Childcare Hours

I plan to babysit when I retire. $100 a week or $25 a day for short weeks. I will only sit relatives. I can't be bothered with strangers...

If you consider the averages - 8 hour work day + an hour for lunch, a 20 minute drive each way, that would be 10 hours. So I would consider 9 to 11 hours to be within range.

One of your previous posts indicates that you provide child care. Then you set your hours and your pay scale. There's no way I would watch a child for only $20 a day.

I think 10 hours is normal for a person who works 40 hours per week. How much you are charging is not the parents fault - if you think it should be more than $20 then up your price. most daycares are open from 6am-6pm.

I'm a full time working mom, and 10 hours is close to the norm for us. Drop her off around 7:30 and pick her up at 5. When you work a 9 hour day and allow for commuting, that's reasonable. You could state to your parents that 10 hours is the max per day that the child will be watched so they can shift their schedules accordingly to meet that maximum.Anything over the 10 hours will be subject to hourly rate.
Hope that helps!

You are only charging $2 an hour? Wow. Sure some people are going to take advantage of that.
Set your prices, policies and hours in advance.
Have parents sign a contract and enforce it.
YOU are the provider, it's your choice, not theirs.

the problem is less about how long the child spends in day care (working parents have to work, right? if they work for 8 hours and commute, 10 hours is about right) than your low rates. i can see why you're resentful, but your problem is that you're not charging enough, not that the parents are doing something wrong.
few working parents WANT their kids in daycare 10 plus hours a day. it's just a sad reality about the world we've created.
ETA of course you have the right not to open early, and to charge extra if they're late. but it's none of your business what they do with their days. i would not use a daycare provider who felt it her prerogative to judge me for a day off, or for taking a shower or changing my clothes while my child was in her care.
khairete
S.

Wow, my almost 19 yr old daughter brings in a regular $100 for babysitting 1 weekend night a week. ( that's Friday or Saturday from apox 530 pm ish til midnightish)

I can't imagine someone paying $20 for a 10 hour day. I admit I don't know daycare rates but it sounds like you are being used,

Re-evaluate your fees and communicate them in a timely manner.

I agree with some hours that parents work, the time can be greater than 8 hours but $20 a day sounds way low to me

If you feel that 10 hours is too long for the price then set a limit (say 8 hours for $20) and then charge extra for the additional time.

It depends on whether that was what was contacted. $20 a day is very low. But in some areas that is the norm. Usually not a regular rate. Most teenagers make more than that doing babysitting. If a parent works a 9-5 job then with a little bit of travel time then you have a 10 hour day. Would I work a 10 hour day for $20 not a chance.

Some daycare centers have long hours they are open but have a lot of employees who are in and out all day long no one person works the whole day long.

D.,

Sorry - you're a child care provider....you set the rates. You are. in essence, screwing yourself - sorry - but $20 a day? Are you not certified by the county or state?

Most day cares here are open from 0630 to 1830. When I worked at Kindercare - there were BABIES that got dropped off at 0630 and were NOT picked up until we closed. Those parents were then paying $380 PER WEEK for care...now? I think the infant room is $475 per week.

I think you need to re-evaluate your rates and your times. Ensure they are structured so parents have time to commute to and from work. You're upset because you feel taken advantage of right? Well, this is your fault - sorry - but it's true. Re-evaluate your rates and times. Keep in mind people are working - at least I would hope they are working - and not just dropping their kids off so they can go play!! :) Most people work 8 hour days. How long is the commuting time in your area? One hour is typical here in DC. Sometimes longer.

Hope this helps!

If a parent is working eight (or more) hours in a day it is quite possible that they may need to have a child in care for 10 hours in a day, depending on breaks and commute time. It is up to you haw many hours a day you are willing to provide care and how much you wish to charge.

ETA: Our YMCA charges $20 a day and offers care from 7:00am to 6:00pm. A private in home child care generally charges more because the child receives individualized attention.

Some child care centers are open from 6:30am to 7pm and some of the kids are there from opening to closing time.
If the parents work 12 hr shifts (common in nursing and police depts) or commute long distances to get to work sometimes the hand off times are tricky.
If you are charging $20 per day (5 days per week = $100 per week) - I don't know what the going rate is in your area but you sound like a real bargain - and people will take advantage of that.
In the DC area 15 years ago infant care at a center was $165 per week and once the child was potty trained it dropped to $150 per week.
The drop in rate (if you had no contract and needed 1 day like for when school is closed due to bad weather) was $75 per day.

