Any pay more in Childcare than they do for their mortgage ?

[Anonymous]

you're not alone
we are in the MD burbs - daycare in downtown Bethesda/Rockville is $1400 - $1800 for an infant. Easily passes mortgages when you've got more than one. The small breaks you get as the children get older aren't much comfort. You can find care for less expensive, but IMO, the facilities aren't as nice. Can't say the teachers/care providers aren't as strong...but i've found the management of daycares is more than half the challenge. Good management = good care. You can have a terrific caregiver, but without facilities, support, staffing, etc. they burn quickly.

[Anonymous]

yup - definitely more in childcare than in a mortgage...

[Anonymous]

We pay $2800 a month for our nanny and $2300 for the mortgage.

[Anonymous]

When you post, please also state where you live. This is all very interesting. We're thinking about #2 AND about buying a house. So very interested in this discussion
We live in Arlington and currently pay a little over $1,300/month for our in-home daycare provider. We could pay much less elsewhere but really love the women that watch him. And he seems to be thriving.

[Anonymous]

I know not everyone would want to do this - but some might consider having an au pair. You pay only $300 a week no matter how many kids you have. Yes, the person does live with you and you provide food, but if you have an extra room in your house some of you might save $2000 a month! It's worth considering, especially if you have more than one kid.

[Anonymous]

My Au Pair left four days ago. We opted not to get another one, and to use daycare. Mostly because it has tied up my husbands clearance, having a foriegn national in the house.

[Anonymous]

PP here again.

The Au Pair rate is minimum wage times 45 hours per week. Out of that money, room and board are deducted, and the Au Pair receives a paycheck of roughly $160. There are some upfront costs, and those cover the agency fees, health insurance, visas airline tickets, and such.