What Would You Charge?

[ihop]

I have an interview this week for someone who wants care after my closing time. I'm not even sure I want to do it but I figured I'd better have a fair number worked out just in case but I am at a loss.

So she wants 2-3 days a week, sounds like she isn't sure which days she wants. M,t,f she works 9-6and w,th 9-4. She wants to drop off at 815am even though she works maybe 5 minutes away.

I am open 7am-6pm. M-f. For her age I charge 125/wk Ft and $87.50/wk pt.(under25hrs) With a $1/minute late fee. If she wants to change around days each week then she would need to fill a full time slot. BUT then I am left with having her show up after closing as many as three times a week.
Right now my latest pick up is 530pm. And if she wants 45 minutes in the morning to get to work then who knows how long she will need after work. Plus she is a tax preparer so I imagine she will run late some times.

I can say no to a new client but financially I would love to have another one.

So my dilemma is how to quote for the over time. If I charge $1/ minute then I will be left keeping track of it and never know what time she will show up.
She pays a lot for care now but its hourly so she only pays for what she uses. Close to 45/day.

Any suggestions? Am I crazy for even considering it?

[Cradle2crayons]

I have an interview this week for someone who wants care after my closing time. I'm not even sure I want to do it but I figured I'd better have a fair number worked out just in case but I am at a loss.

So she wants 2-3 days a week, sounds like she isn't sure which days she wants. M,t,f she works 9-6and w,th 9-4. She wants to drop off at 815am even though she works maybe 5 minutes away.

I am open 7am-6pm. M-f. For her age I charge 125/wk Ft and $87.50/wk pt.(under25hrs) With a $1/minute late fee. If she wants to change around days each week then she would need to fill a full time slot. BUT then I am left with having her show up after closing as many as three times a week.
Right now my latest pick up is 530pm. And if she wants 45 minutes in the morning to get to work then who knows how long she will need after work. Plus she is a tax preparer so I imagine she will run late some times.

I can say no to a new client but financially I would love to have another one.

So my dilemma is how to quote for the over time. If I charge $1/ minute then I will be left keeping track of it and never know what time she will show up.
She pays a lot for care now but its hourly so she only pays for what she uses. Close to 45/day.

Any suggestions? Am I crazy for even considering it?

Personally I would only let her occupy a full time spot if she wants more t&a two days a week. I would explain you close at x time. Let mom figure out who can pick the kids up on time. Friend, family, neighbor. Nothing says because she works until 600 that the kids have to be there until she gets off work.

[daycarediva]

Sounds to me like she gets out of work earlier (probably 9-5?) and wants the later pick up just to have it.

My OT fee is $5/30 minutes. So I would offer her a pick up time of closing, and your regular FT rates of X----- OR a pickup time of 6:15 with OT fees attached.

To me, it is NEVER worth it to work that much later for one client. I always end up resenting it.

[spinnymarie]

Personally, I'd tell her she could do 3 days/wk minimum - drop off at 8:30, 2 days with pick up at 6:30 and 1 with pick up at 4:30, and it would cost her $125.

[mountainside13]

I have an interview this week for someone who wants care after my closing time. I'm not even sure I want to do it but I figured I'd better have a fair number worked out just in case but I am at a loss.

So she wants 2-3 days a week, sounds like she isn't sure which days she wants. M,t,f she works 9-6and w,th 9-4. She wants to drop off at 815am even though she works maybe 5 minutes away.

I am open 7am-6pm. M-f. For her age I charge 125/wk Ft and $87.50/wk pt.(under25hrs) With a $1/minute late fee. If she wants to change around days each week then she would need to fill a full time slot. BUT then I am left with having her show up after closing as many as three times a week.
Right now my latest pick up is 530pm. And if she wants 45 minutes in the morning to get to work then who knows how long she will need after work. Plus she is a tax preparer so I imagine she will run late some times.

I can say no to a new client but financially I would love to have another one.

So my dilemma is how to quote for the over time. If I charge $1/ minute then I will be left keeping track of it and never know what time she will show up.
She pays a lot for care now but its hourly so she only pays for what she uses. Close to 45/day.

Any suggestions? Am I crazy for even considering it?

I would say no. This sounds very similar to the situation I am in right now! I regret saying yes now. Mom and dad said late nights occasionally and only 3-4 days a week but pay for full time and normally would pick up at 3:20 or 4:20. Sounded pretty great to me! Then turned to 5 days a week, mom bringing when, 1 late night a week went to 2, then 3 then 5.

If you do decide to do it. I would give her the part time rate and then anytime after your closing time is an additional $5-$10 per 15 minutes. Or what ever you are comfortable with. Depending where she works as a tax preparer is she only needing seasonal care during tax season? I know my old tax prepare is suppose to get off at 6 but if she doesn't finish the work she is stuck there until she gets done sometimes as late as 10 pm.

Good luck!

[melilley]

For me it would honestly depend on how late after closing she wants to pick up. I have a family that when they started, dcm said she would sometimes need a later p/u of 15 min. max at 3 days a week, so I agreed. It turns out she never even picks up that late! If it was more than 15 min, I wouldn't do it.

If I ever did take anyone after closing and it was over 15 min, I would charge $10 any part of an hour after 6!

[Cat Herder]

It sounds like a nightmare to me (long hours), but I think it could be done relatively stress-free with a sliding pay scale (based on pick-up time) like Nannyde's used in a full-time slot.

Just make the $$$ worth it for you.... Late and flexible schedule care is very expensive.

[butterfly]

Am I crazy for even considering it?

YES! :: I wouldn't do it, but I am VERY firm with my closing time - to the point where I don't charge extra for late pickups, I TERM!

[Mike]

I will be offering 24/7 care. My rates will be $7/hr for infant, $6 for preschool for outside of normal hours, with the agreement that it won't be focused daycare, but more like babysitting while living my own life too.

[Second Home]

I would not accept kids after my closing time . Working a 10-11 hour day is enough for me .

[MamaBearCanada]

Part time but set days each week:
$30/day for 8.15-5 & $5/15mins extra up to closing time. $1/min after closing time.

OR

If she wants all days available then charge fulltime with a late fee or after hours fee after 5.30/6pm.

[therov]

In this circumstance I would charge full-time rates with no overtime allowed. Your definition of full-time needs to be recalibrated--it shouldn't be for daycare 11 hrs/day, it should be for care 5 days a week exceeding 6 hours per day, or something like that. And if you are available for 11 hrs/day you shouldn't be allowing overtime--that's not fair to you, your family, or your other customers (when you suffer burnout over just one customer). If despite all of this you're willing to do overtime, make the rate astronomical so she doesn't depend on it.

[ihop]

Update, interview was supposed to be last night at 7. She is scheduled to be done with work at 6. 655 rolls around and I had a weird feeling so I checked my email and she had just sent one telling me she was still at work

Dodged a bullet there! But I guess if I enrolled her, then I would have made another $55 ::