Daycare prices??

haylo33 · April 2014

I'm a FTM and have no clue about prices for daycare. My husband has normal Monday-Friday hours and I work shifts. Some weeks we would need daycare 8hours 3 times a week but most weeks only 1-2 days a week depending if I work day or night shift. Every center I call seems to price based on a whole week 8 hours a day. Plus they don't seem to like shift work and a constantly changing schedule. We found a lady who watches kids in her home. She doesn't have any full time kids, mostly shift work like myself or part time workers. The most kids she has at once is 3 but she said usually they are not there at the same time. Anyway, she charges $5 an hour. I live in a small city in PA. Is this reasonable? I know bigger cities are obviously more expensive, but I think I want to go with her but it is hard when no other daycare facilities will give me an hourly rate

gutsysneakers · April 2014

What?! What?!

Take it! I would kill for $5/hour!

Mimaloo · April 2014

$5 an hour? Is that real???

Daycare here costs $1400 a month and you have to go a minimum of three days a week. It's extra if you need early drop-off (which we would) or late pick-up.

FlemDance · April 2014

That's VERY reasonable - definitely at least look into it.

I was lucky enough to find someone that I actually know, charges $25 a day, won't charge us for holidays (we are teachers), and is licensed. I can't believe that we were able to get that!

Unknown · April 2014

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YTLCNURSE · April 2014

That's an awesome deal! I would definitely advise you to look into it and make sure she is licensed. Daycare expenses for a newborn is like paying another car note or mortgage payment averaging at least $900 a month! That's a blessing you found someone who charges $5 and hour.

momo214 · April 2014

In my smaller south Texas city I was going to pay $185 per week for full time care at a center. Now I just accepted a transfer for DFW and the places I have checked into are all about $1100 for full time. I had also looked at care.com and saw one lady that charged $5 per hour but questioned it since others listed about $15 an hour. I

haylo33 · April 2014

I forgot to mention I know her personally. My husband coached a football team with her husband so I think we are getting a discount. I'm actually not sure if she is licensed but I have talked to other people who take their babies there and are very pleased. I'll have to make sure she is licensed. I do know she has an education degree. The other places I've called give me either a weekly price for 5 days a week, or a daily rate. They require the baby be there at least 3 days a week and even if we don't need it, still have to pay.

ns1 · April 2014

I agree with other posters on making sure you're comfortable leaving your LO with her. But it's a plus if you know her personally.

It was difficult (impossible) for me to find any daycare centers near here that had part-time rates, so if that's what you need it will likely be a struggle with centers. But I do personally like that centers seem to have accountability because they're centers...but I imagined in home licensed facilities have similar standards. And fwiw, in a low cost of living area our daycare is $145/week for an infant.

tjkdlhb · April 2014

We pay $40/day for 10 hours. Normally she charges 35$ a day, but we need to drop her off early and she feeds her breakfast, lunch and snacks.

We live in a very small town, so I expect this would be on the very low end of daycare expenses.

motoLyn · April 2014

That's pretty low compared to the rates around here. I haven't looked into home daycare, I've only looked at facilities. The ones I'm looking at so far are $1200-1300 a month full time or a little less if part time (3 days a week). Man its crazy expensive! If I were you I look into that person and see what other parents have said, can you visit her home and see what its like and perhaps during the day when she has a kid there so you can get a feel? $5 is cheap! Also like others have asked is she licensed? How long has she been doing it?

chknma · April 2014

I'd also consider a few things...

taxes- would you be able claim her services (tax id) or would this be under the table.

And what does she provide/you provide? What about holiday and vacation schedules?

Our provider is ridiculously well priced for our area, but we lucked out that she was the only one we liked even before we knew her pricing.

haylo33 · April 2014

We don't have any other places lined up but around here, it isn't too difficult to find a place with a month or 2 notice. We are meeting at her house in a few weeks to see the house and everything. After reading some of the prices other places, I'm grateful to be where I am. I make a lot more than my husband and If I had to pay $1100 a month, my husband would quit his job and stay home because after taxes, he only makes a few hundred more a month!

CallMeMrsChaos · April 2014

You would be best to check and see if there are certain regulations with the state for in home providers. As for whether the cost is reasonable or not, you would need to scope it out. It depends on a lot of factors most importantly where you live. For reference, I live in Western Massachusetts. My husband and I have decided on an in home care provider who is licensed through the state early childhood education department (that is actually how we found her). LO will be in her care from 7:30a until 6p and she will provide breakfast, morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack in accordance with the USDA food program for $30/day or $150 a week. In comparison to some of the figures seen on this board, we are very lucky. She is also mandated to do certain hygiene programs such as teeth brushing, etc.

If you have something equivalent to the ECE here in Massachusetts, I would suggest that as a starting point.

yvanehtnioj · April 2014

We will pay $1100 per month for 5 days ($750-800 a month for 3 days) at a center. We will only actually be using it 4 days a week, but it seems nobody gives you a break for a 4 day/week schedule, only 3. I was going to question $5 per hour but if you have recommendations and you feel comfortable with her, I guess why not?

pandadair · April 2014

I would still check with the state, even if you know her. I would not feel comfortable without a state inspection record to go off of as a baseline. There was a place around here that seemed almost too good to be true, and had good online reviews, but then I pulled up their state record and they had tons of infractions. And not minor ones. There were multiple instances of leaving 5-6 year old daycare kids to monitor the infant room while the teacher was elsewhere. Awesome!

