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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How much would you charge for a whole week 24/7?
jokalima 10:40 AM 11-25-2013
Hello,

I have a family that needs to travel to get some business done and they cannot take the baby with them. They asked me if I could care for him for 5 to 7 days. What will you charge for this? The double of a week? How would you go about this one? The company pays for the DC expenses during that week.
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TwinKristi 10:43 AM 11-25-2013
I would charge a higher rate for evenings, like perhaps double what you charge during the day. Here I charge $50 for the day, so I would charge an additional $100 for an overnight so $150/day.
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butterfly 10:44 AM 11-25-2013
will licensing allow this? I don't believe it's allowed here. I don't think we can provide 24 hour care for a child, without them leaving our care. I know our food program will not reimburse children who are in our care for 24 hour care. I don't understand the reasoning why though...

I would do atleast double, maybe more and make sure the parents allow you to transport their child. I wouldn't want to be stuck at home for 24/7 for several days.
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MotherNature 10:45 AM 11-25-2013
At least double pay. I've never kept a child overnight, but I have had a family ask if I could watch their child on a Saturday. I don't do Saturdays. Before I even said anything, they said, we know you're closed on Saturday & if you can't or won't we totally understand. But we'll pay you double for the day..basically 7 hrs of work. I took her with me to my church yard sale I was helping to run, we played on the playground there, & my husband took her home with our son while I ran the sale. They knew my husband was watching her & were fine with that & we got paid double, so it was worth it fo us for a day.
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DaycareMom 11:10 AM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by MotherNature:
At least double pay. I've never kept a child overnight, but I have had a family ask if I could watch their child on a Saturday. I don't do Saturdays. Before I even said anything, they said, we know you're closed on Saturday & if you can't or won't we totally understand. But we'll pay you double for the day..basically 7 hrs of work. I took her with me to my church yard sale I was helping to run, we played on the playground there, & my husband took her home with our son while I ran the sale. They knew my husband was watching her & were fine with that & we got paid double, so it was worth it fo us for a day.
Wow! One of my (former - for a reason ) DCFs asked me to watch their 2 kids on a Saturday. I asked them to pay me an extra $15/per child on top of my normal daily fee. They refused and were angry with me for charging them more.
Never been happier for a family to term!
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Annalee 11:17 AM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by jokalima:
Hello,

I have a family that needs to travel to get some business done and they cannot take the baby with them. They asked me if I could care for him for 5 to 7 days. What will you charge for this? The double of a week? How would you go about this one? The company pays for the DC expenses during that week.
WOW.....that is like three shifts a day.....triple pay if it were me, but I could not do it due to licensing standards in my state but I guess I could do it as a "friend".... BUT I seriously doubt they would pay what I would want for the job...
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KidGrind 11:23 AM 11-25-2013
$500 for 5 days
$750 for 7 days I would add an extra $25 per each day past 5.
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sharlan 11:25 AM 11-25-2013
I watched a dcb once while his parents went on a cruise. I charged 2 1/2 times his regular rate.
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Cradle2crayons 11:32 AM 11-25-2013
I charge 20-25 a shift depending on age. So, for a baby, it would be $75 a day x 7 days.... So $525 plus they have to provide enough supplies and a refundable $50.00 deposit in case they forget something the child needs. If I don't have to use it they get that back, if I have to use it, I show receipts.
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MotherNature 11:32 AM 11-25-2013
As Sharlan stated, 2 1/2 times sounds like a good fair cost. I'd charge that too most likely..especially if the kid was easygoing.
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jokalima 11:38 AM 11-25-2013
Honestly, I'm not 100% sure how licensing sees this. But IDK why I could not do it for a friend? I mean, if licensing was to come. She is going to get a treatment done in another state, they already told her children are not allowed while she gets her treatment done. She has no one, no family members at all in this state, same for her partner. Both of them moved last year to this state. Basically I am the only person she knows and trust to take care of baby while she is gone. I really don't mind because it's a extremely good baby and my family loves that baby, but I do want to be fare with my self and family and charge what I am supposed to charge to any other parent regardless my relationship with them. I say this because we've been out a couple of times, my family and her you know, non day care related stuff because we like her, but business is buisness
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Cradle2crayons 11:44 AM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by jokalima:
Honestly, I'm not 100% sure how licensing sees this. But IDK why I could not do it for a friend? I mean, if licensing was to come. She is going to get a treatment done in another state, they already told her children are not allowed while she gets her treatment done. She has no one, no family members at all in this state, same for her partner. Both of them moved last year to this state. Basically I am the only person she knows and trust to take care of baby while she is gone. I really don't mind because it's a extremely good baby and my family loves that baby, but I do want to be fare with my self and family and charge what I am supposed to charge to any other parent regardless my relationship with them. I say this because we've been out a couple of times, my family and her you know, non day care related stuff because we like her, but business is buisness
Licensing would likely think if you are "doing it for a friend" it wouldn't be money involved. Once you involve money, it becomes licensing's business, if you are licensed. Like you said, business is business and I don't know if you can have it both ways.
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jokalima 11:58 AM 11-25-2013
You have a point there, valid one I must say. But I could not turn my back on her and I could not do it for free.
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Cradle2crayons 12:03 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by jokalima:
You have a point there, valid one I must say. But I could not turn my back on her and I could not do it for free.
Are you licensed or legally unlicensed?
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Blackcat31 12:08 PM 11-25-2013
If you are a licensed family care provider in Connecticut, your rules state:

