Thread: How to Charge?
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mabell 11:00 AM 11-01-2017
Hello all! New to the site (and to daycare) so forgive me if this has been answered. I've done searches, and although they had good info, I still didn't find what I needed. This may be long...sorry in advance!

My sister in law and I are opening a small day care center in the spring (licensed for 28.)
We are struggling with how to charge...not really the rates but the way we charge.

Hourly? My daughter was at an hourly center and I loved it. The hourly rate was a little high but I wasn't paying for hours/days I didn't need. Her schedule for the following week was due Friday by a certain time. Although this seems to be very good for parents, I am struggling with how well it would work from a provider stand point (keeping full attendance every day, unknown staff schedules until days before, etc.)

By the day? This seems like a decent option...but how do you make sure to keep full attendance? Do you put a minimum amount of days per week they need to attend or require a set schedule? Do you offer 1/2 days (so many hours at specific times?) Do you put a cap on how many hours a "day" consists of (like 9 or 10)

Weekly? This seems the most simple...offer weekly packages containing a different number of days. But do you require set days for the 2 and 3 day kids, so you can fill the empy spots? And what about 1/2 days? Again, do you put a cap on the number of hours involved at that price?

Do you charge more for infants/diapered children? Do you only allow so many spaces for non "full time" kids?

On a side note, our area has retail, factories, a college and a hospital so schedules are all over the place! There are huge waiting lists for the 2 centers in our town (one which charges daily and has a 12 month wait list for toddler and no foreseeable opening for infants, and one that charges weekly but also has a dialy rate.) Any help is greatly appreciated
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