In-home childcare, what does it cost?

[SDFgirl]

I know that rates vary widely from region to region, but I was hoping to get a ballpark figure as I'm totally clueless.

How much would you expect to pay per week for part time (2 full days a week) care for infant twin girls? This would be in a private home...not a daycare facility.

Thanks!

 

[goofygal531]

In NYC, $12 to $15 for one child, $18 to $20 an hour for two. This is what I pay my babysitter and know others pay their nannies the same as well.

 

[janey99]

I'm currently looking for a nanny in the NJ suburbs of NYC. I will actually be in the house 3 days out of the week with this person because I work from home, the other two days she will be alone with a newborn during the day and my 9.5 yo after school. I am finding about 12$ per hour to be the going rate.

HOWEVER, I will say that I have not yet had anyone who has an appetite to do it part time - everyone wants full or nothing. I know someone who only needs someone 3 days a week, but she pays for five, just to keep the person with her. My Dsis also for a period paid for 5 days when she only needed 4 for the same reason.

Have you considered trying to team up with another family that needs complementary days to yours, and doing a full-time nanny share?

Good luck!

Jane

 

[Camno's Mama]

I watch two girls, age 5 and 2, and I charge 300 a week. That works out to about 30 a day per girl. Since you have twin girls, I would charge a little more per kid as it is probably a little more work and will tie you to your home more.

Make sure you are considering cost of food, any taxes you will pay, your labor, any supplies you will have to have, etc.

I also think my price is affected by the fact that I am a professional teacher in my former life, and taught preschool and worked in a day care center as well. It takes a lot of thought to figure out how much to charge...it's a big decision and you can't really renig once you set your price. I also recommed "revisiting" it once a year. My friend is a teacher, so we naturally do that since the girls aren't here in the summer, but that is something a lot of people forget to do.

 

[SDFgirl]

HOWEVER, I will say that I have not yet had anyone who has an appetite to do it part time - everyone wants full or nothing. I know someone who only needs someone 3 days a week, but she pays for five, just to keep the person with her. My Dsis also for a period paid for 5 days when she only needed 4 for the same reason.

Have you considered trying to team up with another family that needs complementary days to yours, and doing a full-time nanny share?

Good luck!

Jane

Actually, I am the one that will be doing the childcare. I'm currently a teacher and have decided to spend the next few years at home with my DD. I was looking to babysit part-time to supplement my husband's income. A family I met wants two days of care for their twins. I have no idea what to charge!

So...If I did $60 per day ($30 per child) that would be $120 a week. Does that sound too high or too low? Or just right?

 

[taitai]

I paid my last nanny $14/hour (40 hours/week) plus I paid taxes which was about another 24% so about $650 week. This was for three preschoolers.

 

[MNMickeyWorldMom]

I pay my nanny $100 per day for two boys ages 4 & 1. It's usually a 10 hour day, so it works out to $10/hour, but if I get home an hour or two early, I still pay her $100 for the day. At first I had a hard time finding someone for that low of a price. Most professional nannies wanted more like $12-15 per hour for two kids. I kept looking and eventually was able to find quite a few for my price range.

 

[DawnM]

that is about the cost I was finding as well. $30/day for inhome care.

I didn't use it as I smelled smoke in the house and even if noone smoked during childcare hours I didn't like that.

We found a center for $700/month. Just $100 more and they were open more hours.

Dawn

I watch two girls, age 5 and 2, and I charge 300 a week. That works out to about 30 a day per girl. Since you have twin girls, I would charge a little more per kid as it is probably a little more work and will tie you to your home more.

Make sure you are considering cost of food, any taxes you will pay, your labor, any supplies you will have to have, etc.

I also think my price is affected by the fact that I am a professional teacher in my former life, and taught preschool and worked in a day care center as well. It takes a lot of thought to figure out how much to charge...it's a big decision and you can't really renig once you set your price. I also recommed "revisiting" it once a year. My friend is a teacher, so we naturally do that since the girls aren't here in the summer, but that is something a lot of people forget to do.

 

[Camno's Mama]

I think that if you are okay with what you end up coming home with, then it's just right. Figure out all of your costs, and decide how much you will actually have in your pocket. Do you think you might feel taken advantage of with the amount you end up with? Then, you should charge more. I certainly don't think you are overcharging. Twin infants is a lot of work!

That's something I was really concerned about. I didn't want to end up resenting the family because I had not charged them enough. I didn't want to feel put upon, etc. This price has worked well for me. I really like my job and am happy with what I come home with at the end of the day. I also don't charge for sick days or any day that they are not here. That is also something you need to think about. Maybe you charge the 120 a week whether they are there or not. Or maybe you charge more, but don't make them pay for any day that they are not there. Just definitley get it all down on paper so that you are all on the same page.

 

[staci]

We are in the midwest (which is generally cheaper than much of the country). I have a friend who watches kids part-time for 35 bucks a day. I think she would likely give a slight discount to siblings, so 30 bucks a day sounds reasonable. Another friend watches a single child (age 2) from 7:30-12:30 every day and gets 30 bucks a day for that.

Dont ask for less than you feel you deserve!

It is hard to find caregivers willing to give a parttime rate, as pp have mentioned. Most will not do this at all. They are lucky they have you!

 

[DISNEYFOS]

I think it depends on whether its going to be in your home or in the children's home too.

I'm in MA and we pay $16 an hour for our nanny. She comes to our home every day. She works a part time schedule.

If its in your home, its probably more in line with in-home daycare costs..and there's also the whole licensing thing as well at least in MA.

