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child care costs

BunBakerBunBaker
in D.C. Area Babies

How much does child care really cost in the Greater DC metro area? I want to go back to work part time after the baby is born, but can't seem to get a handle on how much child care really costs in this area. I've read that nannies can run 15 - 20 an hour translation 600 - 800 a week, while daycare could run 1,200 - 2,000 a month. Does that sound right given your research or personal experience? Thanks for the input, especially since this can be a very personal matter.

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Re: child care costs

  • crazyDCbridecrazyDCbride

    We pay $320 per week, and take DD to an in-home place that we arranged through a service.  This is in MoCo.

    While I know that some people have found care for between 200-300 per week, the places in my area that I found at that price made me uncomfortable.

    The costs you list seem to be in-line with what I found.

    Also, be forewarned that it can be difficult to find part-time care.  

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  • kirnat848kirnat848
    It really depends on where you are in the area. We are in Sterling/Herndon area and pay $205/week for an inhome daycare.
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  • ArtslvrArtslvr

    I'd say generally it runs $800 - $2500 a month depending on a zillion factors.  And like pp said, finding part time care will take a little more digging, but does exist.

    Here's The Spreadsheet that floats around here - I made it based on a poll I did in 2007 and updated in 2009. - it has what some folks pay:

    https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p6LhXlNI9FdU2cVy0kCNZeQ&output=html

     

     

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  • Temp769118375005138Temp769118375005138
    We pay $225 a week for an in-home in Sterling, so $900 a month.  When baby #2 comes, it'll be another $200 a week, for a total of $1700 a month.  A lot of centers charge nearly that much for one infant, so it really depends on where you go and what you're looking for.
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  • mek10976mek10976
    Our in-home DCP's monthly fee is based on the number of hours your LO is in day care.  We pay $900 for 40hrs/week.  But I think this is unusual for the area.  My friend takes her LO to a Kindercare in MoCo. and pays $1600/month.
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  • barkers4jmmbarkers4jmm

    Your research sounds right too me.  I, unfortunately, pay on the higher end of that estimate for one child in a center.  Costs can vary by where you live.  There are few in-homes near me and they cost as much as the centers. 

       

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  • foreignroyaltyforeignroyalty
    We pay our nanny for about a 45 hr week 2400/month plus three weeks paid vac/sick time and some other benefits.
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  • SofkaSofka

    imageforeignroyalty:
    We pay our nanny for about a 45 hr week 2400/month plus three weeks paid vac/sick time and some other benefits.

    wow! that's the highest I've seen so far

    as to the original question - those costs are about right. A lot of the centers will not take infants part time so start looking early.

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  • barkers4jmmbarkers4jmm
    imageSofka:

    imageforeignroyalty:
    We pay our nanny for about a 45 hr week 2400/month plus three weeks paid vac/sick time and some other benefits.

    wow! that's the highest I've seen so far

    as to the original question - those costs are about right. A lot of the centers will not take infants part time so start looking early.

    Really?  I was thinking that's excellent for a nanny.  That's about $12/hour vs $15+. 

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  • I_love_cupcakesI_love_cupcakes member

    We pay about 1200/month for a center in Sterling, VA.  They do have part-time options, even for infants.

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  • Mrs.RamMrs.Ram

    We ended up in a nanny share, and pay $385/week. The other family pays a little more because it's at their house, and, frankly, because we couldn't afford any more than that! The centers we looked at ranged from about $1300 to $1800 (Bright Horizons in Tysons). We looked at a few in-home places as well, that were about $900/month.

    I got the sense that part time was easier in nanny share situations or in-home daycare centers, but I didn't really investigate that very much. If you haven't already checked it out, DC Urban Moms Forum is a good resource.

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  • nolebridenolebride
    We pay $235 a week for an in-home day care in Alexandria (Fairfax county). I feel like we're paying on the lower end of the spectrum. We love it so it works out perfectly.
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  • BunBakerBunBaker

    Thank you everyone! The spreadsheet was really helpful!

     

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