In (your) home childcare rates?

[dougdirt]

A friend of mine is looking for some child care options. They have a 9 year old, who leaves for school at 7:30am and gets back at 3:30pm. They have a 4 year old as well, who doesn't go to school yet. They are looking for someone to come to their home from 7am until usually 3-3:30pm every day of the work week. Some days it may be earlier in the afternoon that someone would get off, say 1pm from time to time.

They have been absolutely shocked by the rates that people want to charge. Personally, I think that they are crazy to think that the prices they have been quoted are crazy because they are attempting to compare that to sending the youngest to a daycare for now and then both to daycare during the summer.

But I thought I would ask here and see if anyone has had a similar experience and what the "going rate" was for something like this.

[Dom Heffner]

I can tell you that the rates really vary based on your location.

They need to call day cares in their area and get a ballpark.

I agree- thinking someone can spend 7 hours a day watching a kid will be cheap is in for some news.

[dougdirt]

They (the wife, I haven't talked to the husband about it) was expecting something like $125 a week. I laughed out loud. I was like, some quick math says that is about $3 an hour. No one is working for that price. Someone quoted them for $6 an hour, cash, and apparently she said that was "Crazy!" because "The Montessori schools aren't even that much. I am not paying that for someone to sit on my couch all day and watch my kid."

I couldn't help but laugh inside. If someone is coming to your house, that means you don't have to wake the child up, get them ready, meaning you get to sleep in more and don't have any hassle with them in the mornings, don't have to drive them to wherever then drive to work. Also don't have to pick them up after work. They get meals cooked for them each day.

But, at the same time, I don't know what the going rate is, but I just can't imagine someone coming over and babysitting essentially full time for anything remotely close to what she is expecting.

[757690]

They (the wife, I haven't talked to the husband about it) was expecting something like $125 a week. I laughed out loud.

Lol. I pay more than that for my dog sitter.

[Dom Heffner]

Time is time.

Getting someone to make responsible use of that time is houng to cost you.

Why won't they just put them in day care?

[dougdirt]

Time is time.

Getting someone to make responsible use of that time is houng to cost you.

Why won't they just put them in day care?

I believe they are going to wind up with them in day care because of their pricing expectations. From the few people they have talked with about in-their-home care, the price far exceeds what they are willing to pay.

[Dom Heffner]

I like day care. At least my son gets some play time with other kids in supervised conditions.

He also can count and say his ABC's, something I wouldn't expect an in home provider to teach.

[Redhook]

$9-$11 per hour, however, they might be able to get somebody for $50-$60 per day as a cap. $250-$300 a week would be a good deal for someone to come to their home. $125 is comical.

[wolfboy]

$9-$11 per hour, however, they might be able to get somebody for $50-$60 per day as a cap. $250-$300 a week would be a good deal for someone to come to their home. $125 is comical.

This. Several of the daycare facilities my wife and I looked at were in excess of $250/week, so it's not outrageous to think that in home care would exceed that.

[SunDeck]

I am having trouble getting my mind around the concept of entrusting my kid to someone for $3.00/hr. Unless it's 1985.

[medford]

I am having trouble getting my mind around the concept of entrusting my kid to someone for $3.00/hr. Unless it's 1985.

Here is an interesting thought, we pay our regular sitter roughly $7 an hour to watch our 10 month old out of her house from roughly 8 - 4 and our 4 year old from 12-4 4 days a week (preschool in the morning) and a full day on friday. She also watches a handful of other kids and has her sister help her in the afternoon when things get hectic as kids get out of school and spend time at her house until parent pick them up.

Her 16 year old daughter sits for us in the evening from time to time. We pay her more per hour than her mother, roughly $8-$10 an hour to babysit. As Cincy Chili said, a quality day care provider is the most underpaid person in america. However, the balance b/w both parents working and the cost of day car lowers the rates that they can charge. She might be worth $2,000 a month, but once you take 2 kids on at that price, that's more than my wife makes in a month as a teacher.

[SweetLou1990]

Here is an interesting thought, we pay our regular sitter roughly $7 an hour to watch our 10 month old out of her house from roughly 8 - 4 and our 4 year old from 12-4 4 days a week (preschool in the morning) and a full day on friday. She also watches a handful of other kids and has her sister help her in the afternoon when things get hectic as kids get out of school and spend time at her house until parent pick them up.

Her 16 year old daughter sits for us in the evening from time to time. We pay her more per hour than her mother, roughly $8-$10 an hour to babysit. As Cincy Chili said, a quality day care provider is the most underpaid person in america. However, the balance b/w both parents working and the cost of day car lowers the rates that they can charge. She might be worth $2,000 a month, but once you take 2 kids on at that price, that's more than my wife makes in a month as a teacher.

My wife did in home daycare for about 8 years for friends and a few relatives. I would agree w the sentiment that an in home sitter can be grossly underpaid , but it had advantages ( little nieces n nephews always around to play w the kiddies) , but the pay was in the 3$ hr ballpark ( grossly underpaid but similar in rural area)

[cincinnati chili]

Having a 2-year old, who has been in some form of day care since 12-weeks-old, I've looked at this issue closely. Around here (metro Denver) you can put your child in someone else's reputable, licensed home day care (6 kids or fewer) for $45/day - 10 hour days (e.g. 715-515) per kid. If you want someone with decent references who will submit to criminal background check (recommended) who will come to your house and watch 2 kids, you're talking $9-10/hour with minimum 8 hour days.

The way I look at it, all decent childcare people are grossly underpaid. My daughter is worth zillions (priceless). It's just that at some point it doesn't make sense for both my wife and I to work. A quarter of my wife's salary BEFORE taxes goes to our care provider.

[vaticanplum]

Having a 2-year old, who has been in some form of day care since 12-weeks-old, I've looked at this issue closely. Around here (metro Denver) you can put your child in someone else's reputable, licensed home day care (6 kids or fewer) for $45/day - 10 hour days (e.g. 715-515) per kid. If you want someone with decent references who will submit to criminal background check (recommended) who will come to your house and watch 2 kids, you're talking $9-10/hour with minimum 8 hour days.

The way I look at it, all decent childcare people are grossly underpaid. My daughter is worth zillions (priceless). It's just that at some point it doesn't make sense for both my wife and I to work. A quarter of my wife's salary BEFORE taxes goes to our care provider.

I know a couple, good friends of mine, who actually pay just about her entire salary for child care. She has a wonderful job that she loves and it's important to her to work, and they also feel their children benefit from the socialization they get from their day care. But they are in an expensive Boston suburb, their children are both very young, and she works in non-profit. They're lucky that he has a very well-paid position, but her job is basically a financial wash for them. They understand that it's their choice, though, and I think they're happy to pay for the good child care they get, since they're the ones with their kids eight hours a day.

[vaticanplum]

I know a couple, good friends of mine, who actually pay just about her entire salary for child care. She has a wonderful job that she loves and it's important to her to work, and they also feel their children benefit from the socialization they get from their day care. But they are in an expensive Boston suburb, their children are both very young, and she works in non-profit. They're lucky that he has a very well-paid position, but her job is basically a financial wash for them. They understand that it's their choice, though, and I think they're happy to pay for the good child care they get, since they're the ones with their kids eight hours a day.

Also, I want to slap myself on the feminist wrist here for implying that "her" salary goes toward child care. It's a percentage of the income coming into the home; whose "salary" it is is only what we put on it. It's just that in this case the figures line up almost exactly.