 

[MickeyWanaBe]

We are in the midwest (which is generally cheaper than much of the country). I have a friend who watches kids part-time for 35 bucks a day. I think she would likely give a slight discount to siblings, so 30 bucks a day sounds reasonable. Another friend watches a single child (age 2) from 7:30-12:30 every day and gets 30 bucks a day for that.

Dont ask for less than you feel you deserve!

It is hard to find caregivers willing to give a parttime rate, as pp have mentioned. Most will not do this at all. They are lucky they have you!

Wow another Staci (with an i) from the midwest!

I take my DS2 to an inhome daycare 5 days a week and it is $21 a day. $105 a week! I am not sure why, but it is a bargain compaired to surrounding areas. I have talked to my friends who live in other towns near here and they are paying $150-$200 a week per child. I guess there is just too many inhome daycares in this area. They are actually afraid to raise their prices and lose kids. I would gladly pay more. They are taking care of my child.

The lady is very good with the kids. They are licensed by the state. She feeds them lunch and snacks. They do lots of projects and learning. They sing and dance. It not just a drop them off and the entertain themselves infront of the TV type thing. We do have to provide breakfast if they don't eat before being dropped off and diaper and wipes.

She does not like to take part time kids, but she will if she has an open hole to fill and only until she finds a full time child.

 

[barkley]

don't know about where we live now, but in northern california it was also impossible to find lic. in home providers or infant centers that were willing to do part timer's so you ended up paying for a full time slot even if you did'nt always use it. reason being was by taking a part timer they were losing out on a full time child and it could be impossible to get another part timer whose schedual worked around that other person's days/hours.

$30 per day per child sounds realy low to me-i pay a standard babysitter $5 per hour for just one child and that's not an infant who will require multiple feedings and changings. i would be tempted to either increase the rate a bit, make it a weekly based fee and then make sure the agreement is that you are paid the full amount weather it's used for all of the days or not, or, increase it even more and make it an hourly fee and they pay only for the hours they actualy use.

my kiddos were born in 94 and 97 and back then i was paying close to $800 a month for infant care-and you had to sign up months before the baby was even born, and take a full time slot-paid for on a monthly basis despite how many days you chose to have your child there.

 

[staci]

Wow another Staci (with an i) from the midwest!

.

not too many Staci's with an 'i'! I saw another one of your posts and almost said something.

 

[NotUrsula]

So...If I did $60 per day ($30 per child) that would be $120 a week. Does that sound too high or too low? Or just right?

I'd say too low, by a mile. Average in-center daycare here (relatively large midwestern city) for infants is about $255/wk. Divide that by 5 and you get $51/day. I'd charge double that because there are two children, plus the mileage to get to their home at the IRS rate. I''m thinking that depending on how far away from you they are, about $110/day sounds right.

Will you be taking your child to their home? If so, then I would reduce the rate a bit to compensate for your child's meals, etc., assuming that you would be feeding all the children and yourself out of their kitchen. Still, I wouldn't go below $90/day.

 

[KelleyD]

I am in NJ. I pay $30 a day for state certified in her home care. She is allowed a max of 5 kids and feeds all meals and snacks. My SIL uses a woman who only watches my neice at $35/day. My neice now has a sister so the rate will be $60/day. Slight discount for the second.
I have another friend who uses a woman who watches her own grandson and she is either at $35 or $40/day.

You really cannot compare a daycare center price vs. a homecare, in my opinion. I also think a "nanny" who gets paid by the hour is a different case to.

While the per hour rate sounds very low, in my opinion the home care isn't providing the same learning experience as a "school". Which is fine with me, my son is too young to be going to school...

 

[**eeyore**]

We live in the midwest and take our twin DD's to the sitter's house 2 days a week. She has been watching our twins since they were 3 months old. They are now 3. We started at $10/hour for both girls, and now, after a "raise", we are up to $11/hour for both. This is considered high in our area, but our sitter is "well known" in the area, and she rarely adds new children, so we feel kind of "lucky" to have her and feel it is worth paying a little more.

Keep in mind, this is not for care in our house - we take our DD's to her house. I do know some ladies that have 1 child for whom they have a "nanny" come to their house to watch. I think they pay $12 - $13/hour for the one child, but I think this also includes some light housework (cleaning, laundry, cooking), in addition to watching their child.

 

[GoinToDisney]

$30 per child per day is also what I would expect to pay around here (South Jersey). Some do discounts for siblings, but I don't know if I would unless you needed it to advertise. Make sure to decide ahead what the plan is if someone is sick (you or them) and who will provide food. Also, think about a charge for late pick-up and present it as your policy from the get-go. That way, you won't have a situation develop later.

 

[MandM-Mom]

I am a NYS group daycare and I charge $30 per day, they pay whether they are here or not, they also pay me for my vacation time. You need a contract include rules about being sick, lice, toys from home, payment schedule, extra fees for late payments, your overtime rate, your paid holidays, etc. I also have them pay 2 week deposit and I am paid on the first day of care for the week, and if they don't bring there payment they don't stay, that way they can't get behind on fees.

 

[WantToGoNow]

I'm in Ohio and I pay $50 a day ($250 a week) for 2 kids -- but my son is in school all day (1st grade) and my daughter is 4. My oldest dd24 does my childcare -- she was working in a daycare and I was paying a different daycare more than she was making in a week. She asked if I would take them out and let her keep them (for $40 less a week than I was paying) until dd goes to school full day. She does childcare through the day and goes to school at night. She's also helping out a lady from church that needed childcare but really couldn't afford it (and can't afford to not work). She's keeping a newborn and a 2nd grader (school full time) for $40 a week (some weeks, some weeks nothing). She even has to drive to their house (15 minutes each way) to pick up the baby and get the little girl off to school.