Question Regarding Rates for Daycare

Rita092010 · May 2011

I am attempting to figure out what I am going to pay an individual that is willing to watch my son for about 20ish hours per week starting in August/September. I live in central Iowa, so the cost of living isn't high, but she is also a good friend so I do want to pay her well. It would be possible 3 days per week for 6 hours at a time, and he would be her only child. What do you think a reasonable hourly wage is? I can't find any quality figures online but am wondering what the rest of you all were paying for a situation like this. Thanks in advance!

sarahbeth27 · May 2011

Maybe $25/day?

gmc222 · May 2011

Around here the 'reasonable' rates are typically $12-15/hr.

lcunningham · May 2011

Id say between $40/$50 a day.

sarahbeth27 · May 2011

gmc222:
Around here the 'reasonable' rates are typically $12-15/hr.

Really? Wow! For an inhome sitter?

Around here an in home sitter, full time (9 hours a day) is under $40 a day.

kellyt327 · May 2011

I'm in Des Moines. Where are you? My IHDC charges $30/day for part time. I know every place is different. I'd suggest asking her if $25/day would be acceptable and go from there.

MilMom2B · May 2011

For a 6 hour day $25 only boils down to about $4/hour. I don't know exactly where in Iowa you live, but I picked a random county in the middle and selected up to 20 miles away (to get a good radius) and the people listed on Care.com (with a wide range of experience, qualifications) don't list anything less than $5/hour. With most of them listing $10-15/hour and a few extremely well qualified people listing higher.

Since she's a friend you may be able to squeak by with less - $50/day being just over $8/hour, but you say you want to pay her well, which in all fairness I think $10/hr would be a lil more on par.

Once you get an idea of the ballpark range you're willing to pay, talk this over with her so that you make sure both of your expectations are in the same range. That way everyone is happy. Good luck!

pamster917 · May 2011

I live in MA and the average in home daycare rates are $55-65 a day. My husbands cousin is going to be watching our little one (she is a stay home mom) and we agreed on $40 daily.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

lbolin · May 2011

Mine is $85 a week for a 40 hour week in Southern Indiana. From the way it looks we are getting by really cheap!

TristaD81 · May 2011

gmc222:
Around here the 'reasonable' rates are typically $12-15/hr.

Yep, here too.

gmc222 · May 2011

sarahbeth27:

gmc222:
Around here the 'reasonable' rates are typically $12-15/hr.

Really? Wow! For an inhome sitter?

Around here an in home sitter, full time (9 hours a day) is under $40 a day.

Yup. My SIL has an in-home sitter come 3 days/week for 8 hours and pays her $12/hr, plus the woman cleans her house when the baby is napping. It was the least expensive person she could find in the area.

sissyroo · May 2011

We aren't doing IHDC, but we found a daycare facility operated out of a church and it is only $20 a day for a child less than one.

KOscar · May 2011

Even high school baby sitters make about $10 an hour. I would be very hesitant to suggest $25 for a full day. Our daycare averages out to $40 a day. At home, one on one care, is usually more expensive than this.

marchbride32407 · May 2011

$25/day sounds really low to me, but of course I live in a different part of the country. I think $10/hr would be the minimum, so maybe offer $60/day?

bonitatinabina143 · May 2011

I'd say $50 a day. That's about $8 an hr. I'm currently a nanny, but in ny and I make $15 an hour for two children.

kell8807 · May 2011

We paid our in home daycare $25/day when we were only doing 3 days a week. That's pretty much the going rate for central Illinois, unless you go to a center.

wendy2613 · May 2011

I live in AZ (but not Phoenix or Tucson) and the average is about $25-$30 per day or $100/week

ktb31 · May 2011

chicago- $13/hr in home sitter; $45/day 5 days a week (7a.m.-6p.m. open) daycare

Rita092010 · May 2011

Thanks for all the replies -- the responses definitely give me a better range as to what I should offer. I punched a few numbers and I am thinking around $9/hr, which is about $54/day (a day being around 6 hours). I think it's middle of the road for around here and is quite a bit more than what I would pay if I went to a center.

Thanks again!

FutureMrsWittig · May 2011

My SDs IHDC costs $19/day but kids have to be 18months old to attend. Maybe a little more than that for an infant?

lucylea · May 2011

I'm also in Iowa, in one of the western suburbs of Des Moines, and the three mom's on my street who SAH and also watch other kiddos charge between $20 and $25 a day. They are not licensed and just watch other kids for extra income.

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