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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Parent Think Their Children Should Be Watched For Pennies...
thatdivalady 06:53 AM 09-07-2012
I have had several calls from parents regarding care:

1. Parent needing a Thursday/Friday schedule BUT not every week.
2. Parent with two children who wants part time care 2 days per week
3. Parent wth two children who wants part time care 2 days per week BUT they are not the same days every week.

etc

Part time parents are told that unless they pay full time rates, their spot can be given to a full time parent at any time. I do lose money after all by taking them...Parents with varying schedules are told that they must pay full time rates (or close to it) in order for me to take them.

One family actually said they were originally looking for a nanny but the mother did not want anyone in their home. They wanted drop in services and the ability to not have to pay for days they don't use. My rate is $15 per hour for drop ins. I know good and well that they would be paying at least that much if not more for nanny services but somehow that was too expensive for them...

I just find it funny that I get the "too expensive" statement from parents when my price is listed on our website, on CL, AND I tell them what the price is ahead of time. Why do parents think that professionals should watch their children for peanuts? If you will pay a high school babysitter $10-$15 per hour to watch your precious children, why is $5 per hour too much for part time varying schedules? It just annoys me because I really would like to know how much they think they should be paying...
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SilverSabre25 07:01 AM 09-07-2012
Oh I know it's very frustrating. I had one recently that was asking for ALL sorts of special, for one-on-one teaching of her 21 month old, etc, etc, etc...and $120/week was too much for her.

Yeah. NO. I don't THINK so.

I didn't even try to figure out what she meant by the teaching thing...I knew I wasn't interested. She was the type that probably wanted "sit down with her and drill her in her ABC's and have her do these worksheets".
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itlw8 08:13 AM 09-07-2012
because they think there are 2 kind of providers

1 does it because she loves children... so she does not need money and will work for little.

2 works just for the money.... like they are not working for a paycheck?
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littlemissmuffet 08:24 AM 09-07-2012
Educate them. Break down their weekly/monthly fee into an hourly fee. Break down where their fee goes (rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, craft supplies, bank fees, cleaning supplies, nap supplies, kitchen supplies, toys, books, repairs, taxes, etc). Remind them of how many hours per week you work, without breaks. Encourage them to interview at lower-priced childcares and compare their services to yours. TELL THEM OPERATING A DAYCARE IS EXPENSIVE. And tell them they can't put a price on knowing their child is in excellent hands
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Blackcat31 09:12 AM 09-07-2012
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
Educate them. Break down their weekly/monthly fee into an hourly fee. Break down where their fee goes (rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, craft supplies, bank fees, cleaning supplies, nap supplies, kitchen supplies, toys, books, repairs, taxes, etc). Remind them of how many hours per week you work, without breaks. Encourage them to interview at lower-priced childcares and compare their services to yours. TELL THEM OPERATING A DAYCARE IS EXPENSIVE. And tell them they can't put a price on knowing their child is in excellent hands
Child care may be expensive but quality care is priceless!
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daycare 09:26 AM 09-07-2012
I agree about needing to educate them. A lot of people do not understand how daycare capacity works and how it affects our pay.

I was told by a client of mine that does drop in that I was the most expensive daycare she looked at. (which I know is not true) So I asked her if I am the most expensive, why did you chose me and she said well you get what you pay for....... I say yes and no to that, but that was her opinion.
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BumbleBee 09:34 AM 09-07-2012
Yep! I've run into this too. So frustrating, especially when they walk in with the newest phone/purse/jewelry and drive a straight off the lot car worth more than my house.

I wouldn't do it, but I have felt like saying "sure I can lower the price! I'll just cut out all curriculum, you have to send food for the whole day because it's not included, and I'll just sit and play on my computer all day-letting the kids do whatever they want whenever they want."


Sadly, I would probably have some takers!
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boysx5 09:49 AM 09-07-2012
Yes I agree sadly they will buy themselves the fancy clothes cars but their most precious cargo don't want to pay. I always get my point across and tell them my feelings
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e.j. 09:53 AM 09-07-2012
Originally Posted by littlemissmuffet:
Educate them. Break down their weekly/monthly fee into an hourly fee. Break down where their fee goes (rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, craft supplies, bank fees, cleaning supplies, nap supplies, kitchen supplies, toys, books, repairs, taxes, etc). Remind them of how many hours per week you work, without breaks. Encourage them to interview at lower-priced childcares and compare their services to yours. TELL THEM OPERATING A DAYCARE IS EXPENSIVE. And tell them they can't put a price on knowing their child is in excellent hands
I just had a situation where a dc parent left me for a "nanny" (aka college student) because she charged $1 an hour less than me. Less than a month later, she was complaining that the nanny was watching tv and talking on her phone all day long, totally ignoring the kids who were either out playing somewhere in the neighborhood all day or vegging in front of the tv with her. She also complained that her house was always trashed by the time she got home from work. I probably should have pointed out that the reason I charge more is that I have more overhead - including craft supplies for our daily art/craft projects, nutrious food, etc. but I didn't bother. She was paying a $1 less per hour but her nanny was using her electricity, phone, tv, a/c, water and food and not doing anything in terms of activities with her kids. What a bargain!
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thatdivalady 10:02 AM 09-07-2012
Exactly my point! I swear even though I know my program is at the higher end for family daycare I could always cut out my schedule for the kids which includes developmental learning and 0-30 minutes of PBS television per day, the snacks, up to date materials and activities, arts and crafts, etc.

