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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Question For Those Who Have Been Open For A While...
blandino 08:37 PM 03-11-2013
How much have your rates gone up in the past 5 years ? 10 years ?

We have been open since 2003, and our rates have gone up significantly. Definitely due to inflation, but also due to the development and quality of our program. I only ask because some past clients who have older children from when we first started, are coming back with their siblings and I definitely think that they are going to be surprised that they are paying a decent amount more than they used to. Obviously everything has gone up in price, and shouldn't be unexpected but I still think it will be a bit of a shock. So I was just curious either in percentages or actual amounts - how much everyones rates have increased ?

I will go first Our rates now are 140% of what they were 10 years ago. And 125% of what they were 4 years ago.
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nanglgrl 08:54 PM 03-11-2013
In 10 years I've done a lot make my daycare high quality but my price has only increased about 25%. What I have done is limited my hours to 7:30-3:30 without lowering my price and I added more paid days off so I make the same but work less. I'm now up to 16 paid days a year.
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blandino 09:05 PM 03-11-2013
Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
In 10 years I've done a lot make my daycare high quality but my price has only increased about 25%. What I have done is limited my hours to 7:30-3:30 without lowering my price and I added more paid days off so I make the same but work less. I'm now up to 16 paid days a year.
I would take the smaller increase in price for those hours. It is a serious consideration for us at this point. Hopefully will head in that direction by only a accepting new clients within those hours.
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nanglgrl 09:15 PM 03-11-2013
Originally Posted by blandino:
I would take the smaller increase in price for those hours. It is a serious consideration for us at this point. Hopefully will head in that direction by only a accepting new clients within those hours.
That's what I did. I had the majority of my clients leaving at 3:30 and then one family with three kids that was here until 5:30 but of course they were my most difficult family. I decided to term and then I only advertised for 1 year old and up and with hours from 7:30-3:30. Almost everyone arrives at 8:30 and they are all between 22 months and 2 1/2 years so it is perfect. Some of my clients don't need the entire slot but I encourage them to use it so that I don't have drop offs and pick ups throughout the day. I hope I never have to go back!
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Country Kids 09:51 PM 03-11-2013
Been in business for 17 years.

First started out-$1.50 an hour

Then $1.75 for potty trained/$2.00 diapers

Then 2.00 for potty trained/$2.25 diapers

Then 2.25 for potty trained/$2.50 for diapers

Then 2.65 for potty trained/$2.75 for diapers

Then $2.65 straight across the board

The above is all hourly

My last change was to a straight rate of $25 a day.

Its a steadier income but I do not have any "paid days" when I take off. So all in all I lose about a month of pay.

I still have my first year of doing childcare end of the year total of how much I made each month. Looking back at it, it seemed like big money and it was for that time.

If you break it down, from the time I've started to know its about .58 a year raise but since I would raise it only every so many years it was like a quarter raise when I did raise it. Funny thing though-I'm only making about $10 more a day then I was 17 years ago!
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mamac 10:29 PM 03-11-2013
What a great idea for a thread. I was just going over my rates this evening and was wondering about rate increases. Currently, I am between $40-60 a week cheaper than the centers in my area and my rates are based on the average of all other family DCs. If I raise my rates every year, won't I eventually reach my max? I know it seems silly to ask, but it seems like the centers haven't budged in price in at least 3 years and there's no way I could charge more than a center, right?

(Sorry for butting in on your thread, blandino)
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Lucy 10:31 PM 03-11-2013
Wow! I never stopped to think about it till you asked this. I was kind of surprised when I did the math.

19 years
Up 180%



AND... I used to only charge when they were here.... now they pay a set weekly amount with no subtractions for their days off or for my days off-- whether for sickness or vacation. Hours-wise, that has been all over the board. Right now I'm open 10 1/2 hours a day. At times it has been more, and at times less.
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melskids 03:54 AM 03-12-2013
We moved 5 years ago, and the cost of living is significantly lower here...so I am actually making the same thing now I did back home 10 years ago. But it all works out. What you pay for a decent house here you couldn't even rent an apartment for there.

But a local provider here told me 23 years ago she was getting $35 a WEEK! Now she is charging $150.
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MissAnn 04:04 AM 03-12-2013
I raised my rates from $100 to $110 recently. I've been open5 years and this is my first increase. So you want to know what prompted the increase? A parent who complained about having to pay for days her child doesn't come. I sent out a letter explaining my reasons (cost of living, healthier food, etc). I also explained that parents are paying for a spot and that much of the fees goes towards expenses. That should be obvious, but I don't think parents think about that. They just think ......$100/week x 7 kids = 700/ week.
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Texasjeepgirl 04:13 AM 03-12-2013
When I began my REGISTERED Home Child Care in August of 1992 I charged $45 per week.. ANY AGE CHILD..
I was same price as any other provider in our town. A year or two later I increased to $50 per week.. and not long after that I began charging $65 per week for any child under 18 months.
In 2002 I was $75 per week for over 18 months... and $90 for UNDER 18 MONTHS..

