Rate And Demand For Date Night Care?

[EchoMom]

Who has experience with making more income by offering overnight/date night care? What would your rate be? Hours? What meals included? Is there much demand in your area?

My mom has recently joined me at daycare and we really want to stay LEGAL and in ratio, but splitting the money of the 6 kids between us leaves us with less than we would like. We're trying to figure out ways to stay on the up and up but bring in more dough.

Since we are now working together, the daytime daycare hours have gotten much easier and we are able to relieve each other so we aren't too burnt out to offer a date night as well.

Advice from those with experience in this?

[spud912]

When I first incorporated a date night, I had a lot more demand for it, but it has tapered off. I can totally understand, though. It would be hard to stomach the fee plus the cost of dinner and a movie (or whatever else a parent plans for date night).

Rates: $25 for first child, $20 for siblings (I will be dropping the sibling fee to $15 this January)
Meals: Dinner is served at 5:30 pm. I usually do something way more unhealthy than usual (like delivery pizza and some fresh fruit), although there have been a couple of times I made my normal from-scratch meals.
Hours: 5 pm to 10 pm. They can drop off or pick up anytime in that range, but the rates remain the same.

I offer the date night every third Friday of the month. I DO NOT rely on this money as income because it's extremely unreliable and many times does not net any money at all. I generally use this money to pay more to the credit card, savings or entertainment for my family.