Rates and Payments

[Blackcat31]

I've seen so many questions lately about rates and payments. I know when I first opened pre-paid daycare was rare. Now it seems to be the norm. So to cure my curiosity....

Do you charge hourly, daily weekly or a combination?

Are you pre-paid or post paid?


Please choose only one rate option and one payment option. I couldn't separate into two polls on one thread so I combined them. Thanks everyone.

[DCMom]

I charge regular weekly rates and payments are due on Monday morning for that week (or the first day of care that week). I've never had a problem or anyone paying later than Monday at pick up.

I don't do drop in and part-time is set days each week.

[PitterPatter]

I've seen so many questions lately about rates and payments. I know when I first opened pre-paid daycare was rare. Now it seems to be the norm. So to cure my curiosity....

Do you charge hourly, daily weekly or a combination?

Are you pre-paid or post paid?


Please choose only one rate option and one payment option. I couldn't separate into two polls on one thread so I combined them. Thanks everyone.

I marked daily but let me clairify. I have all state paid clients so I get paid $20 for the day as long as they are here atleast 4 hrs. But I only get that pay once per month at the beginning of the next month. If they have a co-pay I collect that after 2 weeks, every 2 weeks, if they have it to pay. hth

[godiva83]

I charge a minimum of 3 days for P/T
And most parents pre- pay bi- weekly with the exception of one family whom pay weekly- which works out amazing

[Cat Herder]

I know when I first opened pre-paid daycare was rare. Now it seems to be the norm.

It was when I first opened, too.

Handling it with parents required a little skill, humor and technique.

I always just made a joke about how the "other" people out there who would trust me with their CHILD but not $100 always cracked me up.

When it was about the "other" folks they quickly agreed with me and laughed, too.

No problems after that.

[Mom&Provider]

I charge weekly, parents pay on the first day of care for their child of every new week...so in a way I get paid in advance!

[Country Kids]

I just wrestled with this question when making my new contract! I stuck with hourly because most of my kids are 5 days a week full time. We figured I would be losing money doing a daily or weekly rate for what I make charging hourly.

Also, another thread had me thinking. I do have all my children most of the day so if a parent is going to run errands, appointments, etc. while the child is here there bill just keeps going up, up, up the longer they are gone.

My parents also pay me for services already rendered and I have never, ever had a problem with it and with me doing hourly that is the only way to bill so that you can collect for all hours used. I figure all my bills are due once a month after I have used the services why would childcare be different. I don't know of anything I pay bill wise that would be do before I use it.

[GretasLittleFriends]

I just wrestled with this question when making my new contract! I stuck with hourly because most of my kids are 5 days a week full time. We figured I would be losing money doing a daily or weekly rate for what I make charging hourly.

Also, another thread had me thinking. I do have all my children most of the day so if a parent is going to run errands, appointments, etc. while the child is here there bill just keeps going up, up, up the longer they are gone.

My parents also pay me for services already rendered and I have never, ever had a problem with it and with me doing hourly that is the only way to bill so that you can collect for all hours used. I figure all my bills are due once a month after I have used the services why would childcare be different. I don't know of anything I pay bill wise that would be do before I use it.

What she said^^

Plus, I also figure it's more of an incentive to spend their time off with their children instead of the mind-set "Well I'm already paying, so why not use it."

And when I voted, I clicked hourly, but forgot to click post paid.

[e.j.]

I charge hourly but they pre-pay weekly on Monday or on the first day of the week they are scheduled for care.

[KEG123]

Parents pay on Fridays for the upcoming week's care.

[littlemommy]

What she said^^

Plus, I also figure it's more of an incentive to spend their time off with their children instead of the mind-set "Well I'm already paying, so why not use it."

And when I voted, I clicked hourly, but forgot to click post paid.

This is why I'm sticking with hourly. I get paid on the last day of care for the week.

[Meyou]

I have two weekly rates. One for 4 days per week or less and one for five days a week. It's due Fridays for the next week in cash.

I do a bit of drop in care as well. For that they pay in the morning when they drop off each day they are here.

[MarinaVanessa]

I charge in a variety of ways depending on what kind of client I have...

hourly: For my drop-in hourly clients (if they only need a few hours of care.
daily: For my drop-in daily clients (if they need a full day of care)
weekly: Both my FT and PT clients pay a flat weekly rate. My FT clients needing 3-4 days a peek pay the same rate ($165). My PT clients are charged based on a set schedule depending on the hours of care they need (like Nan's fee schedule) and then they pay that same flat amount each week.
pre paid: All of my clients pay before I will provide child care. FT and PT clients pay in advance for the following week of care on the last day of their child's attendance the week previous. Drop-in clients pay me no later than when they drop-off their child.

[Starburst]

I charge in a variety of ways depending on what kind of client I have...

hourly: For my drop-in hourly clients (if they only need a few hours of care.
daily: For my drop-in daily clients (if they need a full day of care)
weekly: Both my FT and PT clients pay a flat weekly rate. My FT clients needing 3-4 days a week pay the same rate ($165). My PT clients are charged based on a set schedule depending on the hours of care they need (like Nan's fee schedule) and then they pay that same flat amount each week.
pre paid: All of my clients pay before I will provide child care. FT and PT clients pay in advance for the following week of care on the last day of their child's attendance the week previous. Drop-in clients pay me no later than when they drop-off their child.

I keeping going back and forth between whether or not I should charge a daily rate or a flat weekly rate for PT/FT but the director of my school's child care center says it's better to charge a weekly rate for regular care because sometimes if you charge per day they try to get out of paying for an absent day- especially if they are on substidized because the program will try to get out of paying for the day. And I am definately going to require pre-payment- I never even thought of that before I joined this forum.

[AmyKidsCo]

I have hourly rates for before/after school
Half-day rates for Kindergarten (although I've never had any)
Daily for part-time (less than 25 hours)
Weekly for full-time (25 hours or more)

Tuition is due the Thursday before the week of care. I have 1 family who pays weekly, 1 that pays every 2 weeks and 1 that pays monthly.