In 2010 I became a Texas Rising Star provider.. One of the main reasons I went through the year long program was so that I could collect the highest reimbursement rates on the pay scale with WORKFORCE TEXOMA...
I now charge $120 per week for any child OVER 18 MONTHS.. and $139.40 for any child UNDER 18 months..
This is one of the better rates in our town although I think there may be a facility or two that charges a few $$ more than I do...
I know it isn't as high as some of the fees I see on this forum... but... we all live in different areas of the country...and even of our own state.. and..
IT IS WHAT IT IS...
I charge as high as I can for my area...

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CedarCreek 04:46 AM 03-12-2013
Originally Posted by Texasjeepgirl:
When I began my REGISTERED Home Child Care in August of 1992 I charged $45 per week.. ANY AGE CHILD..
I was same price as any other provider in our town. A year or two later I increased to $50 per week.. and not long after that I began charging $65 per week for any child under 18 months.
In 2002 I was $75 per week for over 18 months... and $90 for UNDER 18 MONTHS..

In 2010 I became a Texas Rising Star provider.. One of the main reasons I went through the year long program was so that I could collect the highest reimbursement rates on the pay scale with WORKFORCE TEXOMA...
I now charge $120 per week for any child OVER 18 MONTHS.. and $139.40 for any child UNDER 18 months..
This is one of the better rates in our town although I think there may be a facility or two that charges a few $$ more than I do...
I know it isn't as high as some of the fees I see on this forum... but... we all live in different areas of the country...and even of our own state.. and..
IT IS WHAT IT IS...
I charge as high as I can for my area...
Totally see what you mean about pricing in different areas! Some of the rates I see on here make me go

Not in a bad way, i'm just surprised.

I charge 135 for any child over 18 months and 150 for infants. I'm at least 30 dollars cheaper than a center here. My infant rate is so high because I don't want them right now.
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AnneCordelia 04:57 AM 03-12-2013
This is interesting to me too! I've only been open a few years and haven't raised rates yet. I do plan to raise them with my contract renewals this year by $5/week.
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AfterSchoolMom 07:00 AM 03-12-2013
Mine have actually gone down. When I started, I charged 200/week for full time and 90/week for SA's. Now I'm lucky to get 150/week for full time and 60-75/week for SA's. The economy and market here just won't support the higher rates anymore.
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daycarediva 07:55 AM 03-12-2013
When I first opened 7 years ago, I charged $150/w infants, $100/w for 2-5 and $50 week for b/a SA care.

I am now at $175/w for FT 2-5,(with an increasing rate for each day they do not attend 160/4 days, 135/days etc) no longer take infants at all, and $75 for b/a SA care.
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youretooloud 07:57 AM 03-12-2013
I haven't raised my rates in 8 years.

But, I started in the 1980s at $65 a week, and have gone up slowly. I am now at $125 a week. But, I don't give sibling discounts.
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littlemissmuffet 08:16 AM 03-12-2013
I've increased rates 120% in 5 years.
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Blackcat31 08:26 AM 03-12-2013
When I first opened I was charing about $65 less per week than I am now.
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MarinaVanessa 10:02 AM 03-12-2013
My rates have gone up by $10 in the last 10 years. Although my rates go up $1 a week every year I don't raised my current client rates but when I get new clients I charge them the new rate. I know $1 doesn't seem like a lot but it's the same as raising my rates by $5 a week every 5 years so it works.

