Helping Past Clients, Discounted Rate Help

[daycare]

One of my past DCM just called me and asked if I had any spots open. She lost her job right after Thanksgiving and had to pull her son out.

She old me that she has a one month assignment that she was offered, but it would be a huge pay cut for her and she could not afford my full day rate. She actually has two kids, but her mom watches the younger one. The one that I used to have is a bit of handful and too much for the grandma to take on both of them at the same time. the dad has off thrusday and fridays.

The mom only needs 3 days a week and (Front half) and cant afford much.

I only have one full time opening left with no prospects in mind right now to fill it. I thought about discounting my rate for the mom, but not too sure how much I should discount it. My rate is $45.00 per day for full day 8am-6pm. She told me she will only be making about $16.00 an hour. What do you think would be a fair rate to give her for this month that she will need care?

[wdmmom]

You are charging about $4.50 per hour. I would charge the same hourly rate but for the hours she's needing care. If she's needing 10 hours a day, charge her full rate for 3 days per week.

If she only needs care for 8 hours per day, charge her the hourly rate times 8 hours...$36 per day.

[daycare]

You are charging about $4.50 per hour. I would charge the same hourly rate but for the hours she's needing care. If she's needing 10 hours a day, charge her full rate for 3 days per week.

If she only needs care for 8 hours per day, charge her the hourly rate times 8 hours...$36 per day.

That's about what I was thinking. But not sure if it would still be more than she could afford.

[Nellie]

I think $45 for the days she uses is fair. If you normally charge $45 and make them pay for all 5 days wether they use all 5 or not she is getting a discount. Even if you just charge $45 as a daily rate, I feel that at $16 an hour that is fair if she is getting 8 hours a day. She is still making over $100 on the days she pays you + she will make more on the two days she doesn't have to pay you on the days her husband is watching the child. Many of my families pay me 1/3 of one of there income. What she will make after childcare is better than unemployment.

[MommieNana4]

Charge her your normal daily rate.

[daycare]

I don't care about losing out on the other 2 days of the week.
I think that $35.00 is a fair rate at $105.00 per week

[harperluu]

I think the $4.50/hr is fair to both of you as long as she contracts for hours. I also think you're doing yourself a disservice by trying to guess what she can afford. I'd ask her what she proposes and you can counter with your $4.50/hr.

If she is too far away from your offer, than she can either take it or leave it or you counter offer. Have an idea what your bottom line is and stick to it, with an I'm sorry but your offer doesn't work for me and my family. Take some time to think about my offer and let me know what your decision is by __________.

Treat your business like a business.

[Crystal]

I don't care about losing out on the other 2 days of the week.
I think that $35.00 is a fair rate at $105.00 per week

This is what I would do.

[daycare]

This is what I would do.

awesome...thanks so much for responding....having someone else agree that it sounds fair makes me feel better doing it at this rate!!

[Christian Mother]

How was this child for you? You mentioned that her son has been a little much to handle with the other child for grandma. Is he good for you? I always felt that having a p/t'er is really hard specially if they are already feisty...

Also, consider that even though he cld start out part time and for just a few hrs a day that could dif. change to going from just a few hrs to full day. If not to full time. You need to plainly state what the rate for the day would be..bc this always happens to me...So, I recommend either charging by the hr or a full day rate so it doesn't matter how little he's there or long deciding of curse a agreed pick up time. I charge $25 a day up to 10 hrs and anything beyond that is $5 extra. For part time care it's $5 an hr up to 5 and then they add $5 from that point. If I see that this is a reg. thing we renegotiate the contract.

[Nellie]

awesome...thanks so much for responding....having someone else agree that it sounds fair makes me feel better doing it at this rate!!

Daycare
I'm glad you found a rate that you feel comfortable with and I hope you didn't take my post the wrong way. Rates seem to vary greatly from provider to provider,area to area. I get paid on average $25 a day. I realize that the cost of living varies greatly in some parts of the country. Personally I can't go any lower than what I already charge. After food and supplies I make about $15 a kid a day and I responded putting myself in an higher cost of living area. I think it is wonderful that you are trying to help this family out and yourself for the time being. I hope all goes well.

[cheerfuldom]

I hope this works out! I would imagine that his habits are more than likely worse since he has been away from the structure your daycare provided. Don't forget to have her resign a contract and make sure to include a trial period. It may turn out that no money IS better than some money.