What's the going rate for Childcare?
November 12, 2010 10:25 AM Subscribe
How much is a reasonable rate to charge for childcare? I'm Oakland, CA.
My wife and I had a little girl a few months back and my wife is taking a full year off work. To bring in a little extra money she's thinking about offering limited child care to someone in January. She's a kindergarten teacher, and prior to that she did infant day care, so she has experience handling multiple babies. She's certified in child CPR.
She has a couple of potential "clients" but she's unsure what to charge.
We're searching the internet for rates and she's going to ask some people she knows what they pay. But I was hoping people could share what the pay/charge for daycare or what the would expect to pay/charge. We're in Oakland, CA. We live in a nicer section of Oakland and the potential clients are from the same area.
Any idea what the going rate is for daycare for a baby 3 months to one year in age?
My wife and I had a little girl a few months back and my wife is taking a full year off work. To bring in a little extra money she's thinking about offering limited child care to someone in January. She's a kindergarten teacher, and prior to that she did infant day care, so she has experience handling multiple babies. She's certified in child CPR.
She has a couple of potential "clients" but she's unsure what to charge.
We're searching the internet for rates and she's going to ask some people she knows what they pay. But I was hoping people could share what the pay/charge for daycare or what the would expect to pay/charge. We're in Oakland, CA. We live in a nicer section of Oakland and the potential clients are from the same area.
Any idea what the going rate is for daycare for a baby 3 months to one year in age?
Would this other kid be at your house or would your wife and child go to their house?
Are you doing this legally or illegally - like is your wife going to file taxes for this?
She'd be a nanny, more or less, so google around for nanny rates. Around here (SoCal), people pay about $40k/year to their nannies, more or less.
posted by k8t at 10:30 AM on November 12, 2010
Are you doing this legally or illegally - like is your wife going to file taxes for this?
She'd be a nanny, more or less, so google around for nanny rates. Around here (SoCal), people pay about $40k/year to their nannies, more or less.
posted by k8t at 10:30 AM on November 12, 2010
IMHO, this is much more like a nanny situation than a daycare center.
posted by k8t at 10:34 AM on November 12, 2010
posted by k8t at 10:34 AM on November 12, 2010
You might try asking the Berkeley Parents Network. It's basically the ask.metafilter of kid stuff for the Bay Area.
posted by zippy at 10:35 AM on November 12, 2010
posted by zippy at 10:35 AM on November 12, 2010
Response by poster: yes, nanny, sorry. That is a more accutare discription and this is more of a PT nanny situation.
And she would only watch one child (in addition to our own). She is willing to go to the persons house or have the child come to ours.
posted by phelixshu at 10:38 AM on November 12, 2010
And she would only watch one child (in addition to our own). She is willing to go to the persons house or have the child come to ours.
posted by phelixshu at 10:38 AM on November 12, 2010
Best answer: I don't know about infant care in particular in Oakland but as a reference point - the preschool teacher at my daughter's school charges us 14/hour to watch our 4 year old in the evening. We live in rockridge.
When we lived in SF - we shared a nanny and with the two kids it was 22/hour and for 1 kid it was 16. We also paid her health care every month and gave her paid vacation.
posted by Wolfie at 10:54 AM on November 12, 2010
When we lived in SF - we shared a nanny and with the two kids it was 22/hour and for 1 kid it was 16. We also paid her health care every month and gave her paid vacation.
posted by Wolfie at 10:54 AM on November 12, 2010
Best answer: Obviously it is going to depend on the amount of hours that she is working but in the Bay Area $500-$700 a week is not at all unreasonable to ask for; given that it's full time. If it's a part time hourly, I would be asking for around $20-$30 an hour. Keep in mind that this is without benefits. Also be prepared to to get blank stares when you give the amount, some people understand what your time is worth, others believe that all child care happens at or below minimum wage. I have been given $40 an hour for part time work, and I have been asked if $5 an hour was alright (it was not).
posted by Felex at 10:56 AM on November 12, 2010
posted by Felex at 10:56 AM on November 12, 2010
Seconding the Berkeley Parents Network. (They're actually even useful for non-kid stuff; I don't have kids but I still find their web page a useful resource.)
posted by madcaptenor at 11:23 AM on November 12, 2010
posted by madcaptenor at 11:23 AM on November 12, 2010
Best answer: Just to give rough estimates here. When we were looking for a nanny, we could only pay $10/hour. However, our target were nursing/childcare students. So these were college kids so they were fine with $10/hour.
However, more experienced such as your wife, min. was $14/hour. But I saw as high as $21/hour
The question is will paid vacations, sick days, etc be in the mix? Will you take ou taxes/will they claim the childcare discount on theirs? Then to balance she has to charge higher.
But if you're doing it for extra money and IRS is not involved then it seems $14/hour and above is very reasonable.
We didn't offer benefits but gave the best we could for raises and used her too for babysitting. We only needed her 3 days a week for 6-10 hours and she had a busy school schedule so it worked out for everyone in the end. When someone holds on to paychecks for months, it didn't seem like money was her overriding concern so $10/hour was just fine.
posted by stormpooper at 11:31 AM on November 12, 2010
However, more experienced such as your wife, min. was $14/hour. But I saw as high as $21/hour
The question is will paid vacations, sick days, etc be in the mix? Will you take ou taxes/will they claim the childcare discount on theirs? Then to balance she has to charge higher.
But if you're doing it for extra money and IRS is not involved then it seems $14/hour and above is very reasonable.
We didn't offer benefits but gave the best we could for raises and used her too for babysitting. We only needed her 3 days a week for 6-10 hours and she had a busy school schedule so it worked out for everyone in the end. When someone holds on to paychecks for months, it didn't seem like money was her overriding concern so $10/hour was just fine.
posted by stormpooper at 11:31 AM on November 12, 2010
Since you have a baby, you could call up other sitters on the registered child care list as if you were looking for care for your own child. That would give you some very realistic rates in your neighborhood.
posted by CathyG at 11:35 AM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by CathyG at 11:35 AM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Establish an hourly rate that your wife feels appropriately compensates her for her time and experience in childcare--she is a qualified professional and that is the rate that will make the experience most rewarding. You will find rates all over the map--also note that the proposed rate includes only childcare--this is important if there are required activities outside your own home--chauffeuring, Dr.'s appointments, other off site obligations. Good luck and enjoy the experience. (BTW--FWIW, I would strongly encourage you to do all this over the table--please do not discount the service and take payments off the record.
posted by rmhsinc at 11:39 AM on November 12, 2010
posted by rmhsinc at 11:39 AM on November 12, 2010
Best answer: In SF, we pay about $12/hour for a babysitter and $50/day for in-home childcare.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 12:33 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by otherwordlyglow at 12:33 PM on November 12, 2010
Best answer: In San Diego, we've paid from $13-$16 for part-time childcare. Our caregivers have all been experienced, background-checked, and CPR certified. They generally stay for a period of 3-4 hours. During the day, care includes entertaining and making/feeding any necessary meals/snacks. In the evening, if she's still awake, care includes the above, plus bathing and bedtime routine. Sometimes the caregiver comes when she's already asleep, and gets to chill while keeping an ear out.
posted by moira at 3:39 PM on November 12, 2010
posted by moira at 3:39 PM on November 12, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
The average they're finding for a day care *center is around $1,000 - $1,100 per month. I called a home day care and it was more in the $800 range. This is in Sacramento.
Are there licensing requirements for watching several children in the manner you're proposing?
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 10:30 AM on November 12, 2010