Rates Question?

[SandeeAR]

I know rates vary from area to area, state to state, but I'm just wondering. Looking at all these websites posted, most of you guys are charging for 1/2 day what I get for a full day. If you are a small home day care, like me, How do your prices stack up against the larger daycares in your area

I get $25 for 9-10 hour days. That is pretty much what the local, large daycares get. I would love to get like $28 or $30 a day, but I don't see how.

[dEHmom]

Larger daycares are licensed daycares. This makes a big difference.

In Canada at least, licensed daycares charge less. But they take in a lot more children, and the government pays them through grants, and such. So they make a lot more actually, just the parents are not handing it directly to them.

As licensed dayhome, you are allowed more children, so same as above.

UNlicensed dayhomes can charge whatever they want. But the fact is, most parents for comfort reasons prefer daycare centers, since they cannot get in due to waiting lists, they resort to either licensed dayhomes or unlicensed dayhomes. They are going to shop around for prices and of course what the homes are like, etc. So you need to be competitive with your rates. IF you have ALOT to offer, compared to the competitors, you should be alright raising rates. I know even when I dropped rates at xmas time to 20/day there were still no bites. Just a slow time around here.

[SandeeAR]

Originally Posted by Baybee0585

UNlicensed dayhomes can charge whatever they want. But the fact is, most parents for comfort reasons prefer daycare centers, since they cannot get in due to waiting lists, they resort to either licensed dayhomes or unlicensed dayhomes.

Guess it depends on the area. In my area, most parents prefer the smaller at home daycares over the the large licensed daycares. In my area they feel they are "having to resort" to use a large licensed daycare, b/c most good home daycares are at their limits. I turn down people on a regular basis wanting me to keep their kids. I can legally only have 5 and remain unlicensed. I don't want more than five.

[cillybean83]

i live in west tennessee so we might not be too far apart. Here, local licensed daycare centers charge $115-$125, unlicensed home daycares charge $55 (are you kidding me??) to $140 (i don't know if they have any kids at that price because they are constantly advertising for the same number of slots) I charge $100 per week and I've been told that it's high, but that's my fee, and personally, for all that i do, i think it's low. I've called some of the cheaper daycares (more like babysitters) and they are in teeny tiny hole in the wall towns, they don't have designated "daycare" areas, they don't follow ANY guidelines (one asked me what a food pyramid was...true story), in Tennessee you can watch 6 kids unlicensed, including your own, I have 2 kids so I could watch 4, but I stick to 3....one lady said she had 4 kids and was looking to WATCH SIX KIDS!!

I only many $20 per day, per kid, but when I'm full I get $60 a day which isn't TOO bad considering I don't have to pay out for daycare for my baby or private school tuition for my homeschooled 2nd grader.

[dEHmom]

Where I am it's 4 kids including your own unlicensed. I couldn't imagine anymore than that. Licensed or not, I don't think I could handle more than 5 tops

Originally Posted by cillybean83

i live in west tennessee so we might not be too far apart. Here, local licensed daycare centers charge $115-$125, unlicensed home daycares charge $55 (are you kidding me??) to $140 (i don't know if they have any kids at that price because they are constantly advertising for the same number of slots) I charge $100 per week and I've been told that it's high, but that's my fee, and personally, for all that i do, i think it's low. I've called some of the cheaper daycares (more like babysitters) and they are in teeny tiny hole in the wall towns, they don't have designated "daycare" areas, they don't follow ANY guidelines (one asked me what a food pyramid was...true story), in Tennessee you can watch 6 kids unlicensed, including your own, I have 2 kids so I could watch 4, but I stick to 3....one lady said she had 4 kids and was looking to WATCH SIX KIDS!!

I only many $20 per day, per kid, but when I'm full I get $60 a day which isn't TOO bad considering I don't have to pay out for daycare for my baby or private school tuition for my homeschooled 2nd grader.

cillybean, I thought here in TN we could only watch 4 kids unlicensed. I tried to find our web site, but could not. So you are saying I can watch 6 children with NO licenses?

[QualiTcare]

Originally Posted by Little People

cillybean, I thought here in TN we could only watch 4 kids unlicensed. I tried to find our web site, but could not. So you are saying I can watch 6 children with NO licenses?

I'm in TN and I researched how many children I could keep extensively without being licensed. I have two children of my own and my MIL helped out with them because they had to be included in the numbers if they were here with the other children since they're under 10.


"Family Child Care Homes provide care for at least five but not more than seven children. Children under ten years of age, who are related to the caregiver, must be included in the total number. Approximately 750 family homes are licensed by DHS each year."

http://www.tn.gov/humanserv/adfam/cctype.html

[Live and Learn]

Originally Posted by SandeeAR

I turn down people on a regular basis wanting me to keep their kids.

It is simple...If you have so much business that you are as full as you want to be and are still turning away dc families it is time to raise your rates.

[SandeeAR]

Originally Posted by Live and Learn

It is simple...If you have so much business that you are as full as you want to be and are still turning away dc families it is time to raise your rates.

True, I just really don't want to lose the families I have LOL. They are great families and all have connections to us outside of the daycare first.

I do know when my oldest goes to preschool, I will raise the rate on the new family coming in.

[Abigail]

SandeeAR, that sounds about the same here in North Dakota. Most places charge $20-$25 a day. I am going to advertise for $125/week for full time and hope I get enrollments, if not I'll be sad and slowly lower my rates. Many advertise here for only $100/week, but I've seen pictures and they're not pretty so I do think the competition is good.

[newtodaycare22]

I'm in MD and everyone is SUPPOSED to be licensed if you care for even 1 child who is not related to you (if it is regular and more than 20 hours per month).

I'm licensed for 8 kids in my home. I charge 160 per week or 40 per day for part timers. Right now I'm full with a waiting list and just opened in August

[ninosqueridos]

I'm in the avg range compared to other registered fccp's in my area.....but compared to franchised, large daycare centers, I'm much lower. The big centers around here run about $300/wk for a 2 year old and I'm at $200/wk.

[cillybean83]

I was told it was 6 kids including your own, so if you have 4 kids, you can only watch 2 kids, if you have no kids you can watch 6, i messaged you the state info

[My Lil' Monkeys]

I have kids around 9 - 11 hrs a day and my full time rates depends on age. Infant/Toddler - $130 FT or $30 a day part time, 3 yrs + $125 a week or $25 a day, school-age $20 a day (only have 1 and will be ending school-age care when this school year ends ) My rates I'm more on the low end... centers charge around $230 or more for care in my area.