Daycare costs?

[BabbyO]

How much extra should I expect to pay for a second child at daycare?

I'm asking because we have a great babysitter who watches DS1. She's agreed to watch DS2 as well. I've asked what she'd like for compensation, but she'd do it for free if she could and hasn't given us a number yet. I think she's waiting for us to throw something out. What is a fair amount, say percentage-wise for adding a second child. DH doesn't think it should be double, which is what I was thinking.

We provide all food, clothes, diapers, etc. DS1 has FA's and DS2 is sensitive to certain foods.

[vonfirmath]

We pay double for a 2nd child and consider it cheap.
usually babies are more expensive than older children.

ETA: They go to a home daycare.

[kedss]

do you do it by an hourly rate? it probably depends what she is willing to do, if she do isn't coming up with a number you should offer what you think is fair.

[luckytwenty]

The discount at our daycare is 10%. It's still a lot cheaper than a nanny.

[mommylamb]

Most centers (and a lot of home daycares) give you 10% off the cost of the less costly child.

[Melaine]

Is this a babysitter or nanny? Full or part time? You really can't compare daycare and nanny rates IMO.

[lil_acorn]

Most centers (and a lot of home daycares) give you 10% off the cost of the less costly child.

:yeahthat: but also recognize that infants are much more expensive than toddlers and above.

What region are you in? Perhaps mommies in the area can tell you the rates they pay if they are in that area.

[boolady]

Most centers (and a lot of home daycares) give you 10% off the cost of the less costly child.

At DD's, it is exactly as mommylamb says-- the 10% comes off the cheaper tuition, so the older child in ordinary circumstances.

[BabbyO]

Well, lets put it this way, we pay her a flat weekly rate. Typically we pay holidays (if we have off for Memorial day, she still gets paid for the entire week). The exception is vacation weeks for us or her. When we take a week-long vacation or if her family takes a weeklong vacation, she isn't paid. We always give notice on this sort of thing and we've never taken more than 2 weeks in a year. Additionally, if she calls last minute and can't watch DS1 for more than a day we only pay for the days she worked.

Thing is...she charges only about half of what it would cost for us to go to a regular daycare in our area. This is the rate she set originally. We've given "raises" every year, last year was about 7% and after the first 3 mo it was 20% because she charged so little initially.

ETA: We're in the upper mid-west, WI. She's a full-time sitter. We take DS to her home and he's there for about 9.5-10 hrs/day.

[boolady]

Well, lets put it this way, we pay her a flat weekly rate. Typically we pay holidays (if we have off for Memorial day, she still gets paid for the entire week). The exception is vacation weeks for us or her. When we take a week-long vacation or if her family takes a weeklong vacation, she isn't paid. We always give notice on this sort of thing and we've never taken more than 2 weeks in a year. Additionally, if she calls last minute and can't watch DS1 for more than a day we only pay for the days she worked.

Thing is...she charges only about half of what it would cost for us to go to a regular daycare in our area. This is the rate she set originally. We've given "raises" every year, last year was about 7% and after the first 3 mo it was 20% because she charged so little initially.

ETA: We're in the upper mid-west, WI. She's a full-time sitter. We take DS to her home and he's there for about 9.5-10 hrs/day.

I have no idea how an in-home daycare is structured in terms of fees. I only know that in a center, the infant room is usually more expensive because it requires a lot more staff due to infant:teacher ratios.

[Simon]

We live in a similar location so our rates might be similar here. Is this an in-home day care? You called her a baby sitter but also asked about day care. Does she only watch your kids? Sorry, I'm just trying to figure it out because I would pay an occasional baby-sitter differently than a F/T nanny than a day care.

Day care here is double minus 10%. We'll be paying about $550/wk for an infant and 2yo soon. I don't think a second child doubles a nanny fee as it does for day care, only because a nanny is usually more expensive than daycare for one child, but is about the same for 2 kids, and usually a good deal with 3+kids.

If this is an in-home day care, I would expect to pay nearly double. If this is more of a nanny/baby-sitter arrangement, depending on your base rate for her, if she is only watching your kids, I would add 30-40% to her fee or maybe $4-5/hour. I'd be tempted to offer less of a raise, but I think that adding an infant really adds a lot of work and if you really like her I'd want to keep her happy.

