Childcare

[Cylenchar]

I don't have kids, but I was curious, how much do people spend on month average for child care? I was talking with one of my coworkers, and she was saying that her child care bill per month for 3 kids (all under 6) more than her mortgage and all other monthly bills combined *picks jaw off floor*.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Why does your coworker work? Seriously 3 kids under 6?

I know my coworker giving birth soon will be looking at $2200-2500/month for a newborn and my friend who gave birth in September is sharing a nanny for $1800/month. A little cheaper. They were going to use a daycare for $2500/month.

[MonkeyMama]

An in-home daycare in an expensive metropolitan area (LA, NY, SF) will cost in the realm of $1k+/month. People will easily pay 2-3 as much for a big center (which I don't quite *get*).

Part-time care is even harder because it is so difficult to find. We pay $35/day for our child to go to an in-home daycare 2 days a week. (Few will consider part-timers). We were shopping around for occassional care and most people refuse to watch one kids (nanny type thing) for less than minimum wage. So an 8 hour day quickly becomes $65. We eventually found a really great in-home day care which works out to less than $4/hour and includes food. They charge less because they take on many kids (& they have been in business forever). My husband just has to work his schedule around the 2 days that our youngest is at daycare. This was the both the best and cheapest option we could find. I Feel like we lucked out.

Anyway, the downside to our place is it is far away and so I have been shopping around for something closer to home. The best preschool option I found close to home is about $12/hour. Or $35 for a 3-hour preschool day. Ugh. Even the city charges about as much for their "low cost" program. These are for 8:1 ratios as well, vs. the 4:1 rations at in-home daycares (local law).

It's usually considerably more expensive for infants (first year). & gets cheaper when they potty train. "Cheaper" being the prices I mentioned above.

The public schools here offer before and after school care. & holidays and such. My friend just told me it cost about $400/month for her 1st grader. Ugh! I had no idea that was so expensive as well.

Anyway, I giggle when people without kids look at our $300/month for daycare/preschool as some outrageous expense. IT's about as cheap as childcare gets in our region.

[Cylenchar]

LAL-

I asked her that as well. The answer is insurance. Husband makes more money (enough to cover childcare and monthly bills) but her insurance is cheaper than his for covering the family.

[Goldy1]

I do not know. I used to work at an in home daycare center in the 90's and then it was about $350 a week for f/t care which could be up to 10 hours a day(not bad since out clients were mostly md's and lawyers). I was there working part time. THere are laws for kid to adult ratios. The law says more adults for babies and it was 6 young kids (toddlers) to one adult.
We took great care of the kids;probably better than some parents would b/c you don't have the option of losing your patience with someone else's kids.
I have my first child on the way. I do not plan on having more even though this one was planned and I am beyond blessed and thrilled. I figure one child will keep me out of the workforce less time (I may be able to work but will have to be around dh's work schedule for a little while anyway)
I am also going back to school part time and I wanted to go back full time, but I can't split my self in 3 and
work
go to school
be a SAHM
lol!!!!!!!

[zetta]

For part-time childcare, in my area it's pretty easy to find someone on Craig's list who is willing to work in your home on the schedule you want for $11-$13/hr. I also found a church-run preschool that works out to about $7/hr, but the times are very limited (3 hour mornings only, either MWF or TTh).

Once you get above about 25 hours, it makes more sense financially to go to a center or in-home daycare.

[mom-from-missouri]

In my area for a licensed center you pay full time rates regardless if you are full time or not--that is to reserve your spot.
Infants are $250-$275 a week.
2 and older are $125-$150 a week
The state laws have a higher teacher to infant ratio which is why there is a huge break after they turn 2.
Part time or home centers run pretty close in price, although many home providers only charge you for when you are actually there.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

gotcha. Sigh, I know quite a few ladies like that where I work as well. Working to pay a daycare because they don't earn much. Difference is both women their husbands are self employed so unless they want to go independent insurance it won't happen.

Monkeymama, where are your friends in SF getting $1k for daycare? I've friends there and LA and the cheapest even in home I've heard is $1500.

[Goldy1]

No doubt that childcare is not cheap. The kids get sick a lot too in daycare b/c from mt experience parents don't like to miss work. I had an MD drop off her child with nasty advanced goopy dripping conjunctivitis. Nice. I didn't say anythign to my boss for taking the child there all day, but I was mad that I was exposed. Luckily I was not infected.

[momof1in150]

LAL-

I asked her that as well. The answer is insurance. Husband makes more money (enough to cover childcare and monthly bills) but her insurance is cheaper than his for covering the family.

With the amount of money they are paying in childcare wouldn't it offset his more expensive insurance?

[TBH]

We have always had part-time care in a childcare center. I worked as a nanny years ago and felt underpaid and exploited. We couldn't afford to pay a nanny a livable wage, although we would have been able to find someone who would take what we could afford to pay. But we didn't fee comfortable with it so we always went to a center.

I think I can remember our prices, roughly.
Infant, 2 days a week (10-hour days) $900+ per month
Infant, 2 days per week, different center at edge of town $750 per month
Toddler, 3 days per week, $750 per month
Preschool, 5 days per week, 9-3 every day, $500 per month, but this is in a co-op school where we had to work about 10 hours a month at the school.

Until we got into the co-op, childcare has always been more than our mortgage payments.

Part-time care in a center is more expensive per hour than full-time care where we live, but we wanted to be home with him a couple days a week when he was really little. I have also always done some of my work in the evenings when his dad was home to take care of him. It has worked for us. If we were having another one, though, I'd look for a nanny share--that way we'd be able to afford to pay a nanny well.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Mommyof1, it depends. If you are uninsurable with preexisiting conditions then no it wouldn't be cheaper. It would be if you are all healthy and able to get insurance.

[JinCO]

We pay $15/hour for a nanny which comes out to about $2500 per month.

[jIM_Ohio]

My SIL watches kids $25/day. That would be $6500 per kid for full time (8-10 hour days) per year. She charges less to get kids off school bus or do part time watching.

[Goldy1]

I like kids and all but unless I had no food in the house I can't imagine watcihng kids for $25 a day. It is hard work.