What's funny is that every single parent who comes to tour says the same thing. That they are so impressed with our monitoring system and it makes them feel better about sending their child. But, still just can't imagine paying for it. $3.50 per hour is seriously not asking too much...

And I gotta say, even without the monitoring. DAYCARE EXPENSES are EXPENSIVE!!! I just spent $300 on lincoln logs, Mr. Potato Head, legos, etc. In the stores it would have cost me close to $1000.00 for all that I got. It is draining to provide quality programming to children for 9-10 hours per day. So much easier for those providers who literally just watch television all day and feed and change the children in their care. Yep, I could charge 80-100 per week if that were all I was doing.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 10:17 AM 09-07-2012
I just had one like that! And she is a teacher!! I invited her to come over and see what I offer, to check out my FB page, to check my references to see if I wasn't worth it! But, no. To her the bottom line was, she says she only needs 6 hours a day 2 days a week and can't imagine paying $50 a week for that! ($25 a day) Now, I will admit I do have an opening for the 2 days she wanted but seriously! She would let $10 stop her from even looking at me! nope, not going to do it.
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DBug 10:19 AM 09-07-2012
I took this from a blog post I did many months ago - 12 Things Daycare Providers Wish Parents Knew. I finally got smart enough to include the whole thing in my Parent Handbook.

#5 – Daycare Providers are in it for the money.
Yes, Home Daycare Providers do this job because they love children. But would you do your job if you couldn’t pay the bills with it? And Home Daycare Providers are not “raking it in”. Yes, I’ve seen parents do the mental math when they think about what they’re paying and multiply it by the number of kids in my care. Yes, we do make that amount, but then we deduct taxes (about 15%), daycare groceries and cleaning supplies (about 14%), extra insurance and utilities (about 10%), and any new toys, furniture, or outdoor equipment or repairs to our homes caused by running the daycare (5% – 20%). If you really do the math, you’ll see that we’re making much less than minimum wage.


... but now I realize that I left out curriculum costs, which adds even more to our expense list ...!
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DCMama 11:50 AM 09-07-2012
Some people just see the rate in chunks and think that they can't afford it when in reality it's as if we are watching their child for under minimum wage per hours. I do not get it either. This maybe random but I saw a court segment where this babysitter was suing this dad for owing her money for babysitting. He only pay her $20 a DAY!!!! not an hour a DAY!! and she come from 4:30am-12pm or 1pm. And he's was showing the judge letters from other parents around his area that only pay their babysitter $10 dollars a day!!! omg!!! that's beyond ridiculous. I'm glad the judge was not on his side and was like, "you can't take advantage of people like that, how would you feel if the place you are working at pays you donuts and bread for your service." Anyways that's just remind me of your situation and how parents do not realize how cheap they are actually paying us. So frustrating
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Blackcat31 11:53 AM 09-07-2012
I have had my fair share of parents that do question why child care is expensive.

In response, I copied this from an article I read in an NAEYC publication and included it in my yearly folders.

It is nicely written and explains ALOT to parents from a providers perspective.
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DCMama 12:11 PM 09-07-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I have had my fair share of parents that do question why child care is expensive.

In response, I copied this from an article I read in an NAEYC publication and included it in my yearly folders.

It is nicely written and explains ALOT to parents from a providers perspective.
I am in love with this article. I think I will print it and post it up at my daycare.Thanks!
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jojosmommy 12:19 PM 09-07-2012
Yes most parents do not get it when it comes to the expense part. One dcp even said "heck, I pay you more than I pay in a mortgage payment. You probably just take my money and pay your mortage with it!" I replied with, "Well, it would be pretty hard to do daycare from a tent "

I did just have one family leave me to save $5 per week somewhere else. $5! Really....... Best part is they complained about my closing time and the person they went to opens later than me and is closed at the same time. Dcm "forgot to ask that" DUH!!! Sweeeeeetttt revenge.....
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renodeb 12:49 PM 09-07-2012
I can so relate to this post. I have gotten a lot of "What are your rates" I tell them and then silence on the other end of the phone. I always chime in with what I offer, and what I supply. Its funny if I say that I charge 170 a week for ft to one parent, then to another I say 165 the repsonces are so diffrent. 165 is so much better than 170? Funny how these parents think.
Deb
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saved4always 02:25 PM 09-07-2012
Originally Posted by jojosmommy:
Yes most parents do not get it when it comes to the expense part. One dcp even said "heck, I pay you more than I pay in a mortgage payment. You probably just take my money and pay your mortage with it!" I replied with, "Well, it would be pretty hard to do daycare from a tent "

I did just have one family leave me to save $5 per week somewhere else. $5! Really....... Best part is they complained about my closing time and the person they went to opens later than me and is closed at the same time. Dcm "forgot to ask that" DUH!!! Sweeeeeetttt revenge.....
That is funny. Revenge indeed!