[BabbyO]

We live in a similar location so our rates might be similar here. Is this an in-home day care? You called her a baby sitter but also asked about day care. Does she only watch your kids? Sorry, I'm just trying to figure it out because I would pay an occasional baby-sitter differently than a F/T nanny than a day care.

Day care here is double minus 10%. We'll be paying about $550/wk for an infant and 2yo soon. I don't think a second child doubles a nanny fee as it does for day care, only because a nanny is usually more expensive than daycare for one child, but is about the same for 2 kids, and usually a good deal with 3+kids.

If this is an in-home day care, I would expect to pay nearly double. If this is more of a nanny/baby-sitter arrangement, depending on your base rate for her, if she is only watching your kids, I would add 30-40% to her fee or maybe $4-5/hour. I'd be tempted to offer less of a raise, but I think that adding an infant really adds a lot of work and if you really like her I'd want to keep her happy.

In-home day care. Sorry, I don't differientiate between all the terms. She watches our son and soon to be our 2 sons in her home. She occasionally has one other child that she watches...but that is an entirely different situation. She also has her own 4 kids (ranging in age from 8 to 16).

I still can't fathom how an infant is more work than my 2.5 yo. He requires WAY more attention and supervision. After spending the last 12 weeks with the two of them...I'm confident in saying that. (I know it is standard to pay more for infants, though).

[lhafer]

In-home day care. Sorry, I don't differientiate between all the terms. She watches our son and soon to be our 2 sons in her home. She occasionally has one other child that she watches...but that is an entirely different situation. She also has her own 4 kids (ranging in age from 8 to 16).

I still can't fathom how an infant is more work than my 2.5 yo. He requires WAY more attention and supervision. After spending the last 12 weeks with the two of them...I'm confident in saying that. (I know it is standard to pay more for infants, though).

It's the time it takes to change diapers and feed them. Infants always require a hire pay rate than other age children - usually the cost goes down as they get older.

When mine was in daycare full time (so can't really compare to the sitter situation), siblings were 5% off. For both of them to be in daycare full time would have been $2,000 a month.

[Simon]

Thanks for clarifying. The higher price for infants is that states require a lower ratio so more staffing=higher costs for babies.That isn't a problem with your arrangement though, so that is one of the reasons that I don't think it doubles fees. Also, since it is just your kids and your Ds2 isn't taking up one of a limited number of "spots" I think it is certainly fair to offer a raise that is less than double.

If your infant is easier than your 2yo, then I think you're lucky or we've just had bad luck! My toddlers are always much easier than my young infants (more diaper changes, clothing changes, more work to make them nap, bottles to wash, burping, fussiness, harder to take them out in public, etc). So, if you have an easy infant than that may factor into what you offer too.

[BabbyO]

Thanks for clarifying. The higher price for infants is that states require a lower ratio so more staffing=higher costs for babies.That isn't a problem with your arrangement though, so that is one of the reasons that I don't think it doubles fees. Also, since it is just your kids and your Ds2 isn't taking up one of a limited number of "spots" I think it is certainly fair to offer a raise that is less than double.

If your infant is easier than your 2yo, then I think you're lucky or we've just had bad luck! My toddlers are always much easier than my young infants (more diaper changes, clothing changes, more work to make them nap, bottles to wash, burping, fussiness, harder to take them out in public, etc). So, if you have an easy infant than that may factor into what you offer too.

I guess I'm super lucky then. DS2 only gets a little fussy in the evening...and even when he's fussy he's easier than my 2 yo. He has more diaper changes...but they're easier because he doesn't squirm like his older brother. DS2 is definitely the mellow child in the family.

Oh, and I get the requirement in actual centers for more staff in infant rooms, etc. I think my kids have just been super easy babies (DS1 was a great baby, too) and very easy to take care of.

Please don't think I'm slamming my 2 yo. He's a great kid...he's just very high energy and requires a lot of attention.

[Melaine]

I would offer her half of what you are paying for DC1.