Please help me think through a solution for after-care

[Anonymous]

Our DC is 5 years old, going to a school in Rockville that has no aftercare program. We live in Silver Spring. We work from home, but really need someone to either 1) play with DC after school for a few hours or 2) even better, pick up DC from school and play/take to appointments after school.

We've been looking at a bunch of alternatives--but what do you think our best bet is for this? We can't afford a full-time nanny or au pair. Where would you advertise and what would the going rate be for something like this?

[Anonymous]

Does he have a friend with a SAHM who's looking to earn some extra money? Maybe they could pick him up, give snack, and he could do whatever after-school activities that friend is doing, and then the mom could drop him off between 5-5:30? I'd say offer $50 a day (figuring two-ish hours each day) plus pay for any class registrations she takes them to (she'd pay for her kid, you'd pay for yours).

[Anonymous]

You pick them up then pay a neighborhood kid to be a mothers helper for a couple of hours in your home. $10-15 per hour. Maybe get a couple of them so they can each do a couple days per week. Thinking middle school kid.

[Anonymous]

I would target students at Montgomery College—esp students in the health sciences department like nursing, radiology, and ultrasound programs (mostly women). You could reach out to the heads of those programs and I bet they would pass along an email to their students. You’re going to have to pay quite well. I was making $20 an hour doing these kinds of jobs as a student back in 2016.

[Anonymous]

Don’t au pairs make like $200 a week? I don’t see how you could get away with paying any less than that. Especially if you want a driver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You pick them up then pay a neighborhood kid to be a mothers helper for a couple of hours in your home. $10-15 per hour. Maybe get a couple of them so they can each do a couple days per week. Thinking middle school kid.

Nobody in this area want their middle school kids doing this. They’re in sports and activities after school. And coordinating with multiple middle school students? Not viable if OP needs reliable care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t au pairs make like $200 a week? I don’t see how you could get away with paying any less than that. Especially if you want a driver.

But then they have to have someone living in their house, driving their car, they have to provide all meals, cell phone, etc. Maybe they don't have the space for that, especially since two adults are working from home. What's the au pair supposed to do from 8am to 3pm at home with two adults two busy to talk to them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t au pairs make like $200 a week? I don’t see how you could get away with paying any less than that. Especially if you want a driver.

But then they have to have someone living in their house, driving their car, they have to provide all meals, cell phone, etc. Maybe they don't have the space for that, especially since two adults are working from home. What's the au pair supposed to do from 8am to 3pm at home with two adults two busy to talk to them?

I’m not saying OP should get an au pair. She said she can’t afford one. Just saying she shouldn’t expect to pay less than $200 a week. But maybe she meant she can’t afford stipend plus other expenses.

[Anonymous]

OP here--thanks--we cannot afford a full-time nanny, and do not have the space for an au pair. We could do $200/week, but not quite sure if this would be enough, and where to find someone like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here--thanks--we cannot afford a full-time nanny, and do not have the space for an au pair. We could do $200/week, but not quite sure if this would be enough, and where to find someone like this.

$200 is maybe enough if it’s only two hours a day. You might be able to find a responsible-ish college student who drives at that rate. If it’s more like three hours then no. That’s not even $15 an hour.

Post job on Sittercity, care.com, neighborhood listserv etc with what you’re willing to pay and see who bites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is 5 years old, going to a school in Rockville that has no aftercare program. We live in Silver Spring. We work from home, but really need someone to either 1) play with DC after school for a few hours or 2) even better, pick up DC from school and play/take to appointments after school.

We've been looking at a bunch of alternatives--but what do you think our best bet is for this? We can't afford a full-time nanny or au pair. Where would you advertise and what would the going rate be for something like this?

Yeah. Find a school with aftercare. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Op here. I wish we could. Our child has learning disabilities that make it difficult.

[Anonymous]

Find out what aftercare other parents use, ask the teacher or the principal. Do a search around the school area for aftercare—a karate or gymnastics place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does he have a friend with a SAHM who's looking to earn some extra money? Maybe they could pick him up, give snack, and he could do whatever after-school activities that friend is doing, and then the mom could drop him off between 5-5:30? I'd say offer $50 a day (figuring two-ish hours each day) plus pay for any class registrations she takes them to (she'd pay for her kid, you'd pay for yours).

It's very rare for a SAHM to want to do this. If they were looking to earn money, they'd get a job...they stay home for a reason--to spend time with their own kids.

[Anonymous]

Aren’t there any local programs that pick up at your school? The principal will know.