New job = New budget - childcare questions

[aprilfoolwed]

I have an interview next week for a full-time job (haven't worked f/t in 11 years!), and it's very likely I'll be offered the position (held this position in the past, was recruited by a former supervisor who is doing the hiring - interview is basically a formality). DH and I have decided I'll accept the position assuming it comes salary-wise where we think it will (salary range has been posted, so 99% sure of that one too).

My kids are 11, 9, and 6 - all will be in school full days this year. My childcare needs will be a month of f/t care for the kids. The job will require some nights/weekends so my actual childcare needs will be 2-3 full days (8:30-5:00) and 2 half days (11:30-5:00) a week for the remainder of the summer. Once school starts, I would need afterschool care for the kids (3:45-5:15).

I am hoping to have some family help with childcare, but I am also looking at two teen friends/family who are looking for jobs.

My question is what is a reasonable amount to pay a 16-year-old for care? The kids are easy to care for - they do most things themselves. They just need someone there to break up the occasional sibling disagreement and to help with lunch (no real meal prep - just oversee sandwich making or microwaving). No housework or laundry required. No need to drive the kids anywhere.

This would be a cash-under-the-table deal for them. I would prefer a weekly rate. Ideas?

 

[clm10308]

No,suggestions on what to pay. Babysitting/child care rates are so variable by community that you will need to ask around where you live.

For after school care, have you checked to see if your kids school offers an afterschool program?

 

[myhouseofmouse]

I too don't have a $ money answer, but do know friends who have been in your situation and have used a site CARE.COM It is a site to find caregivers and child care center and nannies. I do not know a lot about the site, but have heard that have alot of resourses to use and hvae reutable care givers... hope it helps and good luck

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Thanks for the input.

There is afterschool care available, but it's expensive and there's a LONG waiting list to get in. So not an option at this point.

I am familiar with care.com and sittercity.com but find that is a lot of nannies there. They want a much higher rate than a babysitter. I'll go that route if I have to, but hoping more to find a situation that would benefit my family and our friend (one teen is my goddaughter to who itching to get her license, but has been told she can't until she can pay for her insurance. She's currently a seasonal employee at Rita's - making min. wage working just 10 hours a week).

I don't want to rip her off, but also need to find something that doesn't eat my whole paycheck.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Oh - and MyHouseofMouse - I am in the Allentown area. We're neighbors!

 

[brymolmom]

I have a teenager coming over to cover childcare one day a week (summer) from 7:45 until about 3:30. I pay her $60 per day. I have 2 kids - 10 and 8.

During school year, I pay for before school care for an hour and a half...It is $150-ish per kid per month....So I guess that's about $35 per week per kid.

Oh and just a heads-up to be very careful about asking family to 'help'. If it is a family member who is looking to make some money- great. If it is someone who is going to look at it as 'doing you a favor' - I personally would stay away from that - it might not be worth it in the end. For example, when the babysitter can't do it this day or that day for whatever reason or if you need him/her to come over or watch the kids early or late one day - you end up feeling guilty and then having to move everything around. It is much easier now that I pay for the before school program that we have at the school.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Thanks for the numbers - I wish we had before/after care available in that range! It would make things much easier! Our y-care is really expensive, and day cares are out of the question!

The family help I would be getting is from my mom, who watches my sister's kids full-time. I am not sure she will help because she has 3 other kids there. She will only agree to do it if she can handle it. She's done childcare in home for nearly 30 years, so she knows her limits. It would be the best option for me, but I am trying to have some backup plans too.

I'd really love to help my goddaughter because she needs to be able to cover her car insurance in order to get her license. Even with a slowly recovering economy, it's tough for teens to find jobs here!

 

[Jenngoofys]

I'm going to suggest $250 a week the kids are older you have 3 whole days 2 half you want the kids home it seems. Child care around my area for 3 would be close to $510 per week, they don't count half days you pay full time for the spot!!

 

[LiloH]

My 18 yo niece is a summer nanny in the Reading, PA area for three kids aged 6-12. She gets paid $12/hr. I think that is slightly higher than what her friends are getting for similar work with the average being around $10/hr.

