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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Sibling Discounts?
MsKara 11:37 AM 05-12-2010
Okay, I have an interview tomorrow for a parent who has three children. A set of two year old twins and a preschooler. WHOOT! The preschooler will only be here half a day in the afternoon after preschool. As for the two full time twins, what kind of a discount should I offer to the mom for having BOTH in care? AND, what how much should I shave off the charge if the preschooler will only be here the second half of the day? Just wondering what kind of breaks you guys give?? THANKS!
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boysx5 11:43 AM 05-12-2010
I have two siblings starting next month and gave 50 dollar discount per week than what I would charge each person
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jen 12:16 PM 05-12-2010
Truthfully...NONE!

I stopped giving sibling discounts and it hasn't been an issue at all! If you feel like you have to give something, then go with a token, like 10%
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AfterSchoolMom 12:17 PM 05-12-2010
I agree with 10%. It's not much, but lets parents think they're getting something...
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nannyde 12:36 PM 05-12-2010
I don't give discounts for sibs but I do allow any sibling born into the day care to be paid at the rate of the older sibling. If they start at the same time there wouldn't be a discount.
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momma2girls 12:59 PM 05-12-2010
I still give sibling discounts as well, but not preschool discounts. I charge $10.00 less a week for 2 siblings in daycare, it's not much, but anything is helpful.
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mismatchedsocks 01:26 PM 05-12-2010
Lets say the twins would be $140 a week normally each. I would then say $275 a week. So they think they are getting a discount and you are working with them, but you dont lose money just by taking siblings.
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actaktmdt 02:29 PM 05-12-2010
I make my family of 3 pay me $250/week, this is $25 off for the second and third child....all are full time.
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jen 08:01 PM 05-12-2010
Originally Posted by actaktmdt:
I make my family of 3 pay me $250/week, this is $25 off for the second and third child....all are full time.
Holy cow! You aren't even getting $100 per week! What is the going rate in your area?
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mac60 02:58 AM 05-13-2010
Our average rate here is only $85 per week, some less, some more.
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momma2girls 05:11 AM 05-13-2010
Originally Posted by mac60:
Our average rate here is only $85 per week, some less, some more.
Wow!! Where are you at again? THis is so low!!!
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nannyde 05:17 AM 05-13-2010
Originally Posted by mac60:
Our average rate here is only $85 per week, some less, some more.
Yikes. That was my rate in 1995

Is the cost of living where you live really low?
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tymaboy 05:35 AM 05-13-2010
I do not give discounts. Each child takes up the same amount of space, care, food. If the parent did not have multiple children you would have another child in that spot for full rate.
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momofboys 05:49 AM 05-13-2010
I would likely give a small discount, 5 or 10% but not much more than that. Watching twin toddlers will be a BIG job I am sure! You deserve every penny!
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mac60 05:51 AM 05-13-2010
Great Lakes Region, 50 miles from me in a suburb of a city, my friend gets $3 to $4 per hour per child......It is crazy how 50 miles can make such a difference. At our local center, an infant is $120, a preschooler is $96.
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Janet 05:51 AM 05-13-2010
I used to offer a sibling discount but I don't anymore. The kids are still taking up the spots and they are still eating the same amount of food and getting the same amount of my time, so I charge the full amount. My rate is already reasonable, so I don't want to give a discount. I have a family of 4 kids that signed on to start in a couple weeks and I won't be giving a discount for them. They are DHS paid and I will be charging them the difference between what the state pays and what I charge. I used to not charge the copay but that was before the state dropped the rate that they will pay for each kid. I'm not even going to let these kids start until I know what the state is willing to cover (I want the hours covered given to me by a letter from the state, not from what the parent says...that has bit me in the butt before.) Either way, no discount!
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momofboys 05:55 AM 05-13-2010
Originally Posted by mac60:
Great Lakes Region, 50 miles from me in a suburb of a city, my friend gets $3 to $4 per hour per child......It is crazy how 50 miles can make such a difference. At our local center, an infant is $120, a preschooler is $96.
Since I grew up in the area where you live I can totally see why the rates are lower. Lots of people have lost jobs. Has Sauder's laid off a lot of people? What about other companies? I am just curious. At one point (maybe a year or so ago) I think the county I grew up in had one of the highest unemployment rates in the state. Not sure what it is like now.
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mac60 06:20 AM 05-13-2010
Just a few months ago, my county had the highest unemployment rate. It probably is in the top 5 now. Yes, Sauders laid off LOTS of people, including my hubby who worked there 40 years. We have totally been struggling since October. Rates here have always been lower. I have been in the daycare business for 11 years, and thru research have found that our area is always one of the lowest in the country. As far as cost of living, we are not that low in our opinion. But our industry is mostly manufacturing, and that took a killing with the auto industry. Our part of the country was hit very hard with unemployment, but even before that the rural parts were low in daycare rates.
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momofboys 06:25 AM 05-13-2010
Originally Posted by mac60:
Just a few months ago, my county had the highest unemployment rate. It probably is in the top 5 now. Yes, Sauders laid off LOTS of people, including my hubby who worked there 40 years. We have totally been struggling since October. Rates here have always been lower. I have been in the daycare business for 11 years, and thru research have found that our area is always one of the lowest in the country. As far as cost of living, we are not that low in our opinion. But our industry is mostly manufacturing, and that took a killing with the auto industry. Our part of the country was hit very hard with unemployment, but even before that the rural parts were low in daycare rates.
That stinks! My BIL used to work at Sauder's. During summer breaks I worked at ITT Higbee's in Archbold & also at a factory in Wauseon that is no longer in business (McCords/AE Clevite). I LOVE that part of the state though. Is your husband having any luck looking for a new job? I wish you guys the best & hope it improves soon.
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Golden Rule 06:29 AM 05-13-2010
I still do a 50% discount for each additional child per family. I do not do part-time childcare or over age 4, though. This has worked out well for me since I rarely have more than one per family.
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mac60 07:13 AM 05-13-2010
Thanks Janarae. Sauders pretty much went thru and got rid of most employees that had any amount of time, vacation accrual, retirement, etc. He had 40 years and 5 weeks vacation. I will never buy another piece of Sauder furniture again, they treat their employees terrible. He did start another job 2 weeks ago, but we are paying cobra insurance and have been living off of my dc income for the past 3 months since unemployment is giving him a hard time. Right now I barely have money for groceries each week. I can't wait till he starts getting a regular check coming in.....even though a big pay cut.
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emosks 07:33 AM 05-13-2010
Originally Posted by jen:
Holy cow! You aren't even getting $100 per week! What is the going rate in your area?
She lives near me and I would not be able to survive on that low of a rate!!!