My daycare is open from 6:30AM until 6PM. It doesn't matter if my child is there from 9-5 or 6:30-6 - the rate is the rate. If you think your daily rate is too low for the hours you are open, then raise your rate. I don't think this family is taking advantage of you. I think that they are following the rules that you set.

And no, I don't see how it is taking advantage of you to drop their child off for the day when they are off of work as long as they are paying you. They are paying you the rate you set to do so, right? So what is the problem?

And, actually, I don't pay a daily rate, I pay a weekly rate. So it doesn't matter if my child is there 4 days, or 5. I pay the same. I also pay in advance - I have to pay by Friday for the upcoming week. It is clearly spelled out in my contract. What does your contact say about days off?

So - my suggestion? Have a solid contract with a reasonable weekly rate agreement with the parents, and it should say that they need to pay in advance. If they show up on Monday morning without a check in hand for the entire week, then you can tell them that you can't take their child. And if you don't want them there before you are open, then don't open the door.

As long as they show up with the check and come in th e door during your business hours that you set in the contract, then I don't think you have any reason to complain.

10 hours per day is actually less than most kids spend in care.

Check this out.

A normal time for most adults to be at work is 8am. IF the parent has to drive in traffic and they have to park, walk across that parking lot, fight for a place on an elevator, etc...they need to be at work, in the building by 7:45 so they can get seated and take a breath before starting their day.

If they have even a 20 minute drive to work they need kiddo dropped off and them gone by 7:15am.

They work all day, take an hour for lunch, get off work at 5pm but their boss stops by their desk to ask them a question, the phone rings, they have to run to the bathroom before fighting traffic, once they get on the road they have to deal with traffic jams and possible accidents. So they don't get to child care until 5:45pm and maybe even closer to 6.

7:15am to 5:45pm...that's already 10.5 hours. AND really close to 11 hours per day.

So no, you are not figuring in how a time clock on the job works.

EVEN IF THEY WORK NEXT DOOR they still work 8 hours plus lunch and breaks. They STILL have to deal with possible co-workers stopping them when they are trying to leave. Even next door it's over 9 hours.

So stop feeling like they're taking up all your time. It's your job to care for their child while they work, it's a long day for child care workers.

Even if dad or mom gets off work at 3, they are paying for a full day of care. It's not your job to decide they can do this or that, it's your job to provide care for their child whether they are at home in bed taking a personal day or if they are at work and in court defending a murderer. They are paying you for your care.

In Oklahoma a 4 year old child paid by the state in a 2 STAR home
might get $17 per day. A 3 STAR home might get $22 and a 1+ STAR home might only get $15 per day for that child. This pay includes their food and all supplies.

That site is down right now so I can't copy and paste the actual fees the state pays the provider for those who receive child care assistance. But we pretty much base our fees on what the state pays for the kids they pay for. That way we're all about the same cost no matter where the parents go.

Depending on the age of the child, if it's an infant then yes, you are slightly undercharging them.

IF this child is 3 or 4 then you are probably about the same rate as the state would be paying if that child was receiving state assistance for child care.

You can call around but I imagine a preschool age child is paying pretty close to what you're charging.

BTW, a babysitter will never make more than minimum wage from me and most of my friends. They do NOT expect to make a lot of money babysitting no matter if they are a good babysitter or not. Kids do NOT make more money that an adult who has spent hours and hours doing training and getting certified in child development and how to run a business.

A CHILD that is babysitting should not get paid more than a professional adult that is running a home business. BUT I know people out there will pay a babysitter a lot of money, it won't happen here but I hear there are people who will do that.

I think your rates are pretty good but it really does depend on the age of the child.

When running a home child care business you can have several children so you are not just making the money on one child, you multiply that by how many kids you are licensed for.

For instance, if you're licensed for 4 kids under school age then you multiply the $20 by 4 and get $80 per day. Part of that money goes to food and snacks, part to the utilities and wear and tear on your home, your land line for the parents to swipe their access cards, etc...lots of the costs associated with your business get to be taken off during tax time so you get some funds back.

Having a home business does not get your rich in any way. It does provide you with a small income and the ability to spend your day doing something productive and giving back to the community. Child care that is caring and competent is always needed.