 

[2disneyboys]

I pay my mil $600 a month for summer care (averages out to around $4 an hour) for my 2. I pay her $250 a month during the school year for b/a care. (for the record she would do it for free but I Insist paying as #1 it's a business arrangement. I don't want to worry about if she "feels" like it... She applied and got it so it's her "job" and #2 I don't have to worry about her holding it over my head the way she does with ay "favors" she does for someone.)

 

[LovesTimone]

Does the school your children attend offer before and after school care? I know alot of public school offer this, It might be worth checking into.

DD went to private school, and the cost for before and after school was a add-on of 40.00 a week, but when she got about 11 she started helping with the little kids, and they stopped charging me, as they said she was volunteering with the little kids. so that worked out.

My girlfriend grandkids go to a afterschool program at a local church,they did not attend this church. They pick them up after school, they get some play time, homework time and and a snack for about 65.00 a week ( this is for all if them per week), she has 4 grandkids, they base it on age.

As far a teenager's for the summer, I would have 2 to 3 lined up, since your kids are older, and can take care of their basic needs, and you don't want any housework or cooking done. I would pay between 40 to 50 a day for full day, and a bit less for the 1/2 shift.

Maybe your mom could do 1 full day a week and maybe a half day, this should help with the cost, until school starts. Or maybe she could could watch one child and the sitter the other 2, and you could rotate the kids so that no-one get left out. and this will hlep with the cost o babysitting.

Do you have any friends that you could swap out babysitting with? or other odd jobs. Maybe a neighbor need the yard mowed or some simple odd job and would swap for babysitting. That way its a win win for both of you. I know alot of people are getting creative with the way things are right how. When I was a single mom, my friends and I would swap babysiting each other kids so that we did not have to pay a sitter. Also we would do other odd jobs. One of the guys in our circle was a single dad and would trade mowing the yard , or changing the oil in one of our cars or odd job for babysitting or a crock pot meal or cooking lessons.

these are some suggestion I hope one of them helps.

 

[disny_luvr]

Do you have a neighbor that can help? I am a teacher that teaches in the district I live in. I have to be at work at 7:45 but my kids only have to be at school at 8:45. They'll be staying at my neighbor's house for that hour every morning before school. They'll already be fed when I drop them off and they can walk to school from my neighbor's house (her houses property bumps up to the school property). I'm paying $10/day for this. Thankfully I don't need after school care as I'm finished before my kids. Good luck! I know figuring out childcare can be frustrating.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

All good info - thanks!

To add to our frustration with apossible new job, we're also moving this fall into a house currently under construction. We're visiting the new house quite a bit and have met many neighbors, but don't know enough people to really know if there's any childcare help available. We don't know anyone yet!

And we're having some paperwork issues getting our children transfered to a new school (in the same district they are currently enrolled in), so even considering afterschool care there is tough (plus, there are huge waiting lists).

We're crossing fingers that my mom will agree to take the kids (it's less than 90 minutes a day!) after school. We may just need to hire someone for the rest of the summe.r

And my mom will not take any money at all from us. So if she agrees, we're pretty certain a disney trip will be in their future. Because while they won't take any payment, we could get them to go on vacation with us and foot the bill for them.

 

[maggs1035]

I have a teenager coming over to cover childcare one day a week (summer) from 7:45 until about 3:30. I pay her $60 per day. I have 2 kids - 10 and 8.

During school year, I pay for before school care for an hour and a half...It is $150-ish per kid per month....So I guess that's about $35 per week per kid.

Oh and just a heads-up to be very careful about asking family to 'help'. If it is a family member who is looking to make some money- great. If it is someone who is going to look at it as 'doing you a favor' - I personally would stay away from that - it might not be worth it in the end. For example, when the babysitter can't do it this day or that day for whatever reason or if you need him/her to come over or watch the kids early or late one day - you end up feeling guilty and then having to move everything around. It is much easier now that I pay for the before school program that we have at the school.

I have been a childcare provider for 18 yrs and have never seen before and after rates like that? I charge $75 a week per child, and will give a discount for multiple child families, but $150 a month is really low! That wouldn't even cover breakfast and snacks or my time and operating costs? After all is said and done I'm always there for your kids with good care and love! You should pay that person more!

 

[maggs1035]

I'm going to suggest $250 a week the kids are older you have 3 whole days 2 half you want the kids home it seems. Child care around my area for 3 would be close to $510 per week, they don't count half days you pay full time for the spot!!