Here's our rate for 1, 2, and 3 kids

Daily rates (more than 4 hours):
1 child = $40 per day or $175 per full week
2 children = $60 per day or $275 per full week
More than 2 children = $80 per day or $375 per full week

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momma2girls 09:22 AM 05-13-2010
Originally Posted by mac60:
Thanks Janarae. Sauders pretty much went thru and got rid of most employees that had any amount of time, vacation accrual, retirement, etc. He had 40 years and 5 weeks vacation. I will never buy another piece of Sauder furniture again, they treat their employees terrible. He did start another job 2 weeks ago, but we are paying cobra insurance and have been living off of my dc income for the past 3 months since unemployment is giving him a hard time. Right now I barely have money for groceries each week. I can't wait till he starts getting a regular check coming in.....even though a big pay cut.
I wish you luck Mac 60
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actaktmdt 01:29 PM 05-13-2010
Originally Posted by emosks:
She lives near me and I would not be able to survive on that low of a rate!!!

Here's our rate for 1, 2, and 3 kids

Daily rates (more than 4 hours):
1 child = $40 per day or $175 per full week
2 children = $60 per day or $275 per full week
More than 2 children = $80 per day or $375 per full week

Just wanted to point out some things...nothing wrong with but in case anyone wondered why the difference

While Emosks does live near me she lives, roughly 25-30 minutes away in a more "upsclae" type of area daycare in that general area is daycares charge more....she also has a joint owner in her daycare whom she shares earning with........

would i probably do that % again.....i dont know.......the youngest of the 3 i charge $100/week, and then the older two is $75/week. My full time rate is $100 a week. Alot of the area daycares around my home charge between 70-90 for full time care.....part time care is anywhere from 1.50/hour to 3.00/hour an hour I charge $3.00 for part time. There are a few daycares and one center that charge 2.00/hour for full timers as well..all within a minutes or two drive from my home. As mentioned in another post, I will be rasing my full timers rate, some to help cover the cost of Funshine Express things that I purchase..people are moving out of my side of town in massive amounts due to lack of growth......bussiness are closing left and right....I have a lot to compete with....There are a few daycares around me that have similar rates to emosks however they have a lot of openings, simply because people cant pay them what they are asking for.

For the past 2 years my husband and I paid $80/week for full time care for my daugther, when I was working.
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emosks 03:54 PM 05-13-2010
Originally Posted by actaktmdt:
Just wanted to point out some things...nothing wrong with but in case anyone wondered why the difference

While Emosks does live near me she lives, roughly 25-30 minutes away in a more "upsclae" type of area daycare in that general area is daycares charge more....she also has a joint owner in her daycare whom she shares earning with........

would i probably do that % again.....i dont know.......the youngest of the 3 i charge $100/week, and then the older two is $75/week. My full time rate is $100 a week. Alot of the area daycares around my home charge between 70-90 for full time care.....part time care is anywhere from 1.50/hour to 3.00/hour an hour I charge $3.00 for part time. There are a few daycares and one center that charge 2.00/hour for full timers as well..all within a minutes or two drive from my home. As mentioned in another post, I will be rasing my full timers rate, some to help cover the cost of Funshine Express things that I purchase..people are moving out of my side of town in massive amounts due to lack of growth......bussiness are closing left and right....I have a lot to compete with....There are a few daycares around me that have similar rates to emosks however they have a lot of openings, simply because people cant pay them what they are asking for.

For the past 2 years my husband and I paid $80/week for full time care for my daugther, when I was working.
Pretty sure I don't live that FAR from you but whatever. Whether or not I have a joint owner of my daycare that I share profits with has absolutely nothing to do with my rates either. These were my rates before she joined me. And I really don't consider Kentwood upscale! LOL!! Also, we have no openings so obviously my families have no issue with what we charge.
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mac60 04:08 PM 05-13-2010
Thank you Iowa Daycare.
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Former Teacher 06:31 PM 05-13-2010
My former center provided a $5.00 discount per child off of the cheaper tuition.
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happykidschildcare 09:33 AM 05-14-2010
like any other way discount is given to the lesser amount
so for me I would charge full rate for the twins and discount the preschooler
my rates would be
6 wks -2 yr 175 week
2 yrs and up 150 week
after school 120

so with you scenario it would be 175 x2
and discount on the 150= 50 off
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momma2girls 05:14 PM 05-29-2010
Originally Posted by nannyde:
Yikes. That was my rate in 1995

Is the cost of living where you live really low?
Nannyde- What is the going rate for daycare centers and in home daycares in Des Moines? In Cedar Rapids- it is anywhere between $125.00-$210.00 a child per week.
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