Advisable?

[themoorethemerrier]

I can say I only accept full timers till I'm blue, but I figured that parents won't push the issue and I won't bend if I set a minimum weekly fee regardless of attendance right in the contract.

No part time fees, just a minimum fee, hourly rates up to maximum fee. For example, 6 yo M is 10 hrs at $75/wk and 4yo B is 32.5 hours at $150/wk. Make sense?

What do you think?


More details if you need them:

My hubs and I are diving in, so we set forth certain monthly income and specific-age enrollment that we have to reach.

Our youngest is 2 and until we're ready we're not accepting infants or toddlers until I feel we're ready. (I have more reasons, but he's my baby and I want to keep it that way for awhile.)

I'm geared for before and after school program or kiddos that attend morning preschool or Kindy programs. We actually have a year-round farm & nature program, so I have no intentions of messing with part timers unless they're willing to pay the full minimum amount, even then...

B & A school program minimum is set at $75 a week and I was thinking for preschoolers just charging the flat $150 since I have them very nearly 30 hrs or more, anyway.)

[littlemissmuffet]

I can say I only accept full timers till I'm blue, but I figured that parents won't push the issue and I won't bend if I set a minimum weekly fee regardless of attendance right in the contract.

No part time fees, just a minimum fee, hourly rates up to maximum fee. For example, 6 yo M is 10 hrs at $75/wk and 4yo B is 32.5 hours at $150/wk. Make sense?

What do you think?


More details if you need them:

My hubs and I are diving in, so we set forth certain monthly income and specific-age enrollment that we have to reach.

Our youngest is 2 and until we're ready we're not accepting infants or toddlers until I feel we're ready. (I have more reasons, but he's my baby and I want to keep it that way for awhile.)

I'm geared for before and after school program or kiddos that attend morning preschool or Kindy programs. We actually have a year-round farm & nature program, so I have no intentions of messing with part timers unless they're willing to pay the full minimum amount, even then...

B & A school program minimum is set at $75 a week and I was thinking for preschoolers just charging the flat $150 since I have them very nearly 30 hrs or more, anyway.)

My contract: We do not offer hourly or part-time rates, we offer a flat full-time monthly rate. You can feel free to bring your child on a part time basis, but you are still required to pay the full-time monthy fee.

[Cat Herder]

"Tuition is **** weekly, Regardless of Attendance, Due in Advance."

Policing, record keeping, enforcing and documenting for taxes is easy.

Pay = Childcare
Don't Pay = No Childcare

This job is stressful enough without adding more to yourself.

[themoorethemerrier]

So, you would think it would be a good idea to charge before and afterschoolers a full $150? (I plan to during the summer, of course!) That would be MUCH easier than playing with hours, but is that the norm? Since that's the age group that we're mostly interested in, I don't want to scare away the fishes!

[Cat Herder]

So, you would think it would be a good idea to charge before and afterschoolers a full $150? (I plan to during the summer, of course!) That would be MUCH easier than playing with hours, but is that the norm? Since that's the age group that we're mostly interested in, I don't want to scare away the fishes!

Here, Before and After School only goes for $5 a day.... The school system offers it.

I'd pick one rate that works for you and stick with it though.

[daycare]

So, you would think it would be a good idea to charge before and afterschoolers a full $150? (I plan to during the summer, of course!) That would be MUCH easier than playing with hours, but is that the norm? Since that's the age group that we're mostly interested in, I don't want to scare away the fishes!

I went to a home daycare that was being held in a very super expensive house. I would say it must have been worth 5million maybe more. This is right when I first moved to NOrthern Cali. I wanted to see what I was up aganist.

So this lady takes me on a tour, she is a retired ex school teacher, so I assumed her husband made all the doe....Any ways, we get to the end and the lady tells me the price is $350.00 a week per child. That gives them the full week up to 10 hour days. They can come one day or 5 and it's still $350.00 a week.

This place was jumping full of kids and parents....Of course, I had to have my husabnd there to catch me from fainting when i heard the price...

sorry, what I am trying to say is that if you think there is a market of people that can afford it, go for it... Obviously this place I saw was charging top dollar, I couldn't afford it, but tons of other people could... You will only scare away those that won't work for your program...

[wdmmom]

My part time minimum is $100 per week up to 24 hours and they must be the same hours/days each week.

[themoorethemerrier]

$350?! That is insane!!! I am feeling faint, myself!!! ::

We're talking about it right now. I don't want to be greedy, but we have to streamline this so I'm not worrying about numbers. :confused:

We're in a low income area with an B & A school program, $2/hr. Even with those rates there is still waiting list for all ages in the majority of the CCs in our area...

[mismatchedsocks]

I will only take on before and after kids IF I have someone else coming during the times that they are at school, AND the days the kids have off school they cannot come here unless I magically have opening that day. OR they will pay a fulltime rate, and with this rate they can be sure that days off school, vacations, they will have a place for their child.

If you have spot for them with someone filling the spot then I think a reduced weekly raet is fair.

[themoorethemerrier]

First I'd like to say how much I appreciate this site - I would have hated to see the results had I started my dc without so much insight.

Okay, so I've been thinking my school aged rates over...

1. I'm raising my rates because I was basing them on the rates that were standard for group family day cares in my area in 2009. So far, from my research, (not knocking any other day cares) even our cc centers don't offer very healthy food (if at all) or as much educational activities as we do unless it's for their preschool program (which is way more costly than we charge). I was thinking $120 PT and $170 FT compared to the ccc's $115 and $165 and gfdc $120 and $150.

2. Our school district listed that they have altogether (including misc days all throughout) 15 weeks of vacation time and 37 weeks, so I was thinking for our school age kiddos charging full time rate for the 15 weeks plus the part time the 37 weeks multiplied by 52 weeks and divided by 48 weeks (what we figure'd out for families and our vacation) for the weekly rate so they aren't having to worry about paying the week that they're not there. (Not to brag at all - we're excellent at budgeting and I know many families really struggle with that aspect.) 15($170) + 37($120) over 48 = $145 (rounded)

3. $175 for preschoolers year-round, unless they are not potty trained or have frequent accidents which then they would be charged the toddler rate (and I don't take toddlers or infants at this time) $180.

Impart your wisdom on me, Oh wise ones...

[daycare]

I say its your business and you set the rates to your desire.....However,

when you are new to this business and don't have a built reputation, you don't really have anything to base your prices off of. I started out slightly lower than the rest of the people out there, i set a program that helped me stand out and be different from others as well.

Every year I have increased my rates, however, this year due to the economy, i will not be raising rates. the rates in my area have actually gone down.

I think that if you are confident in what you are selling you will have no problems. If the rates are too high, you can always lower them....The glory of being the owner and boss of your OWN business...