Hey mamas! We are considering pulling my son out of daycare since my husband is home 4 days a week and have a friend who is a stay at home dad (with his 3 year old daughter) who we are interested in having watch him only on FRIDAYS (my husband will keep him Mon-Thurs).
My question is how much should I offer him per day? Around here, a daily rate for a child in a home or center based daycare is anywhere from $25-$40/day. He would be there all day on Fridays (like 730-430), although there would be some days where I'd get off between 1230-230. My plan is to offer him a monthly rate so that we aren't figuring out 'okay i owe you this much less because I picked him up two hours early' or whatever.
So, how much would you offer? These are very close friends of ours, by the way!
Some things before you respond:
1. I checked and the two centers in our town (including the one he goes to now) do not offer day rates - only weekly (or three days at one center but we don't want that).
2. I'd be dropping him off on my way to work so it's not out of my way which is great!
3. In the afternoons he will have his daughter, two kindergarteners (from 340 until I pick my son up) so I realize having four kids is a lot of work so that is why I don't want to short change him!
What do you think?
Is there a reason your husband couldn't watch him since he is home 4 days for the week, and have the friend watch him that one day for about $15. Depending on the age of the child and how close your friendship is that is. If you are going based on true daycare rates, use the rates your day care charges and divide that for the one day or give a certain percentage less (10% or so) since they are friends and did volunteer!
What would you want someone to pay you? That is the question. Not what the going rate at a day care is. You're asking a dad to commit every friday to you. He has a 3yr old that he probably feels comfortable running errands with. You or he may not feel it is appropriate to or logistically feasable to run errands while watching your son. Also, his child may not wake up before 7:30 now, so, he will no longer be sleeping in on Fridays. My point is, make it worth the guys time. He's a friend, but this is not a favor, it's a business arrangement. If it were me, I would offer a flat $200 a month, and ask if he feels that is appropriate.
I would suggest you go with the $40 a day if it is that long of a day. And pay him for it even when you get off early. It will be incentive for him to keep doing it. And your rate is pretty good. I live in oswego and the daily rate for one child starts at $50 for a 9hour day.
Most daycares and home daycares will charge more per day if the child doesn't attend fulltime, you can't just divide the weekly amount by 5 and have a good rate. I have a home daycare, but I would suggest paying more to make it worth his while, about $50. Spell out some guidelines as to what you will provide and what he will provide. You will be saving so much money anyway by not paying for a full week.
Definately the range you wrote of. As someone else pointed out, this is a business arrangement for him, not a favor. He likely won't be answering the door in his scruffy pj's, hair scraggly, teeth not brushed, etc like he might spend another hour or so in the morning were it just him and his child working their way thru a lazy morning of Mickey Mouse pancakes, Sesame Street on the TV and a few minutes for him to read the sports page and drink a hot cup of coffee with relative ease in the comfort of his own home.
And the transporting/errands thing. Alot different when you are tied to another child, napping schedules (if any) and the prospect of your pick up time altering occasionally, etc.
I just point these things out further as I am a home childcare provider, and as much as I love my work and the families I serve, it is a job and ties you to your home in a different way. I have light fridays..only a few kids compared to my full week of them. But it is still a work day. Maybe your arrangement would be more casual, but I urge you to make sure things are all spelled out, so there are no miscommunications, etc.
Most providers I know will NOT do childcare for relatives, neighbors or friends. I learned that the hard way and never will again. It creates a different dynamic oftentimes. Yours is a one day a week situation, so perhaps that won't be the case. Just consider all the worst case scenarios and the what if situations and discuss them, I guess. I think if you do that, it will be fine.
I would pay him well and be that great "client" and friend all in one.
Good luck!
I guess I would expect to pay $25-$40, just like you would an home daycare situation, if the child is being watched all day. If you think about it, that is $3.13 to $5 per hour, and that is much less than min. wage.... I would also expect to provide diapers, wipes, change(s) of clothes.
