50 Hours Weekly of Babysitting?

Updated on January 06, 2012
K.K. asks from Fredericksburg, VA
15 answers

Hi Moms!

Wondering what you would pay a lady to watch your children (2) for 50hours weekly? This would be her only income.

Thanks!
K.

Other info: Previous teacher, nanny/babysitter, and worked in day care centers. Location her house. 2 young children.

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S.H.

answers from Richmond on

My sitter gets $160/wk for 1 kid. She watches other children as well. I would say somewhere in the $250 range for 2 kids would seem appropriate.

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W..

answers from Chicago on

That it's her only income is irrelevant. Is she red cross certified? Does she have any hours of education or childcare experience?

How old are the kids?

What type of curiculum / activities are offered?

At her house or the kids' house?
*if her house, what is provided and what is brought from home (food, nap mat, snacks etc)

Where do they live? (price will vary..... Chicago prices are drastically different than, say, Memphis).

4 moms found this helpful

D.S.

answers from Norfolk on

Hi, Dancer:

What has she asked for?

Consider $5.00 an hour or $250.00 a week.
Makes $1,000.00 for 4 week month.
Just a tought.
D.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.C.

answers from Dallas on

Childcare rates vary widely across the US. Check the going rates in your area- I'd expect to pay about 70% of what a comparable center charges.

Another issue to clarify with her is whether she will be reporting her income. That will determine if you can claim the childcare tax credit.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

I paid $299/week for my DD under 2 yrs old at a center. I would have paid less after that b/c older kids don't need to be diapered or hand fed, for example. I would pay her *at least* $400 for 2 kids. That's still only $8 an hour (what is min. wage in your area?) and she has to pay taxes as an independent contractor.

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S.H.

answers from St. Louis on

call a daycare & pay the equivalent...unless she's driving to your house. Then you will need to pay her more.

Normally, the babysitter sets the price....she should know!

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A.I.

answers from New York on

Here in NY.. Probably 400-600 a week for 2 young children.

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R.M.

answers from Dallas on

Probably $500, but I'd be providing food and diapers, etc. If she's providing meals, probably a little more.

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A.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

In our area, it is around $15 per hour for two kids. But, if her house, if she has other kids and like a home day care, it can be $200-$250 per week.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

In Oklahoma in a 3 STAR child care home the state would pay that person:

For a baby/toddler 6 wks up to 24 months: $27.75 per day

For a child from 25 mnths up to 48 mnths: $23.75 per day

For a child from 49 mnths up to 72 mnths: $23.75 per day

For a school aged child they would pay for days out of school $18.25 per day

For days in school where they only come before and/or after: $12.00 per day

These are professional people who have hours and hours of training and have chosen this field as their profession. They choose to be here and caring for children. They have licenses, inspections on a monthly basis, they have to deal with all kinds of bureaucratic red tape and they get this much per child.

A 3 STAR rating means the person has a Bachelors degree in some sort of field that is about kids or education, they have first aid and CPR, they have over 20 hours per year of professional training, they have met criteria in their home that is required to show they have a more quality program for the kids, often it is a purchased curriculum, they work their hineys off to get this high rating.

Personally I think paying an unlicensed individual more than I would pay a professional person would be nuts. I would take the professional person who has run a home business over someone that is just going to babysit the kids all day.

The normal amount of hours a child is in child care is about 10 per day. If you think about it....mom or dad drop the child off on their way to work, let's say they have to be at work at 8 and it's a 20 minute drive, on a good day, so they must drop off little kiddo by 7:30 to be at work by 8am. That is not considering they may need to stop and clock in, get supplies, set up their work station, etc...all before actually "being" on the clock. So they may even drop of the child by 7:15am. Then they work to at least 5pm. The hone may ring as they are picking up their purse, the boss may stop them on the way through the elevator doors, they may have to do any number of last minute things before actually getting to their car. Then they get in traffic and it's backed up a bit, heavier than usual. So they take half an hour to get kiddo. That makes is around 5:45 at the latest.

So this child came at 7:15am and it's now 5:45pm. That's normal for most kids that have a parent who works 8am-5pm. 5:15 was 10 hours so mom just left her child for 10.5 hours in child care and she did not work overtime.

10 hours in child care is their normal day.

Here is a link to the Oklahoma pay scale that providers can look at to find out how much the state will pay them to take kids that get state subsidy assistance for child care.

http://www.okdhs.org/NR/rdonlyres/2E81F###-###-####-487B-...

Since you have asked this same question several times I think you might be getting a lot of similar answers to them. I know I have posted nearly the same information before.

If you are interested in opening a home child care business you might want to go ahead and call your local licensing agency and get the information. Having a home child care business is an awesome way to build a business. you could eventually build it to the point you could open it in a building and make it a full sized center. It may take a year or two but I have seen women do it. I know the Montessouri school in Enid offers dance lessons separate from the regular child care services and also music lessons and riding lessons, they have an area on the property where they have a horse and some other animals for the kids to help take care of. They offer some parents who can't afford to pay full rates a scholarship if they take care of cleaning the animal areas and mowing, repair the buildings, etc....

Here is a link to an article written for Oklahoman's wanting to open a child care business but it is very good information for any person wanting to consider this profession.

http://www.okdhs.org/nr/rdonlyres/e7de27a5-31a6-45ce-950f...

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T.H.

answers from Norfolk on

150 to 175. i used to get 150 for that many hours at my house when i did it about 5 years ago.

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C.J.

answers from Dallas on

In addition to some great variables mentioned below, I'd pay MORE for children under 2 and work out a "diminishing rate" agreement. As is customary with other child care situations you pay more for younger children because it is perceived that they are "more work."

I would consider paying between $550 and $350 a week since you indicated "young" children.
good luck on your research!

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

We pay our nanny $650/week for exactly what you've described, except she comes to our house. My kids are 3 and 1.
She's worth EVERY PENNY.

A.S.

answers from Iowa City on

Around here you would be paid no more than $350-400 per week if you did not have a college degree in education and or 10+ years direct child care experience (not just teaching, say, piano lessons) and you would be expected to provide snacks/meals. Other things parents around here would take into consideration: how many children are you caring for and what ages, do you provide education, crafts, outings, etc., do you have an outdoor play space, do you have animals, are you providing bad food items or healthy ones, do you have a drop in/open door policy, are you insured, do you report your wages for tax purposes...

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

In our area a LOWBALL number for fulltime (50hrs) group childcare is $1600 per month per child. aka $3200 per month.

Nannies are more expensive for a single child, and less expensive with multiples... as a lowball number (if she doesn't have kids of her own) is $2500 per month. Pretty much the standard is to deduct $500 per month per child of her own that she brings. So if she has 2 kids of her own, it would be $1500.

These are *low* numbers in our area... and easily double.

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