"A "family day care home" which consists of a private family home caring for not more than six children, including the provider's own children not in school full time, where the children are cared for not less than three or more than twelve hours during a twenty-four-hour period and where care is given on a regularly recurring basis except that care may be provided in excess of twelve hours but not more than seventy-two consecutive hours to accommodate a need for extended care or intermittent short-term overnight care."

I take that to mean you can't care for a child consecutively for as long as this parent has asked IF you are open for others during this time.

I understand her need to ask you but the way I am reading your licensing rules, it wouldn't be allowed.

I think that you could MAYBE find a way around it IF you applied or asked for a variance. That might be your best route.
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LaLa1923 12:08 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by jokalima:
Hello,

I have a family that needs to travel to get some business done and they cannot take the baby with them. They asked me if I could care for him for 5 to 7 days. What will you charge for this? The double of a week? How would you go about this one? The company pays for the DC expenses during that week.
I would charge double as a minimum. IDK about licensing there but here if it's a one time think it's allowed
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butterfly 12:12 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
If you are a licensed family care provider in Connecticut, your rules state:

"A "family day care home" which consists of a private family home caring for not more than six children, including the provider's own children not in school full time, where the children are cared for not less than three or more than twelve hours during a twenty-four-hour period and where care is given on a regularly recurring basis except that care may be provided in excess of twelve hours but not more than seventy-two consecutive hours to accommodate a need for extended care or intermittent short-term overnight care."

I take that to mean you can't care for a child consecutively for as long as this parent has asked IF you are open for others during this time.

I understand her need to ask you but the way I am reading your licensing rules, it wouldn't be allowed.

I think that you could MAYBE find a way around it IF you applied or asked for a variance. That might be your best route.
Is there someone that could pick her up and drive her around for a couple minutes? As long as they were picked up and then returned, it wouldn't be continuous/consecutive care.
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Leigh 12:20 PM 11-25-2013
When I have kids for overnights, I charge $50 per 12 hour time frame. I would charge $100/day for consecutive days of care.
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EchoMom 12:26 PM 11-25-2013
I'm legally unlicensed and there are no licensed home daycares in my area so this is literally just a question to consider and I don't want to get flamed for it.

But couldn't you just NOT MENTION it to licensing? How would they even know? Couldn't you just SAY the kid was picked up and returned if asked?

As far as price, it depends. If you REALLY WANT the money then say something reasonable that you think they would agree to. If you don't really want to do it unless it's really worth your while, ask for a high price and be willing to not get it.

I once watched a DCB on Saturday and they offered themselves to pay double my daily rate AND I could take him wherever I went with me so I wasn't stuck at home. It was a piece of cake and good money.

But for THAT long, whew... Definitely more than double. Doubles not enough for that situation. I'd agree with 2.5 times.
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Unregistered 12:29 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by jokalima:
Hello,

I have a family that needs to travel to get some business done and they cannot take the baby with them. They asked me if I could care for him for 5 to 7 days. What will you charge for this? The double of a week? How would you go about this one? The company pays for the DC expen
ses during that week.
100 per day, plus they need yo bring groceries
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TwinKristi 12:32 PM 11-25-2013
To be honest... why would licensing even need to know that you're doing this? I get that rules are rules but you're not doing this as your business, this is a one-time thing for a family in need. And according to the law you can have her for 72 hours. Maybe do two 72 hours shifts? Are you able to arrange this over the weekend so that your business hours fall within part of it and your "weekend" is different? I have offered Saturdays on occasion for specific people, not everyone. Saturdays aren't on my hours of operation.
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Blackcat31 12:38 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by EchoMom:
I'm legally unlicensed and there are no licensed home daycares in my area so this is literally just a question to consider and I don't want to get flamed for it.

