Using in-home daycare? Did you negotiate?

NickyCicc20

Hello ladies,  I currently lurk on this board because my LO is not here yet but I will be a Working Mom once my maternity leave is over.

Question about daycare as my DH and I are looking into them now.  For those of you who use in-home, did you negotiate their price or hours at all?  Our state has a website with all the licenesed in homes and most of them list their hours and their cost per week.  I've been passing over the ones who either close early (we need a provider until 6pm) or are more expensive as a center in our area.

DH says to ignore that as we should be negotiating on hours and cost per week with these providers and should just call everyone. 

Did you negotiate yours?  Or just accept what they listed as their hours and rate?

EastCoastBride

No, I didn't negotiate, but I feel my provider is more than reasonable w/ her rates and her hours were fine for me. 

My suggestion is to interview a few and first determine which ones you even like.  You might find someone you like and their price and hours are fine for you.  And if you love someone who doesn't quite fit, then you can talk to them about their flexibility.

Your DH seems to think it's "the norm" to negotiate, but w/ DC, I really don't know that this is the case.

 

hoping4sticky

I did negotiate, but I would be surprised if it was that common. The in-home provider I went with is pretty in demand and she wouldn't have negotiated much because she didn't have to. While I pay for FT she only goes PT so I'm paying the 3 year old price versus the infant price.

I might be jaded because my inhome is run more like a center but unless it was a nanny or unique situation I would not be comfortable negotiating extra hours. My DCP runs it like a business, she already has ridiculously long hours for a normal workday 6-6 and during that time she is with the kids down in the basement that is the dedicated DC space. If I was requiring additional hours outside of her normal I would have some concerns that my LO would be playing second fiddle to things like making dinner/cleaning etc.

QueSrah

We didn't negotiate on hours or rate.  Daycare is so in demand here that I don't think it would make sense - there's usually someone else interested in the same spot so there is no incentive for the DCP to negotiate.  Honestly, cutting out the providers that closed at 5 or 5:30 made the list of people to call a lot more manageable.  I wouldn't have wanted to call 40 or 50 places and met with dozens.

Stella2008

No, we did not. As PP said, we felt the rates were more than reasonable compared to the other limited options we had living in a densly populated urban area. And as for the hours, we occasionally are a bit late picking up by the 5:30pm stated closing time, but our sitter is more than flexible and is very understanding (but this is only maybe once a month, if that).

If I were you, I would not count on negotiating the costs down at all--but I guess it never hurts to ask.

jenn_darrin1515

I doubt you will be able to negotiate on hours...and while I don't think you will be able to negotiate on price, I guess it never hurts to ask...GL!

jlaOK

I only "negotiated" a part-time rate versus a full-time rate and it was mostly her saying what rate she'd take for 3 days versus 5 days and me accepting.  In my area in homes are usually way less than centers, so price was a bonus even if I paid full-time.

seahorse102410

We did not negotiate on price either.  It really boils down to the environment and the feel you have with the daycare, not the price.  We looked at a lot of nice expensive places but they just didn't feel right for us yet.  Might be better when he is older though.

ABizzity

No.  We did our research and knew what the going rate was.  It was more important for us to have someone we genuinely liked, in a convenient location, etc.  She asked for the going rate and we accepted.  DC is in high demand here too.  we narrowed the search to location and that cut the list to around 10 providers.  We picked from there.  Had we not found someone on that list, we would have broadened our search but we didnt have to.  Our DCP is only a couple blocks from my office and we love her!