I'm an in home licensed provider and this is true, you pay for the weekly spot, you as a parent chose to use all the hours in that spot or not, but no discounts for half days! Unless the half days are due to me wanting time off or a shorter week!

 

[brymolmom]

Thanks for the numbers - I wish we had before/after care available in that range! It would make things much easier! Our y-care is really expensive, and day cares are out of the question!

The family help I would be getting is from my mom, who watches my sister's kids full-time. I am not sure she will help because she has 3 other kids there. She will only agree to do it if she can handle it. She's done childcare in home for nearly 30 years, so she knows her limits. It would be the best option for me, but I am trying to have some backup plans too.

I'd really love to help my goddaughter because she needs to be able to cover her car insurance in order to get her license. Even with a slowly recovering economy, it's tough for teens to find jobs here!

The number I gave $35 per week per kid was for before-school care only and it's only for an hour and a half. Sounds like you would need about twice that amount of time for after school so I would expect it to be about twice as much. The same program for after school (if I used it) time is more expensive than the before time...but it is not twice as much.

The best part about day care centers is that it is 100% locked. If you or dh do not have much flexibility in your positions to be able to take a half day off or full day off at the last minute, day care centers are worth the extra money. Because babysitters and in home places often have things come up last minute...not to mention snow days, school vacations, school half days, etc.

 

[brymolmom]

I have been a childcare provider for 18 yrs and have never seen before and after rates like that? I charge $75 a week per child, and will give a discount for multiple child families, but $150 a month is really low! That wouldn't even cover breakfast and snacks or my time and operating costs? After all is said and done I'm always there for your kids with good care and love! You should pay that person more!

LOL - You must have misread my post (or maybe I didn't make it clear) - the $150 per month per child is for before school care only. From 7:30 am-9:15am at the school. The YMCA runs the before and after school program there. If you want before school only it is about $150/month per kid (if you're a Y member,nonmembers maybe $180/month). If you do the after school program, it is maybe around $250 per month per child (not sure since I've never used it). if you do both programs, then you pay both amounts together.

It is very affordable and convenient being right at the school. We are lucky to have the Y run the program there.

For my full day coverage in the summer, I pay $60 per day for both kids, total. That works out to $300/week (if I used her every day).

 

[sookie]

The number I gave $35 per week per kid was for before-school care only and it's only for an hour and a half. Sounds like you would need about twice that amount of time for after school so I would expect it to be about twice as much. The same program for after school (if I used it) time is more expensive than the before time...but it is not twice as much.

The best part about day care centers is that it is 100% locked. If you or dh do not have much flexibility in your positions to be able to take a half day off or full day off at the last minute, day care centers are worth the extra money. Because babysitters and in home places often have things come up last minute...not to mention snow days, school vacations, school half days, etc.

We used to have grandma care, and while that was wonderful, when we moved away it was somewhat nice to have daycare. We felt guilty, and at first if we got off early we rushed to go get them. But then, we were like - hey. We are both working, we both are finishing grad degrees - lets use this extra time to get grocery shopping done, get some cleaning done, do some homework. It helps!

 

[Hannathy]

I would think you would need to pay the teen at least $200 for the week. My DD watched 2 elem. aged girls 5 years ago and she got $40 a day then so by now and with 3 I would think it would be at least $50 a day and then $25 for the half, or maybe even $30 since they have to drive there.

$35 a week for before school care is cheap, it was more than that 6 yrs ago when I checked into for my DS. More like $10 or 12 a day.

I'm in the midwest so not in any very high priced urban coast area.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I have a teenager coming over to cover childcare one day a week (summer) from 7:45 until about 3:30. I pay her $60 per day. I have 2 kids - 10 and 8.

During school year, I pay for before school care for an hour and a half...It is $150-ish per kid per month....So I guess that's about $35 per week per kid.

Oh and just a heads-up to be very careful about asking family to 'help'. If it is a family member who is looking to make some money- great. If it is someone who is going to look at it as 'doing you a favor' - I personally would stay away from that - it might not be worth it in the end. For example, when the babysitter can't do it this day or that day for whatever reason or if you need him/her to come over or watch the kids early or late one day - you end up feeling guilty and then having to move everything around. It is much easier now that I pay for the before school program that we have at the school.

I think what this poster pays is a good amount for her 2 kids. With 3 kids it would be a little more.