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Unregistered 12:51 PM 01-03-2010
What to charge for activity fees?
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Former Teacher 06:39 PM 01-03-2010
I normally don't respond to unregistered but I am bored so this is your lucky day!

At my former center, we never charged any fees for art supplies etc during the school year. The only time we did was when we took a field trip. Which depended on what we were learning about. For example: Oct we would go to the fire station. Dec we would go and see Santa etc.

The bulk of the daycares money would be made in the summer months where there were more field trips and thats where we would "profit' from the parents.

Here would be a typical summer schedule:

Mon. - shaved ice day - normally would cost 1.10, we would charge parents 1.50 even though the icee stand was 5 mins away.

Tues. - craft day

Wed. -field trip day - depending on where to. if we went to see a play it would cost us $5 and we would charge the parents $9. Once we went to Laser Quest and it was $10 but we charged the parents only $15.00

Thurs. swimming day - we would charge $3.00 even though it cost us 1.50 again the pool was 5 mins away.

Fri. free day.

Once a parent asked if we can use her city pass for the pool so she didn't have to pay. We had to tell her no because we have to factor in the cost of the gas (not just for the local trips but for all), wear and tear on the van, and the cost of the summer supplies as well as the fall supplies.

So while yes we were the cheapest daycare in the area during the summer our field trips made up for the rest of the year.
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gbcc 08:22 PM 01-03-2010
Personally, I have never charged for field trips. I get yearly passes for everything so I get in free, it's tax deductable and my son and niece can enjoy them as well. If they want souvenirs I make the parents pay.
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jen 09:37 AM 01-04-2010
I pay for field trips and then deduct them on my taxes...I have started charging $5/week per family to cover the extra classes we are now offering. Travel-tots and a spanish/music teacher who both come 2x per month. The parents were all fine with it!
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momma2girls 09:43 AM 01-04-2010
I amongst many other daycare providers (who are also friends of mine) would like to charge a activity fee or reg. fee, etc. but haven't started it yet. We know of a couple that charge a fee of $25.00 every yr. for repl.of toys, books, activities, crafts, etc.. We just haven't implemented it yet.
Do other in home daycares do this as well? If so how much, and is it for every yr. registration.
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originalkat 10:27 AM 01-04-2010
Parents pay for all the field trips.
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SimpleMom 12:52 PM 01-04-2010
I charge for field trips...not the gas or wear and tear on vehicles, just the cost of the event (I do deduct the latter on my taxes). I have tried to implement an activity fee, but my families were not very thrilled. It was for weekly trips to the indoor playground and traveling by the local bus here. That was a bummer...it would've been fun! But I can't afford the $60.00 pass PLUS the trip fee to get in and they don't offer a daycare pass for the playground, unfortunately.

I usually get grant money to replenish toys and such once a year, so I haven't had to charge extra for that--unless a toy gets broken on purpose and it happens more than once, then I charge for the value of the toy broken.

I have thought about charging a reg. fee and adding on a fee to the weekly fee to cover the license cost and insurance cost, but I haven't done so as of yet.
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Tags:activities, fees, field trips
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