Tweet
The norm here for the last five years has been $125 to $150 a week for in-home providers. Just today I have seen $80 a week! People are going lower and lower and it is just getting crazy around here!
-
-
What people don't understand is that even if a parents starts off paying $60 a week is that once the economy turns itself around either the provider will stress and become unhappy doing daycare for such low pay or soon realize that she's getting peanuts and raise her rates or replace lower paying families with higher paying ones. $60 a week is just plain crazy. I don't know about you ladies but as a parent if I saw $60 a week I would automatically think "poor quality childcare" and go elsewhere. If I were a provider $60 a week would get me some "bottom of the barrel" clients (as someone else said on another thread).
I thought about lowering my rates once to compete with other daycares and instead I kept my rates the same and when I did interviews and people tried haggling over the price I simply said the quality of my care has not changed due to the economy's decline and that I knew what my time and energy is worth and I would rather have an open spot in my daycare and wait for a family that valued my efforts and paid me appropriately for what I am worth rather than have a client that didn't appreciate the value of my program. The ones that understand signed on anyway and the ones that didn't went elsewhere, either way I am left winning, -
I charge a low rate...
I have been running my Home Based Daycare for a couple of months now and I charge only $85 a week.
If you knew why some people do it, then you can understand. When I worked full time and went to school full time, I needed affordable childcare and I seek to provide that to those that I service. I do not feel that what I provide is nothing but I do this because of my passion for the parents and circumstances and plus I wanted to have my child around other children and still be able to be around him. Maybe my goals will change but I just want to make enough to pay my bills and be with my son. I am absolutely full and I make more money than I thought...I even turn away more money from parents but I feel like that is my way of showing them that I am not about your money, but about your child.
I am not against charging more, but please do not think poorly of those who do charge low rates...Comment
-
I'm up against that, too. It's frustrating but I figure let them undercharge, they can only fill so many spots and there are tons of families who will pay my rates regardless because I offer a high quality environment and have lots of extras that other dcp's in my area don't.
Sometimes people will see cheap rates and automatically shy away because they assume the quality of care is directly correlated to the low rate. Not that it's always the case but many times I think it is.....Comment
-
I think the word that was missed in that post, was MOST daycares that charge a low rate are bottom of the barrel...NOT all. I am also on the lower end of the spectrum and I think that I have a great program. I probably only make 25% profit at the end of the month if I am lucky becuase I do way too much with these kids....Comment
-
Give them what they pay for
Im going with 100$ a week here... not sure what the norm is for OK
"God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.'"
Acts 13:22Comment
-
you also have to take out for taxes, so what will you end up with if you charge so little?Comment
-
How much do you take out for tax's?"God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.'"
Acts 13:22Comment
-
No offense meant to you at all, but I wish that providers who "do this because they love kids, not for the money" would stop and think about the other providers who can't AFFORD to charge $85 per week because it WOULDN'T get their bills paid. You may be helping your families, but you're probably hurting other childcare businesses even though that's not your intention. I speak from experience here, as someone who's business has been totally halted due to not being able to compete with the low low rates in my area. I realize that in some areas, $85 is the "going rate"...that's not my issue. It would be the same if the going rate in an area was $200 and someone comes in charging $150 or $120. It's not that I think poorly of you, because I don't at all. I do think it's noble to want to help out families. I just think that all sides should be considered. I also think that you'll feel differently about this after a year or so of providing care.Comment
-
::
Comment