Giving inhome daycare a raise

[Anonymous]

I have my DS at a lovely inhome daycare. I used it for my DD who is 7 now (we used it for 5 years until she went to K because her Pre-K didn't open during covid). The rate has not changed. I've tried to bring it up with the daycare lady (isn't there a better name?!), but she has told me no. I've given her large bonuses since because of it. I also pay her 52 weeks a year even though she doesn't want paid when she's on leave or over holidays (why?!).

Has anyone approached this gracefully? I was thinking of just upping her weekly rate and when she protests just saying I want to give her that rate. I've tried to bring this up multiple times.

I'm also not quite sure how much extra to give. I wish she'd tell me a rate. An extra $50 a week? She has newer kids and I wonder if they're paying a newer rate that she won't tell us.

[Anonymous]

I'm like your provider. Ages ago I told my daycare families I would never up their rates while they were with me. Some are on their fourth child with me now. Yes new families are paying a higher rate. I also don't charge when I am closed, and remind/ check in with parents if they pay anyways to let them know that it was an unpaid closure.

Little bonuses or occasional gift cards and words of appreciation will make her day! Long term families are dear to us and often help in securing new clients. We get attached and sometimes feel guilty asking for more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm like your provider. Ages ago I told my daycare families I would never up their rates while they were with me. Some are on their fourth child with me now. Yes new families are paying a higher rate. I also don't charge when I am closed, and remind/ check in with parents if they pay anyways to let them know that it was an unpaid closure.

Little bonuses or occasional gift cards and words of appreciation will make her day! Long term families are dear to us and often help in securing new clients. We get attached and sometimes feel guilty asking for more.

NP but why? Why not up the rate 5% a year or even $10 a week.

[Anonymous]

My DD was in a lovely in-home from 5 months till 1 year, when Covid shut things down. Most of the other parents were hourly workers. The provider only charged $250 per week. I asked her once why she didn’t raise her rates and she said her other families wouldn’t be able to pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm like your provider. Ages ago I told my daycare families I would never up their rates while they were with me. Some are on their fourth child with me now. Yes new families are paying a higher rate. I also don't charge when I am closed, and remind/ check in with parents if they pay anyways to let them know that it was an unpaid closure.

Little bonuses or occasional gift cards and words of appreciation will make her day! Long term families are dear to us and often help in securing new clients. We get attached and sometimes feel guilty asking for more.

Kindly, you are short changing yourself. Your time is worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm like your provider. Ages ago I told my daycare families I would never up their rates while they were with me. Some are on their fourth child with me now. Yes new families are paying a higher rate. I also don't charge when I am closed, and remind/ check in with parents if they pay anyways to let them know that it was an unpaid closure.

Little bonuses or occasional gift cards and words of appreciation will make her day! Long term families are dear to us and often help in securing new clients. We get attached and sometimes feel guilty asking for more.

Kindly, you are short changing yourself. Your time is worth it.

Do you have any clue how expensive childcare is? - DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm like your provider. Ages ago I told my daycare families I would never up their rates while they were with me. Some are on their fourth child with me now. Yes new families are paying a higher rate. I also don't charge when I am closed, and remind/ check in with parents if they pay anyways to let them know that it was an unpaid closure.

Little bonuses or occasional gift cards and words of appreciation will make her day! Long term families are dear to us and often help in securing new clients. We get attached and sometimes feel guilty asking for more.

Kindly, you are short changing yourself. Your time is worth it.

Do you have any clue how expensive childcare is? - DP

I sure do. But having a family with their fourth child and never raising thier rates is the daycare provider short changing her self. Nobody said it had to be an excessive raise but $10/15/20 a week in a span of five or eight years is quite reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Can you just give her a cash bonus?

[Anonymous]

Give her 2 weeks pay on Christmas or her Birthday.
It's very nice of you.

I would raise up my rates with $20 more and that would be permanently.

[Anonymous]

Like you said OP, your nice Provider says she doesn't raise tuitions because parents wouldn’t be able to pay. Your Family Provider has a good heart. Maybe she thinks is enough and doesn't need to raise it.

Maybe wants to help the parents. Is she older? They think like a grandma and really cares for the families.

We need more Family Daycares to help the community. We are so thankful with our Provider and staff!

We gift them hundreds of dollars for each person, they have 3 people total. And before I left the Family Daycare because LO was 4 we gave our Provider and staff a very big bonus so she can get new stuff for her business. We are so grateful, my LO is a happy child :'3

[Anonymous]

I've been wondering the same. We are on our second child in an in-home daycare, 4 years total and she's never raised our rates. She does not charge for sick days or holidays and gives each family a vacation week per year to not pay, but I pay her 52 weeks per year for 5 days a week regardless. We also give her two weeks pay every Christmas but it still doesn't feel like enough! We are paying $300 week for one child right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been wondering the same. We are on our second child in an in-home daycare, 4 years total and she's never raised our rates. She does not charge for sick days or holidays and gives each family a vacation week per year to not pay, but I pay her 52 weeks per year for 5 days a week regardless. We also give her two weeks pay every Christmas but it still doesn't feel like enough! We are paying $300 week for one child right now.

Adding she has never once ever taken a day off or closed. Not once in 4 years including the pandemic and somehow *knock on wood* covid has never run through her house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been wondering the same. We are on our second child in an in-home daycare, 4 years total and she's never raised our rates. She does not charge for sick days or holidays and gives each family a vacation week per year to not pay, but I pay her 52 weeks per year for 5 days a week regardless. We also give her two weeks pay every Christmas but it still doesn't feel like enough! We are paying $300 week for one child right now.

Adding she has never once ever taken a day off or closed. Not once in 4 years including the pandemic and somehow *knock on wood* covid has never run through her house.

…. That she’s told you.

But honestly, she sounds wonderful.


If your daycare doesn’t raise her own rates, but you feel they deserve more than give them generous bonuses, random gift cards, and other major token of appreciation.

[Anonymous]

I’d just add the extra $50 and not say anything. That’s lovely of you.

[Anonymous]

My amazing in-home daycare provider hasn't raised her rates in the year and year and a half we've been there either. Still $250 a week and 20-month old DS is flourishing! I would be more than willing to pay if she raised her rates, but instead give her and her assistant generous cash gifts for the holidays and birthdays.