I know I talk about getting a new bigger home a lot (but we are so close I can taste it) but when we actually do I am hoping to find a house with either a second living room or some type of enclosed patio or large room to have dedicated daycare space. Once I have more room I am planning to incorporate a lot more of FCCERS-R standards and include a better curriculum. I have planned activities but I could do so much more if I had more space including space for storage. Once I can do that I plan on raising my rates again to match those of providers that have better curriculum which means an immediate $10 bump up in rates.
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juliebug 10:28 AM 03-12-2013
my rates haven't went up alot but i first started in 08 and charged $20 a day but only when they children were here.
in 2010 i added paid holidays and a flat weekly rate of $110 a week so while my rate didn't change i did get paid holiday and paid for day children were sick or absent
then in 2011 i raised my rates to $125 a week and that is where it has stayed.
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blandino 12:43 PM 03-12-2013
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
When I first opened I was charing about $65 less per week than I am now.
How long ago did you open ? The family I was referring to is about $60.00 away from the tuition they paid when we first opened 10 years ago. So I'm just curious since we are talking an increase around the same amount.
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Kim 01:21 PM 03-12-2013
Good thread! Never thought about it til now. When I first opened 5 years ago I was 20% lower across the board for all ages. It took me a couple years to realize I was low what I offered- preschool program, dedicated space, degree and background in early childhood, etc. Now I'm on the top end of the average in my area.
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Blackcat31 01:23 PM 03-12-2013
Originally Posted by blandino:
How long ago did you open ? The family I was referring to is about $60.00 away from the tuition they paid when we first opened 10 years ago. So I'm just curious since we are talking an increase around the same amount.
I started my first family in '92 but didn't get licensed until the next year.
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AnythingsPossible 01:01 PM 03-13-2013
When I opened 11 years ago, I charged 20 dollars a day. I currently charge 25 dollars a day so my rates haven't increased that much. A few years ago, our economy was doing really well due to oil and gas fields in our region. Numerous providers raised their rates dramatically, 40 dollars a day wasn't unheard of, I left mine alone. When the fields moved on, the providers still wanted their large pay and people weren't willing to pay it anymore so numerous providers went out of business.
Next fall, I plan on going to monthly rates and it will be slightly less then the 25 I am charging now, but it will be guaranteed, which is more appealing to me in the long run. My monthly rate will be $550.00 with a $20.00 fee if the want to participate in preschool program.
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AnythingsPossible 01:04 PM 03-13-2013
Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
That's what I did. I had the majority of my clients leaving at 3:30 and then one family with three kids that was here until 5:30 but of course they were my most difficult family. I decided to term and then I only advertised for 1 year old and up and with hours from 7:30-3:30. Almost everyone arrives at 8:30 and they are all between 22 months and 2 1/2 years so it is perfect. Some of my clients don't need the entire slot but I encourage them to use it so that I don't have drop offs and pick ups throughout the day. I hope I never have to go back!
How do you find people who only work till 3:30? Even my teachers work till 4. I would love to have earlier hours, but I always seem to get 2 or 3 kids that are here till right at closing.
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MarinaVanessa 01:29 PM 03-13-2013
Originally Posted by AnythingsPossible:
How do you find people who only work till 3:30? Even my teachers work till 4. I would love to have earlier hours, but I always seem to get 2 or 3 kids that are here till right at closing.
I have one that picks up at noon, and some that pick up at 2pm. The rest pick up after 5pm. In my case the noon mom goes to school and gets off at that time, as for the others mom goes in to work at 3am so she goes home to get DCG (her older sister is home with her) and drops her off at 10 am (grocery store) then comes back to pick her up at 2pm (sister takes college classes). The other family DCD drops off at 8am because DCM also goes in to work at 3am and DCM picks up DCB at 2pm.
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nanglgrl 09:02 PM 03-13-2013
Originally Posted by AnythingsPossible:
How do you find people who only work till 3:30? Even my teachers work till 4. I would love to have earlier hours, but I always seem to get 2 or 3 kids that are here till right at closing.
I live in a college town so I end up with some parents who are students and it's a fairly wealthy area so I also have a couple of clients that don't have jobs but bring their children here to socialize. I also have a couple of clients that have grandparents or other family members pick up so they can have them in my program.
I have a really nice dedicated daycare space and do a lot more than the average in my area so that helps things. Most daycare homes in my area charge $150 for full time, I charge $125 for full time since I close earlier (but I have more paid days off). I originally had my tuition based on pick up time, 3:30 pick up was $125, 4:30 pick up was $140 and 5:30 pick up was $155. I found that parents would find ways to have their child picked up at 3:30 if they were going to save $25 a week and have a great daycare.
This is a recent change. I only had one family that needed me until 5:30 and they were my problem family so I let them go and started getting off earlier. I have one spot open and have realized that I will have to advertise like a madwoman if I want to keep this schedule for the long haul. So far so good!
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mom2many 09:28 PM 03-13-2013
When I opened in 1986, I was charging $20/day for an infant and was only working from 8 am to 4 pm- 3 days a week.

My rates slowly increased over time, but my hours were consistently 8 am to 5:30 pm.

Five years ago, I was at the peak working from 7 am to 6 pm and charging $50/day.

However, two years ago, I lowered my rates when the economy took a dive and and now charge $40/day. I've also increased my hours to 6:45 am to 6:15 pm. It's hard going backwards, but there are a ton of family daycares in my area and lots of people unemployed, so I was forced to make some adjustments to keep spots filled.
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Childminder 08:43 AM 03-14-2013
When I opened I was paid $25 a week and now charge $175 a week. 600%? is that correct? I opened licensed in 1973. I did lower prices in 2009 till this year because of drop in enrollment and economy. Centers in my area get $225-$250.
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