Contracted Times Pricing Question

[Smith3]

I've decided to go back to contracted times instead of just being "open" from 7-6 to weed out being taken advantage of again and working longer than needed. I've been struggling with how to price it. Do you guys have a set way? I dont want to price it on the sliding scale I've seen on here before based on pick up time. In my area it doesn't seem plausable. Do you (for example) charge $3 per hour in care? Or just set it at a flat rate? If so how do you calculate that? Thanks for any input

[Thriftylady]

I have a flat rate based on how many hours per week are being used. The only difference for me than doing an open to close flat rate is that I am controlling the hours I work more. So a parent who works 8-5 will be contracted to drop off at 7:30 and pick up at 5:30. If they work 8-5 and want to drop off at 6:30 and pick up at 7 that is fine, but I am going to bump that rate way up, usually then they decided they don't want to pay for extra time.

[Sunchimes]

I charge a rate for 9 and a half hours a day, 5 days a week. Anything over 9-1/2 hours a day is $10 a week more. If you need care before 7:15 or after 6 pm, we aren't a good match. I don't have any part-timers, but if I ever got an inquiry, I guess I'd have to figure something out.

[daycare]

If you don't want a graduating scale them I would just limit the number of hours one can attend and expect every child to be there for the entire time. You will also want to consider a last drop of one as well

Example. I used to be open from 7:00 to 5:30. I would have kids from 7-4:30 and then others that attend from 9 to closing. They all paid the same rate and I worked really long hours.

I didn't think the scale system would work but I pitched it to the parents and they ran with it. I went from working about 60 hours a week to about 45 hours a week and I make more money. I know you said you didn't want to do it that way but just thought I would let you know a few benefits of it.

I started mine as "we are going to try this for the summer "and it worked out really well so we kept it.

I contact each family with a drop off and pick up time they are required to abide by it for when I did flat rate. Then charged $1 a min late fee after their contracted time set.

[Smith3]

If you don't want a graduating scale them I would just limit the number of hours one can attend and expect every child to be there for the entire time. You will also want to consider a last drop of one as well

Example. I used to be open from 7:00 to 5:30. I would have kids from 7-4:30 and then others that attend from 9 to closing. They all paid the same rate and I worked really long hours.

I didn't think the scale system would work but I pitched it to the parents and they ran with it. I went from working about 60 hours a week to about 45 hours a week and I make more money. I know you said you didn't want to do it that way but just thought I would let you know a few benefits of it.

I started mine as "we are going to try this for the summer "and it worked out really well so we kept it.

I contact each family with a drop off and pick up time they are required to abide by it for when I did flat rate. Then charged $1 a min late fee after their contracted time set.

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. It was enough for me to attempt the rate scale. Is this a correct way to do it? Not too sure how to scale it.

6:00 $130
5:30 $125
5:00 $120
4:30 $115
4:00 $110
3:30 $105
3:00 $100
2:30 $95
2;00 $90

Does this differentiate with ft vs pt?
Since I can only care for 3 kids and my business isnt really booming I'm not sure how well this would work out. Since i dont have any at the moment I'm using the time to restructure and find my legging.

[daycare]

It can work however you would like it to work. I think parents enjoy it because they can decide how much money they want to spend. They rethink "do I really need my kid to stay until closing every day so I can go kid free grocery shopping?

Many of us on here do it now and we all do it differently with what works for us.

So example.
I have mine like this.

Stand base line hours are from 8-4:30 for $200 week. (Ft rate)
Part time 2 days $110
Part time 3 days $165.

If you need 7:45-8:00am. You will add $4.00 more each day (full time ) $5 PT

4:30- $200
4:45-$205
5:00- $215
5:15-$225
And so on until you decide to close. Notice I jumped from $5-$10 after 445. I did this because majority of my clients signed up to pick up at 4:45, so I basically decided that was my time I wanted off and if anyone was going to stay past that they were going to PAY me for it to make it work my while. When I did that everyone but one family went to 4:45. I ended up telling that one family pick up earlier or I'll have to let you go.

It takes time to adjust it to work for you. But find a starting point of how much money you need to make to operate and start from there.

[childcaremom]

I have contracted hours. I like the sliding scale, too but I just have a flat rate. I don't want to give people the option to pay more to stay longer. I do realize that most people have the sliding scale to offer parents a way to save money by picking up earlier, .

I charge a set amount per day. I don't give people an option of what to pick their times from, I always ask what hours of care people need before giving them my rate and then decide (a) whether or not I want to work those hours, and (b) whether or not I should charge more. So if someone is wanting more than 10 hours of care, then I will add. If someone wants earlier drop offs than what I have, I will add to the flat rate.

However, I am now scaling back my work hours and am interviewing for people who can pick up by 5 (most are 4:30s). So my flat rate will stay the same and I just won't offer the option of a later pick up time.

I don't know if that makes much sense... sorry. The market is not that big here and competition lately has been fierce (quite literally) so I don't think sliding scale fees would work at this point.

[Unregistered]

$2.75/hr for ages 2+
$3/hr for under 2
They give me their contracted hours and I multiply.
Oh and after school is $50/week for up to 20 hrs

[Blackcat31]

I have attendance/payment options

3 (set/same) days a week
3 (varying) days a week
4 days a week
5 days a week


Parents choose which works for them.

I then add or subtract a few $1's depending on the time they are picking up (or total # of hours used for the day) and that becomes that family's weekly flat rate.

They pay the same flat weekly rate regardless of attendance.


Using this method has allowed me to know EXACTLY to the minute what times I will be required to open and what time's I will be getting off work each day. It allows me to schedule personal things outside of work easily and the biggest perk is that I actually work less hours than I did before when I had open to close hours and I make more money than I did when I simply had open to close hours with one flat weekly rate.

My DCP's LOVE that I have payment/rate options set up like this.

[laundrymom]

I just pick my weekly rate and if they need extended hours I add $10-20. I raise my rates on new families 5$ every few years. Not many of mine generally pay the same rate. Older families are lower.

[MarinaVanessa]

I have a flat weekly rate for 4-5 days a week (to me even 4 days is considered FT since it's almost impossible to fill the extra day with another client) and my PT clients get charged a flat weekly rate based on how many days and the pick up time they want. I attached my fee schedule to get a better idea.