And what does that dcp think we do this for???? To pay our bills, including our mortgages, duh! Same reason they work.
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BumbleBee 03:43 PM 09-07-2012
Originally Posted by jojosmommy:
Yes most parents do not get it when it comes to the expense part. One dcp even said "heck, I pay you more than I pay in a mortgage payment. You probably just take my money and pay your mortage with it!" I replied with, "Well, it would be pretty hard to do daycare from a tent "

I did just have one family leave me to save $5 per week somewhere else. $5! Really....... Best part is they complained about my closing time and the person they went to opens later than me and is closed at the same time. Dcm "forgot to ask that" DUH!!! Sweeeeeetttt revenge.....
Had a lady pull 3 kids out at the center because another place was $20 cheaper a week. Didn't care WHY it was $20 cheaper (crap food, no curriculum, untrained staff, over ratio, etc. etc.) Came back through our door about 3 months later begging for spots back-even offered to pay double what she was paying before. To bad we were full.
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thatdivalady 04:08 AM 09-08-2012
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I have had my fair share of parents that do question why child care is expensive.

In response, I copied this from an article I read in an NAEYC publication and included it in my yearly folders.

It is nicely written and explains ALOT to parents from a providers perspective.
Immediately printing and posting!!!! Thanks Blackcat!
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Blackcat31 06:24 AM 09-08-2012
Originally Posted by thatdivalady:
Immediately printing and posting!!!! Thanks Blackcat!
It is a nice way for parents to really understand things from a providers perspective, however I do have to comment on the one section at the end where it talks about unlicensed providers.... That part should obviouly be deleted or re-worded as the author must live in an area where it is illegal to be unlicensed which is NOT the case in all areas.

Some states do not require licensure so I didnt want to give the impression I that I thought that or that parents should think that either.
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brookeroo 10:42 AM 09-08-2012
Sometimes I want to ask them what they would expect to be paid if they were in this business... Or if they felt they could handle this job? Or how they would react if on payday their bosses just "forgot" their paycheck or told them they would just pay them in a couple days... Obviously they don't manage their money well so why should I right? It's not like I have to care for children or anything and ensure my utilities are paid so that I have hot water or water and heat at all... Cause lord knows if that ever happened... Whose rear would it be?!? Or if their boss told them to meet them at work and ready at 6:30 in the morning and their boss didn't decide to show until 8:00 because they overslept nearly everyday... Or when your told you are getting off at 3 but the parents decide to take it upon themselves to go shopping instead....and the appointments or plans you made get screwed. But of course you are the jerk for having the nerve to charge them fees....


Yeah this job is cake... makes you wonder why they don't just stay home and do it... We are sitting on a gold mine after all.
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Hunni Bee 10:37 PM 09-08-2012
The preschool I work for now (I don't even feel right calling it a center or daycare) charges almost as much per week as my old one was getting per month per child. And all the classrooms are completely at capacity, there's a waiting list, and I see families touring everyday.

All of the families happily fork hundreds of dollars over, and sign up for extracurriculars, and at least half have 2 or more kids enrolled.

I really wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it. The parents at my old center were nearly all on assistance and were paying pocket change as copays...most had no copay at all. The ones who were paying out of pocket paid a discounted rate on top of it being dirt cheap anyway. And it was like pulling teeth to get them do even this.

Not that the services they were receiving was all that great, the basics were covered. But what we could get them to pay barely kept the lights on and paid the skeleton staff.

I guess it is like Daycare's dcm said. You want quality, you pay for it.
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countrymom 05:53 AM 09-09-2012
I had a family leave after 4 yrs over 20 dollars a week. They went to a campclub where they had to provide everything, the only difference was that they where open a bit longer. This family didn't want to do anything with thier kids, and omg I was making them pick them up on time so they had face time with their kids.
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providerandmomof4 02:17 PM 09-09-2012
Originally Posted by Hunni Bee:
The preschool I work for now (I don't even feel right calling it a center or daycare) charges almost as much per week as my old one was getting per month per child. And all the classrooms are completely at capacity, there's a waiting list, and I see families touring everyday.

All of the families happily fork hundreds of dollars over, and sign up for extracurriculars, and at least half have 2 or more kids enrolled.

I really wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it. The parents at my old center were nearly all on assistance and were paying pocket change as copays...most had no copay at all. The ones who were paying out of pocket paid a discounted rate on top of it being dirt cheap anyway. And it was like pulling teeth to get them do even this.

Not that the services they were receiving was all that great, the basics were covered. But what we could get them to pay barely kept the lights on and paid the skeleton staff.

I guess it is like Daycare's dcm said. You want quality, you pay for it.
The first year I was in business, I actually lost money. My tax advisor said, "Well, according to your receipts, you lost money, is this correct?" I said, "Well, I knew there was a reason that I felt broke all year!" I raised my rates, and guess what, I actually got a better group of families than I had in the beginning! When I say better, I mean...they paid on time, they picked up on time, etc. I think that people really do equate quality with higher rates....coarse this isn't always the case....I still have two openings
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