What Would You Like To Pay??

[williams2008]

I live in a small town called El Dorado, Arkansas and I have just about had enough of the people here. There are maybe 9 daycare centers and 4 daycare homes that I know of. I have been advertising for the spot that just came open over a week ago and every call I get about childcare I always hear, "well I don't know if I can afford that". I am about the cheapest daycare here and what I charge is still to much, so they say :confused:

I started off charging $70.00 a week when I first opened in 2010 and now I charge $80.00. How on earth would they survive paying childcare in a larger city?:confused::confused::confused:

[craftymissbeth]

Exactly what I'm afraid of. I'm on the very low end of the price range where I'm from (I'm in El Dorado, Kansas... I'm hearing the Twilight Zone music ).

Actually, I'm slightly lower than the lowest of the lows

[My3cents]

I live in a small town called El Dorado, Arkansas and I have just about had enough of the people here. There are maybe 9 daycare centers and 4 daycare homes that I know of. I have been advertising for the spot that just came open over a week ago and every call I get about childcare I always hear, "well I don't know if I can afford that". I am about the cheapest daycare here and what I charge is still to much, so they say :confused:

I started off charging $70.00 a week when I first opened in 2010 and now I charge $80.00. How on earth would they survive paying childcare in a larger city?:confused::confused::confused:

your rate is way low- Is this the average for your area? Is this for a full time slot? What are your hours?

[tntsmom]

I am in a small town as well in Kansas and I have been doing childcare for 11 years and I finally just raised my rates.
My fees are:
$105 Full Time
$85 Part Time

This includes transportation to and from school and all meals, snacks, and preschool program.

If they cannot afford to pay $80 a week they need to break it down and see what their time is worth. Remind them that you are only charging a low rate of $2 an hour and they would not go to work for that. If it is too much, they had not work and stay home.

If they are that cheap, remember this when they decide to have more children and this is a small fee to what lies ahead.

[Cradle2crayons]

Same issue here. There are lots of in homes because you can keep up to five without getting a license and lots of people are rural. Wich means lower incomes. Child care here ranges from $60 a week up to high extremes. Not to mention I am an hour from a big city. So I only get people that ever live here in this small town or the next town over. Rarely is someone going to drive 30 minutes my way then go the opposite way to work, then come my way again to drive the other direction home. Well, except my one mom who drives an hour my way then 40 minutes back towards where she came to work, then 40'minutes my way then an hour back passed work to go home.

[williams2008]

Exactly what I'm afraid of. I'm on the very low end of the price range where I'm from (I'm in El Dorado, Kansas... I'm hearing the Twilight Zone music ).

Actually, I'm slightly lower than the lowest of the lows

O wow! (El Dorado)...

I'm sure you will do fine. People here think that $50.00 a week for a full-time spot is more than enough I am not willing to compromise my rates, so looks like I'll have a vacant spot for awhile!

[craftymissbeth]

Wow I can't imagine being able to survive on only $50.00 a week

Good luck, someone will come along and see what you have to offer and love to pay your rates! happyface

[williams2008]

your rate is way low- Is this the average for your area? Is this for a full time slot? What are your hours?

Yes they are VERY low! There are maybe 2 or 3 centers that charge between 90-95 a week for toddlers/preschoolers if they haven't raised their rates. I don't accept infants, so I don't know what the going rate is for them.

[williams2008]

Yes they are VERY low! There are maybe 2 or 3 centers that charge between 90-95 a week for toddlers/preschoolers if they haven't raised their rates. I don't accept infants, so I don't know what the going rate is for them.

I forgot to mention my hours are 7:00a.m.-6:30p.m.

[williams2008]

I am in a small town as well in Kansas and I have been doing childcare for 11 years and I finally just raised my rates.
My fees are:
$105 Full Time
$85 Part Time

This includes transportation to and from school and all meals, snacks, and preschool program.

If they cannot afford to pay $80 a week they need to break it down and see what their time is worth. Remind them that you are only charging a low rate of $2 an hour and they would not go to work for that. If it is too much, they had not work and stay home.

If they are that cheap, remember this when they decide to have more children and this is a small fee to what lies ahead.

Thats exactly what I have told a few of them to do. I advised them to go home and break down how much I make an hour!

[williams2008]

Wow I can't imagine being able to survive on only $50.00 a week

Good luck, someone will come along and see what you have to offer and love to pay your rates! happyface

IKR!

Thank you!! Today is the last day for the headstarts here, so maybe someone will need childcare.

[williams2008]

Same issue here. There are lots of in homes because you can keep up to five without getting a license and lots of people are rural. Wich means lower incomes. Child care here ranges from $60 a week up to high extremes. Not to mention I am an hour from a big city. So I only get people that ever live here in this small town or the next town over. Rarely is someone going to drive 30 minutes my way then go the opposite way to work, then come my way again to drive the other direction home. Well, except my one mom who drives an hour my way then 40 minutes back towards where she came to work, then 40'minutes my way then an hour back passed work to go home.

That was the whole purpose of me moving into a separate daycare home, to be licensed for more children. At my house I could only have 6. I'm licensed for 10 now and working on getting licensed for 16 real soon!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I can't imagine surviving on what you make and I do not have really expensive bills.

[williams2008]

I can't imagine surviving on what you make and I do not have really expensive bills.

Sometimes I can't imagine living on what I make. I have been thinking about raising my rates to at least $90.00 a week, but I'm scared I'll lose everybody I got!!::

[bunnyslippers]

Holy Cow! I can't believe how low your rates are!!!! Don't compromise, the right family will come along.