Child care choices and cost

letal316

Totally just curious, what are people doing for childcare: daycare, in home daycare, Montessori, nanny, SAHM (or SAHD), family, etc. Also, what is it costing you (if anything)?

We are sending DD to a daycare in our neighbourhood and it will cost us $240/week. Don't know if it makes a difference for cost comparison but it is catered.

babyaotw

We are paying 820 a month for daycare. They also provide all food/formula, though DS is breastfed. They also cloth diaper for us.

kendy20

SAHM here. First time I haven't been working so adjusting to that. I know we are very lucky to be able to afford to have me home with DD and I really couldn't imagine leaving her at DC. We don't have any family where we live, not even close so it's nice to stay home. As far as cost goes, costs us nothing but thinking I might take up couponing to help save us some money.

Arinias

We use two different in home daycares. Our first choice has one full-time infant and one part-time, so when her other part time is there Tobias goes to our secondary daycare. Both are very nice ladies and state licensed. They have been very accommodating to our schedule, both provide snacks/meals for when he is older, our primary one does cloth diapering for us. We have really wacky work schedules so we pay by the day, for us it is about $30 a day, some weeks he will go four and some only one or two days a week. We were also lucky enough to have a friend who offered to watch him the every other weekend my husband works (since I work all of them), it ends up being 350-400 a month. I know cost varies a lot by location though.

bazingaa

Wow...super jealous of most of you! We are doing a daycare center, 5 days a week......$1,200 a month.

Junebug060609

SAHM

britab

I'm north of the Twin Cities and am paying $155/week for full-time infant care with a licensed home daycare. I'm not working full-time but my hours vary each week, so we have to take a full-time slot.

We have seen a range from $125-190 for in-home daycare. Centers here cost about $290-$350 a week.

It took months to find a place, especially an infant spot, especially a teacher friendly place. I hope it works out well.

letal316

@katsmewsings‌ Toronto daycare costs are insane! I have a friend who pays over $2000/month. I recently moved just outside of TO and daycare costs were a big factor in that decision.

bazingaa

Ocoma said:

Megan43040 said:

Wow...super jealous of most of you! We are doing a daycare center, 5 days a week......$1,200 a month.

Full time daycare for us would have been $1905 a month! How on earth do middle income earners afford that?!?!?

Yeah, it's crazy expense in some areas. I'm feeling better seeing your figure and @katsmewsings !!!

letal316

Ocoma said:

Megan43040 said:

Wow...super jealous of most of you! We are doing a daycare center, 5 days a week......$1,200 a month.

Full time daycare for us would have been $1905 a month! How on earth do middle income earners afford that?!?!?

Sounds like Toronto prices, where do you live @Ocoma‌ ?

KBowen715

Husband works from home two days a week and I'm gone 2.5 days a week (two full days are the days he is home). We are doing Mother's Day Out program 2 days a week, 5 hours/day so hubby can get some work done when I'm at school. It is $220/month.

momo214

We send LO to day care two days a week and two days she's with my mom. My DH is still looking for a job so he has her one day. Sad that one day is all he can handle alone with LO.
We pay $170/week for only two days and once DH finds a job it's $200 for three days.

ksyknelvr73

We use a daycare center and DS1 already goes there. We get a sibling discount (not very much) but they told us it would be $340/week once DS2 starts, for both boys. It pains me to think we will pay more in a month for daycare than our mortgage. I also live in a pretty low cost of living area so this is a lot of money for childcare.

QOTR

Once we move to daycare it will be around 1200 a month. For the first 6-9 months, we are using a nanny at around 600 a week, which is insane , but DH feels strongly about it. He rationalizes it by saying that by default we are spending less in entertainment and travel this first year. We also reduced our contributions to our 401k to free up some cash. And we'll dip into our savings as needed. It makes me nervous, but it is short term.

spinsoffresonance

Ocoma said:

Megan43040 said:

Wow...super jealous of most of you! We are doing a daycare center, 5 days a week......$1,200 a month.

Full time daycare for us would have been $1905 a month! How on earth do middle income earners afford that?!?!?

Full time daycare centers we looked at were $1600, $2300 and $2800/month for an infant. When DD1 was in daycare we put her in the $1600/month one. Now with 2U2 and DH's tax bracket I need to make $80k/year to pay only taxes and daycare and nothing else. It's crazy, I can't afford to work!

ho11yday

Well, supposedly, I'd be paying about $115k to the stay-at-home dad parenting our children.

But seriously, when pricing out day care, we have a friend who does in-home day care and charges $450/mo per kid. If I sent both my kids to her 5 days/week then I'd be paying about $900 a month.

mrsbtobe20122

Two days of day care per week= $750/month

If we had needed full time daycare I would've just stayed home. Luckily, we don't.

Colorado was listed as a state where it costs more to send your kid to day care than college.

operaghost

People who live in Toronto - don't you get a full year mat leave in Canada??

yvanehtnioj

We are using a Montessori center 4 days a week for ~$750 a month.