But couldn't you just NOT MENTION it to licensing? How would they even know? Couldn't you just SAY the kid was picked up and returned if asked?
I am NOT flaming you but I don't think recommending that someone go against licensing just because no one knows or because no one would find out about it is the right answer.

I also wouldn't advise anyone to outright lie. Doing so could potentially cause the provider to lose her license and/or be cited for it.

When you agree to be a licensed child care, you agree to follow the rules/laws whether you like them or not.
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Unregistered 12:43 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by jokalima:
Hello,

I have a family that needs to travel to get some business done and they cannot take the baby with them. They asked me if I could care for him for 5 to 7 days. What will you charge for this? The double of a week? How would you go about this one? The company pays for the DC expenses during that week.
I'm a surrogate, and our agency pays $100/day for moms who have to travel and need overnights + days.
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jokalima 12:53 PM 11-25-2013
I am Licensed and it is for exactly that, she is going to be a surrogate mother and that is why she can't take the baby with her.

I will call licensing and see what they say about it, even though it was more about pay I was asking
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Margarete 01:21 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by butterfly:
Is there someone that could pick her up and drive her around for a couple minutes? As long as they were picked up and then returned, it wouldn't be continuous/consecutive care.
Yes, you are licensed, so you need to follow the rules, so do this... find someone that dcm signs off on an acceptable pick up person, and then start a new shift a bit later. Hope everything goes well for the procedure.
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sharlan 01:50 PM 11-25-2013
We all know that CA is so full of gray that is open to interpretation, so take this with a grain of salt.

I did this for one family 8 years ago. I called my analyst at that time and was told that as long as it was a one time deal, the child had his own room, I used a baby monitor, and I had notarized statements from both parents allowing me to seek medical intervention if necessary, I could do it.

Now, I'm sure that if I asked a different analyst, I would get a different answer.

I would never suggest to someone in an open forum to violate any licensing regulation.
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sharlan 01:52 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by TwinKristi:
To be honest... why would licensing even need to know that you're doing this? I get that rules are rules but you're not doing this as your business, this is a one-time thing for a family in need. And according to the law you can have her for 72 hours. Maybe do two 72 hours shifts? Are you able to arrange this over the weekend so that your business hours fall within part of it and your "weekend" is different? I have offered Saturdays on occasion for specific people, not everyone. Saturdays aren't on my hours of operation.
Because CA fines can be as much as $250 A DAY.
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craftymissbeth 02:19 PM 11-25-2013
It's essentially three shifts per day so I would charge my daily rate x's 3. My daily rate is $20 so if it were me I'd be charging $60 per day. And honestly I'd throw in an extra convience fee of maybe $15 per day or so just for the inconvenience of being responsible for someone else's child 24/7 for a week straight.
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jokalima 02:35 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by Margarete:
Yes, you are licensed, so you need to follow the rules, so do this... find someone that dcm signs off on an acceptable pick up person, and then start a new shift a bit later. Hope everything goes well for the procedure.
I have someone she knows that can do this, thanks!!!!
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daycare 02:38 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by jokalima:
I have someone she knows that can do this, thanks!!!!
do you have DC liability insurance? Mine States that a child CAN not be in care for more than 12 hours a day.

Please note, this is a rule from my insurance, not state lic.
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jokalima 02:42 PM 11-25-2013
Will the "second shift" go with licensing though?
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jokalima 02:43 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by daycare:
do you have DC liability insurance? Mine States that a child CAN not be in care for more than 12 hours a day.

Please note, this is a rule from my insurance, not state lic.
I don't
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daycare 02:45 PM 11-25-2013
Originally Posted by jokalima:
I don't
not trying to be a debbie downer, just trying to help you make sure you have crossed everything off of your list.

so you don't have any form of DC insurance????
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jokalima 02:47 PM 11-25-2013
I was reading the rules and it says that they could stay up to 72 hours with special request. So that helps, now i will have to figure it out after that period of time.
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TwinKristi 02:51 PM 11-25-2013
Maybe they have someone who can come and take the child for a little bit and return for the next 72hrs?
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