Child care recommendations and advice needed

sealexander

Anyone here have twins in daycare? I am due in May, and am leaning toward trying to work from home as a freelance editor (I already do freelance work, and have contacts), with my dad offering to take them for a few hours a day, a few days a week (he has help lined up already!). 

However, I'd also like to have plan B ready in case that does not work out. It all depends on how much work I think I can do with twins as well as how much I'd have to fork out for daycare. If it's as much as I think it is for twins, I want to be mentally prepared. Here are my questions. 

1. Does anyone have any recommendations for child care in the Kenwood/Deer Park/Sycamore Township area?

2. How much approximately are you paying (can be outside of the areas listed in #1)? I know there are discounts for more than one child, but I'm wondering how much of a discount. I imagine that it's about $200 per week for one child, but for two? Even with a 50% discount, that's still about $1200 per month. Ouch. 

I will be calling around, but I wouldn't mind having some idea of how much people are paying for multiple child discounts before I do call. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

twinsmom23

I would recommend a nanny which would be about the same price as daycare for twin newborns.  I would say the $1200 estimate is low as usually the discount for the second child is only 10%.

tiffyr0se

We have a wonderful in (her) home sitter in Deer Park.  She actually has become one of my closest friends, but started as my sitter .  I can give you her info if you're interested.  She charges roughly $30/day.  She does half days as well. 

seghibs

I am in Mason, so I am only familiar with daycare centers in that area. 

I don't have twins in daycare but I have a 23 month old and a newborn.  With our center the same price is charged until they are about 18 months, so we are only paying about $40 less than if we had two newborns.  We looked into a nanny vs daycare and found that the cost would be about the same and it would be more if we had to provide benefits.

As for the discount for a second child its 10% at our daycare.  We are paying about $2,100 a month.  I am at a center, not an at home daycare.

LnA5909

I don't have outside twins yet, but I am in a similar situation.  I have the ability to bring the babes to work when they are here, but don't think that's the most conducive for any of us.  I called around to the centers in my area (Amelia/ Anderson) and the centers seem to offer anywhere from 5-15% off for the second child.  The rates when I called, for both for a week, were as follows:

Goddard 376.60/wk
All About Kids 507/wk.
Jelly Bean Junction 410.40/wk
Child Focus 388.50/ wk
Rainbow 342.00/ wk

I think a nanny would have to be at least $10/hr (plus taxes and benefits)...so, it's really not any cheaper. Hope that helps!

hav2run

Holy Moly...which Goddard quoted you $376 a week?  That is a stellar price.  When DD was an infant, the full time rate was well over $1K a month, and 3 days a week was $800.  I would jump all over that in an instant.  We love everything about the Goddard program, but we pay twice what you were quoted for 3 days a week in a toddler room.  Jump in on that. That is crazy low.

 

LnA5909

It is the one on 125 towards Amelia.  I *think* it is so low because they built a JellyBean Junction literally right across the street.

ETA: they also seem to currently have openings in all the age groups. That makes me a little bit suspicious.

sealexander

Thanks so much for all of the helpful replies! I knew that the discount wouldn't be 50% for more than one child (I was just using that as an example), but I'm sad to hear it's only about 10%. 

tiffyr0se:

We have a wonderful in (her) home sitter in Deer Park.  She actually has become one of my closest friends, but started as my sitter .  I can give you her info if you're interested.  She charges roughly $30/day.  She does half days as well. 

However...we do live very close to Deer Park as well! If you don't mind, I'd love to have her contact information.