Do We ALL Need To Raise Our Rates Or What???

[Mary Poppins]

I just read this and found the daycare costs cited to be a bit umm...

http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/18/pf/moms-work/index.htm?source=cnn_bin

Am I the only one who thinks they need to seriously reevaluate their rates now?? :confused:::

[daycare]

I just read this and found the daycare costs cited to be a bit umm...

http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/18/pf/moms-work/index.htm?source=cnn_bin

Am I the only one who thinks they need to seriously reevaluate their rates now?? :confused:::

it depends on where you live...guess what for two kids in my care that is just about what it will cost ya.....NY and SF super expensive places to live.....

average care here is about $1050 month for a preschooler

[saved4always]

No kidding! I didn't know that I could have made $2000 a month watching 1 child!!!! Even the couple from Virginia where the article said childcare rates are among the lowest still paid $5000 more than I would get for 1 child where I live per year (and that would be if I actually got paid for every day of every week of the year).

I was seriously undercharging.

[Mary Poppins]

No kidding! I didn't know that I could have made $2000 a month watching 1 child!!!! Even the couple from Virginia where the article said childcare rates are among the lowest still paid $5000 more than I would get for 1 child where I live per year (and that would be if I actually got paid for every day of every week of the year).

I was seriously undercharging.

::

That was the one that got me. My thinking was WHY DID THIS WOMAN NOT FIND CHEAPER CHILDCARE?!

Gosh, I actually felt guilty raising my rates $5.00 a week before I read this!!

[Crazy8]

the math in that article just doesn't add up. I don't live in Virginia, but one is saying daycare for ONE child would be $2,000/month, the other saying $12,000 a year - neither figure seems right to me. Since they were both teachers thats for maybe 10 months out of the year - so about $300/week or $60/day for the $12,000 year one and the other one is talking almost DOUBLE that. I find it hard to believe that is the going rate in VA but maybe it is?????

Also, the statement "It wasn't worth $18,000 for us to let somebody else raise our son"...... that is of course their choice but I don't see $18,000 as something to sneeze at either.

I understand 2 kids in daycare is really tough, its the reason I started my daycare, but both the figures in this article is supposed to be for one kid.

[Hunni Bee]

the math in that article just doesn't add up. I don't live in Virginia, but one is saying daycare for ONE child would be $2,000/month, the other saying $12,000 a year - neither figure seems right to me. Since they were both teachers thats for maybe 10 months out of the year - so about $300/week or $60/day for the $12,000 year one and the other one is talking almost DOUBLE that. I find it hard to believe that is the going rate in VA but maybe it is?????

Also, the statement "It wasn't worth $18,000 for us to let somebody else raise our son"...... that is of course their choice but I don't see $18,000 as something to sneeze at either.

I understand 2 kids in daycare is really tough, its the reason I started my daycare, but both the figures in this article is supposed to be for one kid.

I'm in VA. We get lowballed horribly by Social Services because so much of our clientele is state-paid...we basically have to take whatever they want to pay. The theory is that the parent is supposed to pay the difference between our actual rate and what DSS pays...psshh.

But anyway, the average center rate for, say, a four-year old is about $135/week. That's only $7,000 a year. The higher-end centers charge about $150, but the absolute ceiling for this area is probably $175. That still NOWHERE near $12,000 and certainly not $2000/mo.

I don't know where in Virginia these people are referring to...maybe up near Washington, DC. No one would ever pay that kind of money for childcare where I'm located.

[littlemissmuffet]

Those numbers are ridiculous. I don't think they add up.

I understand that childcare can be expensive... but if you couldn't afford to put one child in daycare and are complaining that you can barely make ends meet why have another child? Oh right, as usual... daycare is always to blame. ::

[MarinaVanessa]

It all goes along with your choice of lifestyle too and reasoning. The article says that they weren't making ends meet even after her husband took a second job, the wife said that it wasn't worth $18,000 to have her child in DC (what I am assuming was her take-home pay after deductions and paying for child care) ... who wouldn't want an extra $18,000 a year to help out financially???

I don't think it's money smart to quit your job to keep from paying for child care when you're having a hard time making ends meet ... that's an extra $1,500 a month to help out, at least. For someone that worked as a teacher ... well you know

[MarinaVanessa]

Those numbers are ridiculous. I don't think they add up.

I understand that childcare can be expensive... but if you couldn't afford to put one child in daycare and are complaining that you can barely make ends meet why have another child? Oh right, as usual... daycare is always to blame. ::

Oh yeah, and then there's that. It's always gotta be someone elses fault for your decision right?

[spud912]

I don't think they are blaming anyone at all, just how things have to change when you have children. Basically, if you want children, lifestyles have to change. One of the most expensive aspects of having a young child is child care.

I think there is nothing wrong with the article or the women in it. If you can't find quality child care and still make a decent living, then the next plausible action is to find a way to not have to pay child care (which many women choose to be a SAHM). The only time I think it becomes a problem is when you rely on government to pay your bills.

This is not the reason I quit my job, but it does make total sense to me. I made $40,000 a year. After benefits, retirement, and taxes were removed, I made $27,000. I always wanted to be a mother to more than one child. Child care for 2 children would run $1000-$1500 a month (depending on where I chose), or around $12,000 a year at the least. That left $15,000 a year, which would most likely be used for eating out more (due to significantly less time at home), gas, and work attire. In the end, I would not really make much of anything at all. Would that be worthwhile to the added stress and less time with my kids? I make almost the same amount as I did after taxes doing child care right now, but without all of the added expenses.

[Kaddidle Care]

Nobody said that because someone is educated that they are really smart. ::

I work in a Center and our rates are very similar to Home Daycare - probably even less than local Home Daycares.

Now I agree that if you have a part time job at Walmart you shouldn't bother putting your child in Childcare to scrape out a few cents but someone earning $35,000.00 and up a year saying they cannot afford childcare is looking into some high scale places.

I've love to see that list!

Spud, $15,000.00 is a decent net but I applaud you for what you did. You are still working at home and earning money for your family. You just chose a different way to do it. Your heart and priorities are with your children. Kudos to you!

[Sprouts]

I'm in NY close to the city and rates are pretty high here compared to most places, but so is the cost of living! Average preschooler per week is $250 and baby is $300 , in the city a Montessori school was about $20k per year or more!

[MrsB]

Virginia is a big state, I live outside of DC on the Maryland side and daycares in areas of Northern Virginia easily get that kind of money. A friend was checking preschools and one cost $26,000 per year. Geesh, thats more than most state colleges!

[cheerfuldom]

Does this factor in ALL the other costs that may be associated with daycare....gas to get there, clothing and food and supplies for the child, extra fees....? Or maybe does this factor in with the average people that select nannies and other childcare arrangements?

[TGPII]

Isn't there government subsides for childcare? Can't you write it off on your taxes? If you can't afford or don't want to afford kids, then don't have kids. I really want kids but at this moment I can't afford them. So guess what I don't have kids.