Question For Those Who Have Been Open For A While...

[blandino]

How much have your rates gone up in the past 5 years ? 10 years ?

We have been open since 2003, and our rates have gone up significantly. Definitely due to inflation, but also due to the development and quality of our program. I only ask because some past clients who have older children from when we first started, are coming back with their siblings and I definitely think that they are going to be surprised that they are paying a decent amount more than they used to. Obviously everything has gone up in price, and shouldn't be unexpected but I still think it will be a bit of a shock. So I was just curious either in percentages or actual amounts - how much everyones rates have increased ?

I will go first Our rates now are 140% of what they were 10 years ago. And 125% of what they were 4 years ago.

[nanglgrl]

In 10 years I've done a lot make my daycare high quality but my price has only increased about 25%. What I have done is limited my hours to 7:30-3:30 without lowering my price and I added more paid days off so I make the same but work less. I'm now up to 16 paid days a year.

[blandino]

In 10 years I've done a lot make my daycare high quality but my price has only increased about 25%. What I have done is limited my hours to 7:30-3:30 without lowering my price and I added more paid days off so I make the same but work less. I'm now up to 16 paid days a year.

I would take the smaller increase in price for those hours. It is a serious consideration for us at this point. Hopefully will head in that direction by only a accepting new clients within those hours.

[nanglgrl]

I would take the smaller increase in price for those hours. It is a serious consideration for us at this point. Hopefully will head in that direction by only a accepting new clients within those hours.

That's what I did. I had the majority of my clients leaving at 3:30 and then one family with three kids that was here until 5:30 but of course they were my most difficult family. I decided to term and then I only advertised for 1 year old and up and with hours from 7:30-3:30. Almost everyone arrives at 8:30 and they are all between 22 months and 2 1/2 years so it is perfect. Some of my clients don't need the entire slot but I encourage them to use it so that I don't have drop offs and pick ups throughout the day. I hope I never have to go back!

[Country Kids]

Been in business for 17 years.

First started out-$1.50 an hour

Then $1.75 for potty trained/$2.00 diapers

Then 2.00 for potty trained/$2.25 diapers

Then 2.25 for potty trained/$2.50 for diapers

Then 2.65 for potty trained/$2.75 for diapers

Then $2.65 straight across the board

The above is all hourly

My last change was to a straight rate of $25 a day.

Its a steadier income but I do not have any "paid days" when I take off. So all in all I lose about a month of pay.

I still have my first year of doing childcare end of the year total of how much I made each month. Looking back at it, it seemed like big money and it was for that time.

If you break it down, from the time I've started to know its about .58 a year raise but since I would raise it only every so many years it was like a quarter raise when I did raise it. Funny thing though-I'm only making about $10 more a day then I was 17 years ago!

[mamac]

What a great idea for a thread. I was just going over my rates this evening and was wondering about rate increases. Currently, I am between $40-60 a week cheaper than the centers in my area and my rates are based on the average of all other family DCs. If I raise my rates every year, won't I eventually reach my max? I know it seems silly to ask, but it seems like the centers haven't budged in price in at least 3 years and there's no way I could charge more than a center, right?

(Sorry for butting in on your thread, blandino)

[Lucy]

Wow! I never stopped to think about it till you asked this. I was kind of surprised when I did the math.

19 years
Up 180%



AND... I used to only charge when they were here.... now they pay a set weekly amount with no subtractions for their days off or for my days off-- whether for sickness or vacation. Hours-wise, that has been all over the board. Right now I'm open 10 1/2 hours a day. At times it has been more, and at times less.

[melskids]

We moved 5 years ago, and the cost of living is significantly lower here...so I am actually making the same thing now I did back home 10 years ago. But it all works out. What you pay for a decent house here you couldn't even rent an apartment for there.

But a local provider here told me 23 years ago she was getting $35 a WEEK! Now she is charging $150.

[MissAnn]

I raised my rates from $100 to $110 recently. I've been open5 years and this is my first increase. So you want to know what prompted the increase? A parent who complained about having to pay for days her child doesn't come. I sent out a letter explaining my reasons (cost of living, healthier food, etc). I also explained that parents are paying for a spot and that much of the fees goes towards expenses. That should be obvious, but I don't think parents think about that. They just think ......$100/week x 7 kids = 700/ week.

[Texasjeepgirl]

When I began my REGISTERED Home Child Care in August of 1992 I charged $45 per week.. ANY AGE CHILD..
I was same price as any other provider in our town. A year or two later I increased to $50 per week.. and not long after that I began charging $65 per week for any child under 18 months.
In 2002 I was $75 per week for over 18 months... and $90 for UNDER 18 MONTHS..

In 2010 I became a Texas Rising Star provider.. One of the main reasons I went through the year long program was so that I could collect the highest reimbursement rates on the pay scale with WORKFORCE TEXOMA...
I now charge $120 per week for any child OVER 18 MONTHS.. and $139.40 for any child UNDER 18 months..
This is one of the better rates in our town although I think there may be a facility or two that charges a few $$ more than I do...
I know it isn't as high as some of the fees I see on this forum... but... we all live in different areas of the country...and even of our own state.. and..
IT IS WHAT IT IS...
I charge as high as I can for my area...

[CedarCreek]

When I began my REGISTERED Home Child Care in August of 1992 I charged $45 per week.. ANY AGE CHILD..
I was same price as any other provider in our town. A year or two later I increased to $50 per week.. and not long after that I began charging $65 per week for any child under 18 months.
In 2002 I was $75 per week for over 18 months... and $90 for UNDER 18 MONTHS..

In 2010 I became a Texas Rising Star provider.. One of the main reasons I went through the year long program was so that I could collect the highest reimbursement rates on the pay scale with WORKFORCE TEXOMA...
I now charge $120 per week for any child OVER 18 MONTHS.. and $139.40 for any child UNDER 18 months..
This is one of the better rates in our town although I think there may be a facility or two that charges a few $$ more than I do...
I know it isn't as high as some of the fees I see on this forum... but... we all live in different areas of the country...and even of our own state.. and..
IT IS WHAT IT IS...
I charge as high as I can for my area...

Totally see what you mean about pricing in different areas! Some of the rates I see on here make me go

Not in a bad way, i'm just surprised.

I charge 135 for any child over 18 months and 150 for infants. I'm at least 30 dollars cheaper than a center here. My infant rate is so high because I don't want them right now.

[AnneCordelia]

This is interesting to me too! I've only been open a few years and haven't raised rates yet. I do plan to raise them with my contract renewals this year by $5/week.

[AfterSchoolMom]

Mine have actually gone down. When I started, I charged 200/week for full time and 90/week for SA's. Now I'm lucky to get 150/week for full time and 60-75/week for SA's. The economy and market here just won't support the higher rates anymore.

[daycarediva]

When I first opened 7 years ago, I charged $150/w infants, $100/w for 2-5 and $50 week for b/a SA care.

I am now at $175/w for FT 2-5,(with an increasing rate for each day they do not attend 160/4 days, 135/days etc) no longer take infants at all, and $75 for b/a SA care.

[youretooloud]

I haven't raised my rates in 8 years.

But, I started in the 1980s at $65 a week, and have gone up slowly. I am now at $125 a week. But, I don't give sibling discounts.