What do you pay for child care?

[Laurawill]

For the past year I have been watching my niece and nephew from 730-430 daily. For this my sister pays me $75 per child per week ($15/day). The children are age 2 (still in diapers) and age 3. I feel like I'm giving her a great deal, but she is treating me like I'm ripping her off. I thought full-day day care ran more in the $25-30/ per day range. Am I off my rocker for feeling like she either needs to treat me better or pay me more?

 

[debf]

My brother and sister in law pay $40 a day for their son. He is 2 and almost potty trained. I think you are giving your sister a pretty good price.

 

[Bbbethei]

You're going to find a wide range of responses because it really varies regionally. I live in a fairly low cost of living area and paid over twice that for my daycare. Granted, it was an actual center rather than somebody's home, but you certainly aren't out of line with your price.

 

[Laurawill]

Thanks for the quick responses. That makes sense that it would vary by region, so I guess it might be helpful if I note I'm in central California.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

we live near Columbia, SC

We only have 1 child in full time daycar right now, he's 4 and potty trained, we pay $130 a week for him

Afterschool for our Kinder is $43 a week.

Or middleschooler, dosen't need after school care.

But just last year, we were paying $130 a week for each boy, they give parents a $10 a week discount for families, so we were paying $250 a week.

When our middleschooler was being picked up by their mini-bus for afterschool care, her's was an add $50 a week,

So $300 total at that point.

I think you are being very generous with your sis, tomorrow if you happen to have time, I'd call around a few places and ask what their rates are

 

[sherry7]

I think this is going to vary widely depending on where you live. I'd call around to a few local places and ask about their rates.

I'm in PA, and I pay $29 per day (equals $145 week) for a young toddler, from 6:30 to 4:30 at a daycare center.

 

[VAfamily1998]

I think not only does it depend on what region you are in, but also, what are you doing while you babysit them?

Home daycare providers typically will have a schedule they follow, will teach the kids (colors, numbers, letters, etc.), have circle time, art projects, etc. They don't bring the kids with them while they run errands like going to the grocery store or let the kids watch tv so they can wash dishes or fold laundry. If they are liscenced they'll have to deal with inspections (scheduled, and unanounced) and will often be out of pocket money to comply with regulations.

If these are all things that you do too, then I would say you should get paid the same as the typical home day care in your area...
But if you don't, I do think your sister is correct in thinking she should pay less than a liscenced home daycare provider...though, $15 a day sounds VERY low to me...

 

[Laurawill]

I think not only does it depend on what region you are in, but also, what are you doing while you babysit them?

Home daycare providers typically will have a schedule they follow, will teach the kids (colors, numbers, letters, etc.), have circle time, art projects, etc. They don't bring the kids with them while they run errands like going to the grocery store or let the kids watch tv so they can wash dishes or fold laundry. If they are liscenced they'll have to deal with inspections (scheduled, and unanounced) and will often be out of pocket money to comply with regulations.

If these are all things that you do too, then I would say you should get paid the same as the typical home day care in your area...
But if you don't, I do think your sister is correct in thinking she should pay less than a liscenced home daycare provider...though, $15 a day sounds VERY low to me...

We do participate in a preschool co-op and we generally have about 1 hour of structured craft/singing/play time a day. They do get to watch TV for about 30 minutes in the morning and then again for 30 minutes to wind down before naps. I do some household chores during the day, but usually it is during nap time, or during their TV time (I clean up lunch when they watch Caillou and sometimes start dinner in the crockpot), and usually I unload the dishwasher during their morning TV time. We also go to the park about once a week. I'm not licensed though, so I know that would reduce my rate.

 

[budafam]

I watch 2 kids part time. One is 18 months old and I charge $3 an hour for him (his hours vary) and the other is 2 months old and I charge $40 per day (these are full days from 7:30-5:15). I would think in California prices would be much higher.

 

[Mom_Rides]

We pay $150 a week for DD's preschool. She is in a Pre-K class from 9-1130 and extended care before and after. Lunch and two snacks is included in the cost. This is her first year in the program.

Previously, she was with a babysitter. She charged us $3 an hour and we had to send lunch and snacks.