I think you should just take a breath and realize most kids are in child care over 10 hours per day. That's why almost all centers and homes are open from 7am-6pm. And most of their kids arrive within 15 minutes of each other and they leave almost the same way.

Here's the thing...a parent that works full time (8 hours a day) is scheduled for 9 hours a day. Assuming they work within 30 minutes driving time (or less if there is traffice), a child would have to be in childcare for at least 10 hours a day. It's a shame but that's why they need childcare...so they can work.

Now, what about the parents that work further away than 30 minutes?

If the parent works less than full time, then of course the child should not be in care that long. It is reasonable for them to run an errand after work but not just suck up time so it's convenient for them.

$20 a day is really inexpensive.

Our old daycare ran 7AM to 6PM and some kids were there most of the day. My DD was there from about 8 to 6, due to my work schedule. At the time (about 4 years ago) we paid $299 per week for 5 days a week. PT care was something like $75 a day. I considered it a bargain. Some places at the same time wanted $460 per week.

I agree that your business is your rates and your times. I might not jump to $75 per day if you've allowed $20 til now, but give them a timeframe during which they know the prices will be increasing and then increase them to something that is fair for you. I think we had 1 month before they went up from $275 a week to $299.

We payed $30/day for in-home daycare. Kids were dropped off at 7:30am and picked up at 4:30pm so that is 9 hours. My daycare is open from 7:30am until 5pm. Picking up later than 5pm meant you payed a late fee. We were allowed one free late pickup per month though especially in winter.

When my oldest was little he was there for at least 10 to 11 hours but that's cause I had an hour drive to and from work everyday. When there were in daycare it opend at 6am and closed at 6:30pm and they could be there any time between that time. We paid the same amount until they started school and then it was less for just after school care.

Wow - if you're the child care provider, I think you need to raise your daily rate! And 10 hours a day is long, but if the parent has a commute and works 8 hour days plus a 1/2 hour lunch, it makes sense.

Ultimately, if you don't like the family or don't want to ask them to pay more... your only choice is to ask them to find another option.

You have two different issues here. One is the amount of time a child spends in daycare. Another is how much you are getting paid for that time.

When my kids were in daycare, I had either my mom (when I was single) or my husband available to help with drop off or pick up so that the kids were only there for 8-9 hours. I believe that our daily rate was for up to 9 hours and anything longer than that would have incurred an additional fee.

However, not everyone has that luxury and needing 10 hours of care is not uncommon if both parents work 8-5 or 9-5 and have a commute.

As a childcare provider, your job is to set hours your are comfortable with and rates. One daycare my kids went to served medical workers so they were open from 6 AM to 6 PM. Another one was originally designed for attorneys and later for the staff of a college so they were open 7 - 5:30. One in my neighborhood that I didn't enroll my kids in was geared towards teachers so they were open 7 - 5.

All of the centers my kids went to had tiered rates - e.g. one rate for up to 6 hours, another for up to 9 hours, another for more than 9 hours. None of them were $20 a day - the least I paid was $55 per day for a pre-K age child for 9 hours.

It sounds like it's time for you to put more formality around your hours and rates and do a rate review. Honestly I wouldn't put my child in the care of someone who thought she only deserved $2 an hour for childcare, but the childcare rates in my area are some of the highest in the country. Research what others are charging for similar care and set your rates accordingly.

Why on earth would you watch a child for $2 an hour?

My kids went to daycare from 8:00 to 6:00. My husband and I had to be at work at 8:30. The end of our work day was 5:00, but we never were able to get off exactly at 5:00, and traffic usually got us there between 5:45 and 6:00. We could NOT be late because the center closed at 6:00.

Wow, your rates are so low. Childcare here is about $9 an hour and up.

Nothing is too much time. You set the hours and rates.

My son was in daycare from 8 am until 6 pm three days a week. Nope - I don't think this is 'a bit much'. Not until my clients stop expecting me to take care of their pets between the same hours. Now, you are charging WAY less than I paid at the center my son went to. But that is a completely different story. I don't think you can be resentful that someone is only paying the amount you are charging and is using the service for the hours you say you provide. I could NEVER have used a facility that closed by 5 pm. Really early.

The daycare we take our daughter to has a policy of only 10 hours in care.