actaktmdt 12:29 PM 02-17-2010
I have had several inquires from families that have 2 to 3 children. How do you charge a family with more than one child? I am not sure what the best route is to go. The families that have been inquiring are asking about full time care
Do you do a % off discount, or no changes at all and the families pay the normal rate x2.
mac60 12:39 PM 02-17-2010
I think it depends on the area and what others do. My ft rate for 1 is $85, I have a family with 2 and I charge $135. I give them a $35 discount, and that is too much. They both get the same care as the other kids, yet I get paid less. I know some people will give a $10 or $15 discount and that is all. I lose $140 per month on this family. I think a 10 or 15% discount should be enough. Really, there should be no discount, just not how it is done here though.
For the 3rd child, I don't know, probably charge full rate. I would lose too much to give another $35 discount.
AfterSchoolMom 12:59 PM 02-17-2010
I now do 10% off for the first child and 15% off for the second. The parents feel like they're getting a discount, but in reality it's only a matter of a few dollars off.
tymaboy 01:03 PM 02-17-2010
I do not give a discount. As Mac06 said - They both get the same care as the other kids. Just because they chose to have more then 1 child does not meen that we should loose money cuz of their choices.
momma2girls 01:12 PM 02-17-2010
Originally Posted by tymaboy:
I do not give a discount. As Mac06 said - They both get the same care as the other kids. Just because they chose to have more then 1 child does not meen that we should loose money cuz of their choices.
I still give a family discount for 2 or more children. I give the family a $10.00 a week discount. I used to give mroe than that as well, but it was just to hard to do that anymore. THis figures up to be a 10% disc. a week. I hear in my area, this is very hard to come by anymore at all!!!
originalkat 01:14 PM 02-17-2010
I do not have siblings at this time. However, I give a 20% discount to the
2nd child only. So for instance... I charge $125 per week for full time. So the second child would be charged $100 per week with the 20% discount. So $225 per week for both. I would do the same for the third child so for 3 children it would be $325 per week.
kelli050 01:58 PM 02-17-2010
I'm not 100% sure how I will handle this with my families either, but the daycare my girls just went to I received a $15 discount per week. Her full time rates were $100 per child (for my kid's ages) and I was paying $185 - well, until her rates went up (meal reimbursements went down for her school district) at the end I was paying $197/week for both of them.
GretasLittleFriends 02:26 PM 02-17-2010
I do have a set of brothers. One is a preschooler, the other in kindergarten (which is full time school here). I do NOT charge a sibling discount for them. I decided from the very beginning that the daycare wages in my area are fairly low to begin with and many people have more than one child, so it would be a losing proposition for me to offer sibling discounts. I've talked with other providers in my area and none that I've talked with offer a sibling discount either.
melissa ann 03:26 PM 02-17-2010
I don't do sibling discounts. I have one family with 2 kids but they pay the same for both. I also charge by the day, not hours and sometime her kids are only here 3-3 1/2 hours but she still pays the full daily rate for both. Right now my daily rate is $18 per day/child no matter how many hours in my care.
misol 07:23 PM 02-17-2010
I offer a 10% discount off the oldest child's rate.
I don't offer discounts because,.. which one do you want me to give discounted care? If they ask at an interview,.. that is my response.
mac60 03:50 AM 02-18-2010
I have often wondered where and how "Sibling/Family Discounts" for daycare providers came about. When I go to the store, if I buy 2 of something, I pay full price for both, if I take 2 kids to the doctor I get charged 2 office calls, why is it that parents feel daycare providers should get paid less because there are 2 or 3 children from the same family. The whole "daycare paying thing" sometimes bottles my mind. I know many moms who don't think twice about going to get their hair done....colored, highlighted, etc, get their nails done, buys their kids all the name brand "cool" clothes (never Walmart or Target), etc, yet cringe when it come time to pay for "daycare".
I had a client for several years, the last year they were here, the boy was in kindy, the girl was 3. I charged at that time $75 per week for ft kid and only $15 for the kindy kid (yep, totally stupid and I know I screwed myself royally), when I gave the mom the rate for the schedule change.....her comment to me was ......."I THOUGHT YOU GAVE SIBLING DISCOUNTS". Shows the mentality of some parents. What, do yo want me to PAY YOU for watching your kid 1/2 the day. My gosh, I was only getting paid $3 per day and I fed him bk and lunch and he was here 1/2 day. Never again did I screw myself like that. Just so frustrating how some parents think.
TGT09 05:34 AM 02-18-2010
I only give sibling discounts for full-time care. It's 10% off for the 2nd child. I use to give 5% for part-time care because I feel like parents need a break. But, it ended up being more of a hassle for part-time care. In my area, sibling discounts are common though....I would check around.