 

[grafxgirl]

For our 8 year old daughter we pay a neighbor 75 dollars a week to keep her for an hour in the morning before getting her on the bus and an hour and a half in the evenings after getting her off the bus. My 5 year old son attends the pre-school program at the pre-school that I teach. I get a 50 percent discount, so I only pay 130 per week for him. He's at the school from about 7:45-4:45. Anyone else who is not an employee of the school pays 260 per week per child. FYI, this location is a little less than an hour drive to Washington DC.

 

[zeferjen]

We have two kids in daycare. It is open from 7-7. I pay 2400 per month.

 

[clm10308]

I can't imagine that she could find any daycare center that would charge her less than $100 per kid even with sibling discounts. To get a better idea of what costs are in your area, you can call around to different centers and ask what the rates would be for a 2yr old and 3yr old.

Just for your info. I live in a very rural area of New Mexico in a small town where making $10 per hour is a good job. I watch my neighbors baby for $3.50 hr. when my son was little and we lived in Texas, he went to a daycare subsidized by my company and I paid $125 per week for full time. That was 7 yrs ago.

 

[scrapquitler]

For the past year I have been watching my niece and nephew from 730-430 daily. For this my sister pays me $75 per child per week ($15/day). The children are age 2 (still in diapers) and age 3. I feel like I'm giving her a great deal, but she is treating me like I'm ripping her off. I thought full-day day care ran more in the $25-30/ per day range. Am I off my rocker for feeling like she either needs to treat me better or pay me more?

If she thinks you are ripping her off, suggest that she call around and price other places. Daycare costs vary hugely by region, so what is normal where you are might be very different from where I am. You might want to mention to her the advantages for tge kids that you are a close relative watching them ( including that you are probably willing to watch them while they are sick, while another provider probably wouldn't)

Personally, I wouldn't want to commit myself to watching 2 kids for 50 hours a week for $150, relatives or not.

I paid my own MOTHER $75 a DAY to watch my child one full day a week for several years. I think your SIL is getting a huge bargain.

 

[Macprincess]

I'm in FL. I pay $160.00 a month for afterschool care for my 8 year old. She is only there an hour a day but could stay from 3-6pm. It's the same cost if she is there 5 min or 3 hours.

When my children were pre-school age we lived in southern CA and I paid $150.00 a week for full time care at a child care center. When they were babies-tots I paid $200 a week in a home day care with a 2-1 ratio.

I think your sister is getting a great deal!

 

[Fjobe]

It depends on the region. The state I live in has cheap daycare compared to many other states. DH and I pay $350 total every 2 weeks for our 3 & 5 year old. We provide our own lunches. That price is with a $10/week discount for the oldest child and a $5/week discount for automatic draft. It is a huge amount for us, and we have a good income for our area. Our monthly expenses for daycare are greater than our mortgage by a couple hundred.

If you added the discounts back in, it would be $19 per child each day. Our daycare is open 6-6.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

For the past year I have been watching my niece and nephew from 730-430 daily. For this my sister pays me $75 per child per week ($15/day). The children are age 2 (still in diapers) and age 3. I feel like I'm giving her a great deal, but she is treating me like I'm ripping her off. I thought full-day day care ran more in the $25-30/ per day range. Am I off my rocker for feeling like she either needs to treat me better or pay me more?

Don't feel bad. When I was a SAHM I watched my infant niece (4wks old until age 1). Her shifts varied and it was either 7am to 4pm OR 1pm until 10pm. Since I lived right outside of town I transported roughly 90% of the time. I charged only 10.00 per day and she paid me about 50% of the time. She still bit my head off whenever she had to drive to my house to get her. It was just too much for me and I had to quit.

 

[DISdreamin']

When our kids were little, we paid about $170 a week each for full-time daycare. Now that they are older, it is $35 per day for full-day (when school is out) so little ones would be about $200 per week.

And color me REALLY glad we aren't in Princeton. $2400 a month?!? Boy, zeferjen, that takes the cake. Where is the emoticon for flopping over in a dead faint?!?!

 

[sookie]

For the past year I have been watching my niece and nephew from 730-430 daily. For this my sister pays me $75 per child per week ($15/day). The children are age 2 (still in diapers) and age 3. I feel like I'm giving her a great deal, but she is treating me like I'm ripping her off. I thought full-day day care ran more in the $25-30/ per day range. Am I off my rocker for feeling like she either needs to treat me better or pay me more?

I pay 135 dollars per week per child.

 

[okeydokey]

You are giving her a great deal. She should make some calls to other places and see what they are charging. She will gladly pay you then.