Nikkipal82

Right now we use a nanny one day a week. She's $15/hr, so about &150/wk and $600/month. I work 2-3 12 hr shifts, so the other days, DH and I alternate taking care of DD. Nanny cares for her in our home, does DD's laundry, and some light cleaning around the house, which is great.

apinkpelican

$1300/mo for 5 days in daycare center. They provide all diapers and food (80% organic/homemade).

dogsombrero

DH and I own a small business. I WFH as needed or bring dude with me to the shop. I will bring him with me when I go back first PT, then FT.

Originally it was going to be 12 weeks but between EPing and reflux DH brought up pushing it back (going in daily) and I wasn't sad about that. We are just playing it by ear at this point.

gutsysneakers

DD will be in DC. It's $1600/month but one of the perks of being a county employee is a 25% discount so it's only $1200/month.

We looked at other places that ranged from $1500-$2200/month. FWIW, I live in the DC area.

springbeduk2

An in home with just my LO and a baby 11 months older - a colleague's baby and day care provider is another colleague's mom. She wanted only teacher's kids for the schedule and just 2 kids. She is semiretired so only the 2 teacher-kids now but has run larger liscenced daycares before both in home and center and has excellent reputation plus I know she did a great job raising at least one of her own kids! 160/wk for school weeks only; no "hold the spot " charge for vacations or summer. and she picks up our babies from school each morning which is a hugely valuable timesaver!

We live in a rural high poverty/low cost (except for fuel, heat, etc so really I should say low labor and real estate cost) area so finding daycare at that price or even a bit less isn't so hard but finding someone I actually trust with my LO is so I feel really lucky to have this set up.

And even though cost feels quite manageable with one kid, if it were times two (maybe in the future...) ..not so much. Since low pay is across the board so I only make as a 15th year teacher what teachers in first few years or even first year make in some other areas .

letal316

operaghost said:

People who live in Toronto - don't you get a full year mat leave in Canada??

Yes, that's right. I'm going back at 6 months though (November).

usernewname

I don't even want to know the cost for him and montessori. It won't be cheap. Sigh.

manna1212

We are sending DS to a home daycare. She will have 4 kids total, and will be watching DS five days a week. She is also honoring my teaching schedule and will not charge me for my vacations or summer. We are paying. $160 a week. I am in NH and most day care centers run anywhere from $210-400 a week for full time. You can find some cheaper at home centers, but they weren't places we were comfortable sending DS.

ns1

We have both kids in a daycare center, and we live in a low cost of living area. It's $145/week for the baby and $135/week for the toddler. So it's roughly $1100/month for two kids in daycare.

Mimaloo

DH got a new job and we are relocating so that I can be a SAHM. Daycare would have cost us about it not over $1500 a month (they provided nothing) and a nanny was going to run about $2,000 (we are in NY). 

It was stupid expensive and both of us agreed that it's better to have me home with her anyway and an amazing opportunity just fell in DH's lap. We got very lucky.

sparklingdiamond

We are using an in-home daycare and paying $215 a week.

sarag0116

Both children go to the same daycare center. They go full time. We pay $130/week for DS. That includes diapers, wipes, formula (I BF though so I send pumped milk), and baby food. We pay $110/week for DD and that includes 2 snacks and lunch. So we pay $240/week for both which I know isn't much compared to most but we went from paying $123 to $240 when we went from one kid to 2.

Emmagk

I'm staying home for the next year but when I do go back DS will be going to DC. So far he is on the wait list for 2 places and I'm finding it hard to choose. Either brand new facility for $950/m or cheaper option $690/m. I liked the directors at both and the kids seemed happy but the cheaper one the facility is quite run down... But $260 difference!

LeeLee86

SAHM for now but looking for part time work teaching evening ballet and fitness classes so DH can be with her. MIL is 10 mins away and has never offered to watch her for more than 1hr which royally pisses me off bc that's the whole reason we moved out to suburbia. I can't even imagine DC costs here in NOVA so I know we are blessed regardless.

Bmorebaby5914

I feel like I'm getting ripped off! We have a nanny coming for DD and are paying $450 a week (central VA) for roughly 40 hours.

That seemed to be the going rate when we looked and interviewed candidates!

Snowflake312

For a part-time nanny (20 hrs/week) in Chicago we're paying about $1200/month. Due to my schedule with evenings/weekends/holiday shifts day care is not an option.

lrmrtn

We live in a NYC suburb and are paying $270 a week for a daycare center, 5 days a week. It's barely financially worthwhile but at least I get health insurance through work. We have to provide our own formula, diapers and wipes.

Sam0905

I work 4 days a week as a nurse in a clinic. I have off on Wednesdays and MH has off on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My parents watch LO on Mondays and Fridays. I love that we don't have to send him to daycare for now, especially since he's so little. But we might have to have him go (at least part time) if MH finds a full time job.

Krisd6

$330 a week for daycare
$1300/mo
It's crazy!

caycelee

My husband will be a sahm so no daycare costs. Thank god, it is super expensive in Boston area

PattyTC

We are paying $135 a week for a full time infant spot. (About $540 a month) We will have to pay for vacations but not the summer. (Both are teachers) We provide pumped milk, diapers and wipes. They provide table food. (When we get there) We live in rural SC though.

ama7165

165/week for daycare center full time. They provide formula and food. We live in a low cost of living area. I am Hoping to find a new job working 4 days a week and dh is a teacher so we will have summers off from daycare