How to Charge

**Christian Mother** · 01-25-2012, 12:51 PM

For me I charge the daily rate regardless of hrs used. Their using that spot and I would have a really hard time finding someone to take the other hrs. I charge $25 a day which is ashually really good for 10 hrs of care however, I don't like to tell them that..

!! What do you charge for the day? $30? I would just charge the daily rate and add an extra day if she uses 4 instead of 3. I find it is really hard to have a part timer who would like to have 3 to 4 days bc if they switch around then they are taking the whole week. You might want to consider charging your full weekly rate if they want access to 3-4 days and they would be diff. days each week kwim?

**saved4always** · 01-25-2012, 12:53 PM

I charge just for the days that the children are here. My contract now states that my full day rate is due for anything more than 4 hours a day. I used to charge less for 5 hours, but, when I thought about it, the kids I had who were here from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. were picked up right before nap. So I had done all of the work taking care of them and they were basically going home for nap. I had them for the hardest part of the day, so I changed my contract for future part-timers to pay the full rate for over 4 hours.

**Blackcat31** · 01-25-2012, 12:55 PM

I charge the full rate if lunch and napping is involved. Those are the two hardest times of the day. All the other hours are a breeze.
I would present my regular rate to her and she what she says. Her kids maybe super easier or the hardest you have ever had.... so I wouldn;t be too quick with discounts until I knew that info.

**saved4always** · 01-25-2012, 12:56 PM

Originally posted by Christian Mother

For me I charge the daily rate regardless of hrs used. Their using that spot and I would have a really hard time finding someone to take the other hrs. I charge $25 a day which is ashually really good for 10 hrs of care however, I don't like to tell them that..

!! What do you charge for the day? $30? I would just charge the daily rate and add an extra day if she uses 4 instead of 3. I find it is really hard to have a part timer who would like to have 3 to 4 days bc if they switch around then they are taking the whole week. You might want to consider charging your full weekly rate if they want access to 3-4 days and they would be diff. days each week kwim?

Yes...that is what my part time family did, too...I had the 2 children for 2, 3 or 4 days a week and the days changed every week. So they were taking 2 spots for way less than 2 full timers would have paid. I have 2 part timers now, but they are the same 3 days each week. It is soooo nice to know how much money to expect and to know who will be here each day far in advance.

**mac60** · 01-25-2012, 12:59 PM

Hours would be 8:30 to 1 or 1:30.

My rates for 2 siblings are: 3 days...$90, 4 days....$120, and 5 days....$135

So basically her rate for a full day would be $30 for 3 or 4 days of care. I agree, I really don't want to charge less because it does take up the full spot. But, I could really use the family since I lost 2 families in the past months......So I am thinking $25 per day, gives a $5 discount for the lesser hours....*** but I hate discounts.

**Ariana** · 01-25-2012, 01:02 PM

For 4+ hours I charge my full-day rate. It depends on what your policy is though. You can say 5+ hours is a fullday, totally up to you. Then you have to come up with a half day rate.

**cheeseheadmama** · 01-25-2012, 01:04 PM

Unfortunately, I only have part-timers right now so this is what I do. I have a full-day rate and a half day rate (5 hours or less) that are used to calculate the family's weekly rate based on their expected schedule. Once that weekly rate is set, it is set in stone and does not change unless there is a permanent schedule change requiring a contract revision. So if the kids are here their "normal" hours or they aren't, my income level is not affected.

I tried doing the "only pay when they are here" thing and was taken advantage of repeatedly. Never going down that road again. Schedule was the same until the kids were old enough for camps or other activities and then the parents would sign their kids up for these things and not tell me until the week before, leaving me hanging for the income I had been counting on.

Hope that helps!

**Christian Mother** · 01-25-2012, 01:07 PM

Originally posted by ALM

Yes...that is what my part time family did, too...I had the 2 children for 2, 3 or 4 days a week and the days changed every week. So they were taking 2 spots for way less than 2 full timers would have paid. I have 2 part timers now, but they are the same 3 days each week. It is soooo nice to know how much money to expect and to know who will be here each day far in advance.

It is really hard...my part timer started with just 2 days a week but she was all over the place on times and days. Some weeks it was 2 some 3-4...Good thing I had the space at the time but one day (she was getting ready to go on maternity leave) she up and took her son and told me that would be his last day...no 2 wk notice nothing. I asked her if she was planning to bring him back and she said no but then changed her mind saying that maybe a fri. here and there but not with in the month or so as she'd be out of town. So I told her that I would have to fill his spot bc I couldn't just wait around and even with him going down to 1 fri. here and there....I was upset and a little bit not prepared so I didn't even tell her that I would prepare there term. letter to close her spot with me. My mistake I should of done that bc now she is back wanting 3 days a wk each week and I can't give it to her bc I filled her spot with in a week. That family took 4 days a week and provides a 2 wk schedule each week for me and what ever days that she has off I let that parent know she can have if she would like. She is not happy at all about it but I don't know what else I can do but what I am doing. I feel like I am helping as much as I can...opps...sorry totally high jacked this sight...

Originally posted by ALM

Hours would be 8:30 to 1 or 1:30.

My rates for 2 siblings are: 3 days...$90, 4 days....$120, and 5 days....$135

So basically her rate for a full day would be $30 for 3 or 4 days of care. I agree, I really don't want to charge less because it does take up the full spot. But, I could really use the family since I lost 2 families in the past months......So I am thinking $25 per day, gives a $5 discount for the lesser hours....*** but I hate discounts.

Don't give one...I promise you that even if that parent did say that she would only use 4 hrs...I guarantee it would change. That is what happened to me...I charged $5 an hr and pick up was at 12 noon...so 8-noon...then after a month she wanted to leave for nap and then longer and longer. After I told her that my daily rate was $25 for the whole day...she decided that was a great price and now...she picks up at 4:30pm...sometimes later but after 4:30pm I start charging $5 late charges. You can always just tell her daily rate doesn't matter whether it's 4 hrs or 8hrs $30 I bet you that is what everyone else is charging is the full day rate. Part time if harder. More people here are charging more for part time then full time as they want the guaranteed full time then ones that are part time bc their the ones that call and want to cancel or change the days around. It's becomes a mess.

**mac60** · 01-25-2012, 01:10 PM

I charge whether you are here or not. Same pay each week regardless of number of days in attendance. Only difference is if they are here one week 3 days then next week 4 days....I have a 3 day minimum. I will pry be feeding 2 meals a day too.

I currently have a family 2 days one week and 3 days next week. They pay 90 per week every week. I told her up front 3 day minimum and they were fine with it.

**momma2girls** · 01-25-2012, 07:50 PM

Originally posted by Christian Mother

For me I charge the daily rate regardless of hrs used. Their using that spot and I would have a really hard time finding someone to take the other hrs. I charge $25 a day which is ashually really good for 10 hrs of care however, I don't like to tell them that..

!! What do you charge for the day? $30? I would just charge the daily rate and add an extra day if she uses 4 instead of 3. I find it is really hard to have a part timer who would like to have 3 to 4 days bc if they switch around then they are taking the whole week. You might want to consider charging your full weekly rate if they want access to 3-4 days and they would be diff. days each week kwim?

I do the same thing. I have a 3 day minimum @ $30.00 per day, regardless of the hrs.

How to Charge

How to Charge

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