JKTTC1 · April 2014

My husband works shifts as a nurse so we went with an in home daycare and LO only went the days that DH WORKED which ranged from 1-3 days per week ad rarely did we have 3 days a week since he had to work every other weekend. It saved us so much money paying per day!! She was $30 per day (8 hours).

JKTTC1 · April 2014

Ours also wasn't state certified but she had been keeping kids since I was younger and I used to babysit the kids she kept. We live in a small town and I knew all the other parents that sent their kids.

sparklingdiamond · April 2014

We are going with an in home daycare that is $860 a month. Most of the centers here are over $1100 a month.

haylo33 · April 2014

JKTTC1 said:
My husband works shifts as a nurse so we went with an in home daycare and LO only went the days that DH WORKED which ranged from 1-3 days per week ad rarely did we have 3 days a week since he had to work every other weekend. It saved us so much money paying per day!! She was $30 per day (8 hours).

This is the exact situation we are in. Except I'm the nurse

manna1212 · April 2014

We have a difficult schedule too. I am a teacher, but my husband works 2nd shift so we only have a few hours overlap. We had trouble finding a place that would not charge us for a full week, as we need only Tuesday - Thursday. I was also lucky that she won't charge for my vacation weeks or summer. We are having her watch our LO for 12 hours a week and are paying $100.

lilbeautysxt · April 2014

$30/day here. And luckily it's a daily rate, not weekly!

spinsoffresonance · April 2014

I think I win most expensive daycare. We have 3 centers in our neighborhood, for infant care they charge $1600, $2300 and $2800/month for full time. We went with the cheapest one. So that's $1600 for 5 days/week, 9 hours/day so about $9/hour. You can pay an additional $30/day if you need 11 hours. They don't provide anything, we bring bedding, diapers and supplies, food, etc. their schedule options our 5 days/week, 3 days/week (MWF only) and 2 days/week (TTh only). We pay whether LO goes or not, if she's sick and gets send home we pay, if we go on vacation we pay, if the center closes because of snow we still pay. What you found sounds like a great deal.

SMM1986 · April 2014

That sounds great! I'd do a little more research to be sure she's a good fit. I also agree with looking to see if you will be able to claim the expense on your taxes.
I live in PA as well (Philly) and we'll be paying $35/day for a small center.

jjtyler · April 2014

lica001 said:

I think I win most expensive daycare. We have 3 centers in our neighborhood, for infant care they charge $1600, $2300 and $2800/month for full time. We went with the cheapest one. So that's $1600 for 5 days/week, 9 hours/day so about $9/hour. You can pay an additional $30/day if you need 11 hours. They don't provide anything, we bring bedding, diapers and supplies, food, etc. their schedule options our 5 days/week, 3 days/week (MWF only) and 2 days/week (TTh only). We pay whether LO goes or not, if she's sick and gets send home we pay, if we go on vacation we pay, if the center closes because of snow we still pay. What you found sounds like a great deal.

Same here. 1600 a month for 8 hours day, 5 days a week...and we will be supplying food, clothing, and everything (which I am fine with)....it hurts. it hurts real bad.

cmitch01 · April 2014

I also am in a smaller town in south central PA and have been quoted at 20 and 25/day by two different in home day care providers. Everyone I work with also pays around te same. Do your homework but seems like it's just inexpensive! Both places I checked out were refereed to me by friends.

Krisd6 · April 2014

Where I live, 5 days a week is $320.00- a lot of $!!!

KatieP71312 · April 2014

We pay $35/day for infant care. She's licensed and phenom. Claims taxes etc, provides all meals etc. I drive out of my way to keep my little with her.

Jennyinheaven · April 2014

SMM1986 said:
That sounds great! I'd do a little more research to be sure she's a good fit. I also agree with looking to see if you will be able to claim the expense on your taxes.
I live in PA as well (Philly) and we'll be paying $35/day for a small center.

Just wanted to say, hey I'm in Philly too. Also I work shift work and will not be going back because I don't make enough with the amount of daycare we would need to pay for even though half the time we wouldn't use even half of it.

SMM1986 · April 2014

Jennyinheaven said:

SMM1986 said:
That sounds great! I'd do a little more research to be sure she's a good fit. I also agree with looking to see if you will be able to claim the expense on your taxes.
I live in PA as well (Philly) and we'll be paying $35/day for a small center.
Just wanted to say, hey I'm in Philly too. Also I work shift work and will not be going back because I don't make enough with the amount of daycare we would need to pay for even though half the time we wouldn't use even half of it.

Cool! I'm in the Northeast area!
We are doing a partial week of daycare (3x a week) and MIL is going to watch the baby the other 2 days.

frasey · April 2014

In my city, $25-$35 per day is normal for a home daycare, and $40-$50 for a centre. Prices are different half an hr down the highway. We pay $28/day for an unlicensed home daycare. She provides 2 snacks and a homemade lunch, tax receipts.

One thing to remember about someone who advertises $5/hr vs $15/hr - someone charging $15 will likely take care of ONLY your kid, like a nanny. Someone who charges $5 will take other kids, so if they have 3-4 kids, they're really making $15-20. So its not really comparing apples to apples, because Id have totally different expectations of a nanny vs a daycare.

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