it is $140/wk for up to 30 hrs of care. My suggestion to you, not to deter you in any way from doing it but situations like that among family members can get touchy sometimes, is to have some very clear cut plans/policies put into place before you start care (hrs, who's providing food, etc...). Good luck on your decision!

 

[Suzanna1973]

My sister and I own an inhome daycare and we charge $150 for Mon-Fri.

They are paying for the spot not days. So even if the child is not here, the parents still pay. We do not charge when we go on vacation.

 

[ljhmom]

Around here the centers are $175 a week for an infant.

 

[tadamom]

I'm not sure what the going rate is here but I wanted to ditto what the previous poster said that you need to have set guidelines just like a daycare would.

I watch my niece (who's 2) two days a week and she goes to daycare the other 3 days. It had gotten to be that my niece was here up until 8 o'clock sometimes but she was being picked up from daycare by 6:30. I finally had a talk with my SIL and she admitted that she had been taking advantage of me and we now have a set time that she has to be picked up by!

One other thing that I wanted to say was this: you can always call a daycare center in your area and they will tell you how much they charge. And, I would rather pay an individual a little more to keep my child b/c then the child is getting one-on-one attention! Just my opinion!

Good luck!

 

[RachaelRol]

Where my son attended pre k and kinder, charges 1100 per month per infant. Video monitoring extra 25 per month

 

[jagafen]

When our son was a baby, we paid $75/week (for 5 days each week!!). He's 4 now, but is still with the same woman. A year and a half ago, she "upped" it to $100/week. We pay when he's there, don't pay if he's sick.....we don't need to "keep" his spot by paying her for not taking care of our son! I knew she was a bargain, but I guess I didn't realize how lucky we were. The cheap center based care facilities were $150 in our area (Bucks County, PA) to $175 a week.

 

[aimeeg]

We live in the Baltimore Washington Metro Area. Full time infant care is around $1300 a month.

 

[riggins]

You should probably call around a few places in your area as I think it varies A LOT by region. I paid $200-$225/week at a center when my DD's were infants (they're now 4 and 6), which is a bargain compared to some people who've already posted and a fortune compared to others. For the past year, my neighbor and I have been doing a nanny share with our 4-year-old DDs and we pay her $475/week to keep 2 four-year-olds from 8:00-4:00 M-F.

Good Luck!

 

[Ally_DeVille]

Here in Boston I paid $2100 a month for my baby, it included all formula and diapers. It's a great place, very low ratio of babies to adults, 2 - 1.

She just turned two and my costs are $1850 a month, all diapers, 2 snacks and lunch included. There are 10 in her class and 6 teachers. it's located at work and I can apply for scholarships to help with the costs, I got $7,000 last year. The faculty don't get scholarships but are very well paid, they don't need it.

Financially its killing me and I need to either move home and have family watch her or get a better job-- either prospect scares me. Work wise I have it great, moving to a new job isn't where I wanted to be at this stage in my career but I also don't want this much debt!

The education my daughter is getting is incredible and I'd like to keep her there until she starts school I have to decide my next steps in the next 6 months.

 

[grlpwrd]

Yes, by all means call around and you can get an idea what home daycares are charging on Craigslist.

I used to watch my niece when she was a newborn and my SIL was very tough to please. She did not like my style of caring for my niece, such as laying her down for tummy time on a blanket, and she didn't install her carseat correctly and she got upset when I told her so. It didn't work out.

My advice is to get everything in writing and agree beforehand. It might save you from getting all the headaches I did. lol

 

[LisaNJ25]

When our son was a baby, we paid $75/week (for 5 days each week!!). He's 4 now, but is still with the same woman. A year and a half ago, she "upped" it to $100/week. We pay when he's there, don't pay if he's sick.....we don't need to "keep" his spot by paying her for not taking care of our son! I knew she was a bargain, but I guess I didn't realize how lucky we were. The cheap center based care facilities were $150 in our area (Bucks County, PA) to $175 a week.

I actually paid my sitter $50 a week... We used her for 12 years and rates never changed. If I missed a day it would be $10 less. All meals were homemade.

Around here its easily 800-1000 if not more for infants.

I am going to watch a friends 7mo and 3yo 3 days a week starting sept. She is paying me $100. Which isnt a lot for a total of 24 hours but she is a single mom with 3 kids and I can use the money.

 

[NotUrsula]

I've got one starting daycare in the fall. In my large midwestern city (suburbs) center care goes for between $275-325/week, and the parents provide all diapers and food. Licensed in-home care is about $200/wk, and cash-under-the-table care is slightly over $100/wk (or so I've heard, anyway -- I don't feel comfortable with that.)

Also, most centers have a waiting list for infant slots, sometimes of up to a year. If they want a space, better reserve it ASAP.

 

[tonilea]

Wow! I am astonished at some of the rates! I have been very fortunate that the few hours a week we need child care either my parents or my MIL takes care of him and won't take any money.

 

[dreamn_Disney]

In my little area of the world you would be paying about $90 a week for in home licensed care, $50 - $75 for unlicensed in home care, and $125 for the one and only daycare center.

 

[Jen32113]

My best friend pays $225 a week for her daycare. I think she also pays an additional $10 per week so he can have breakfast there. My DS will be starting in a preschool around the corner from us and we will pay $165 for 3 full days starting Aug 20. He will be in K-2.

 

[Skatermom23]

Full time in my area is close to about $175/wk or so for an infant. We will be putting my DD1 in a center p/t this fall and it is $140/wk for up to 30 hrs of care. My suggestion to you, not to deter you in any way from doing it but situations like that among family members can get touchy sometimes, is to have some very clear cut plans/policies put into place before you start care (hrs, who's providing food, etc...). Good luck on your decision!

I would only do it until December, IF I do it at all. My kids are teenagers and I have come to like my freedom! I will call around to some of our centers today and see if they will tell me what they charge over the phone and about the availability of spots.

 

[BrooklynnsMommy]

My BIL and his wife just had a baby and need to look for full time day care. They have hinted at me watching the baby and I have mixed feelings about this. So, I am curious as to what the rate is for full time infant care...either in a family home or a center??

I am the director at a preschool and we are currently charging $205 a week for infant care. We have school all over the nation and some of them charge as much as $319 a week. I would call around to some local centers and see what they charge in your area since the northern and western states tend to be more expensive than the southern states.