Raise Rates Yearly? Or Lower When They're Older?

[LaLa1923]

When do you raise your rates? Yearly? For everyone?

Do you lower your rate when infants get older??

For instance, my infant rate is $225. Would that rate get lower when they are two or stay the same??

[MNMum]

I think this can be regional. I have different rates for different ages. I think that is standard in my area. I didn't raise my rates this year, but may in 2014...

[nannyde]

I would never lower rates as they get older because they get harder as they get older.

[MarinaVanessa]

When do you raise your rates? Yearly? For everyone?

Do you lower your rate when infants get older??

For instance, my infant rate is $225. Would that rate get lower when they are two or stay the same??

I charge the same rate flat along the whole board. I don't charge more for infants or for SA. I just figured what the hardest child age would be ... as in what age group would be most difficult ... then I figured out what I wanted to charge and charge everybody the same rate.

Infants take a lot of time but SA's need a lot of supervision and use up a lot more supplies and meals so if I would charge each age range a different amount based on the amount of work and amount of supplies they'd need I'd end up charging an amount for infants, lowering it when they became toddlers/preschoolers and then raising it again when they started school. I'd rather make it easier on me and charge everyone the same.

I raise my rates almost yearly, it just depends on the economy. I usually just raise my rate for new clients unless a current client goes from PT to FT or from FT to PT.

[LaLa1923]

I charge the same rate flat along the whole board. I don't charge more for infants or for SA. I just figured what the hardest child age would be ... as in what age group would be most difficult ... then I figured out what I wanted to charge and charge everybody the same rate.

Infants take a lot of time but SA's need a lot of supervision and use up a lot more supplies and meals so if I would charge each age range a different amount based on the amount of work and amount of supplies they'd need I'd end up charging an amount for infants, lowering it when they became toddlers/preschoolers and then raising it again when they started school. I'd rather make it easier on me and charge everyone the same.

I raise my rates almost yearly, it just depends on the economy. I usually just raise my rate for new clients unless a current client goes from PT to FT or from FT to PT.

I know your in a different area but what are your rates? What are the rates in your area and how did you come to that??

[MarinaVanessa]

I know your in a different area but what are your rates? What are the rates in your area and how did you come to that??

Rates fluctuate from $100/week (low-income part of the city) to over $200/week in my city (high-income). My rates are $165/week which is just typical for what I offer (educational activities, child-led, educational toys, training/education etc.

When I first started I started at $155/week and I quickly found out that I was charging too low for what I offered. I raised my rate for new clients within 6 months or so of opening to $160. Just this year I reached $165. I came to this amount by figuring out what I need in order to stay afloat on my bills with 3 clients. Everything else that I make is extra play $$.

[cheerfuldom]

my price is the same no matter the kids age. i think infants can be hard because of the crying and nap issues at time but older kids can definitely get into a lot of trouble quickly.

[mom2many]

I charge $40/day whether they are 6 weeks or 4 yo. However, once they start school, I drop my rate to $30 for all s/a dcks.

[blandino]

I would never lower rates as they get older because they get harder as they get older.

Ditto. I would venture to say that my 3&4 year olds are more work than my 1 year olds. I think it's easier to change diapers and give bottles, than some of the "work" associated with preschoolers.

My rates do not go down at any age.

[bgmeyers]

I charge more for infants (under 2 years) only because the demand is high and I am limited in how many I can have by licensing.
I also raise my rates by $1 per day every year across the board.

[JoseyJo]

Ditto. I would venture to say that my 3&4 year olds are more work than my 1 year olds. I think it's easier to change diapers and give bottles, than some of the "work" associated with preschoolers.

My rates do not go down at any age.

Wow! I wish our market here would allow that. The market here is $125-200 for infants and 80-130 for 18 months to 6 years. I wish I could charge infant prices for my preschoolers and get away with it.

[LaLa1923]

Wow! I wish our market here would allow that. The market here is $125-200 for infants and 80-130 for 18 months to 6 years. I wish I could charge infant prices for my preschoolers and get away with it.

Me too! I'd like to charge one rate for all spaces. The average here is $225 for infants, $175 for toddlers, and $100 for before and after school.


Now I don't know what to do!!

[littlemissmuffet]

I would never lower rates as they get older because they get harder as they get older.

Agree 100%.

I charge the same monthly fee for everyone, regardless of age.
I raise rates EVERY September, for EVERYONE!

[LaLa1923]

Agree 100%.

I charge the same monthly fee for everyone, regardless of age.
I raise rates EVERY September, for EVERYONE!

What do you raise it? How did you come up with your rate?

[blandino]

Wow! I wish our market here would allow that. The market here is $125-200 for infants and 80-130 for 18 months to 6 years. I wish I could charge infant prices for my preschoolers and get away with it.

That is a huge difference between infants and toddlers/preschoolers !! In OK, anyone under 2 takes a "infant spot". So that is the age when rates tend to drop some. Locally infant daycare is 140-205 (the low end being home daycare, and the high being a center) and toddlers & preschoolers are $125.00 (home) -160.00 (center). So not nearly as big of a gap between infants & toddlers. My rates are $150.00-$160.00.

Locally, all commercial daycares reduce rates with age. So by the end of a child's daycare time, the commercial daycares have reduced their rates to somewhere around where ours are for children the same age. I figure, even though our rates for preschoolers are about equal with a center, parents have saved a ton of money at the beginning of their child's time in daycare, versus a center. So they still wind up saving money over a daycare that reduces rates as children age.