Daycare tuition, what is the norm in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1:3 ratio for toddlers? don't kid yourselves. That may be so when you drop of or pick up, not during the day. The center would go broke with such ratio.

It’s legally required for under-twos in Maryland. So not crazy at all to expect places to follow the law.

[Anonymous]

So just curious. How much for an excellent nanny?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So just curious. How much for an excellent nanny?

$50-60k/year

[Anonymous]

Our daycare posts their prices on the website.

https://www.bambinicdc.com/for-parents/enrollment-and-tuition/

The transparency is actually what pushed me to make them our final selection three years ago. Been happy with them.

[Anonymous]

Many, many places are forced not to follow the law. Sorry to break it to you. There is just no teachers for hire. They would have floater person go from room to room, if they can get her, to pretend they keep the ratio, but it would be low quality care from an overworked and underpaid substitute , again if they can get one. During covid peaks, floaters were not even allowed, but then of course, kids' numbers were low too. Now, you are lucky to have 2 full time teachers and one assistant for 12-14 toddlers. They add one more person during the times when parents drop off, but with drop offs being made outside in many places now, even that is not done. Try to walk in at your center at 11:30 am. You will be disgusted, but most likely they will not let you in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For our PK class in Chevy Chase (MD), we pay $2,200 per month (8-6 care).

Wow! Which daycare is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some of these prices are insane. We pay $735/2 weeks for our 3 year old at a federally-sponsored center in downtown DC.

That’s because you aren’t paying sticker price and are being subsidized by your employer. You should thank your lucky starts because that rate is insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So just curious. How much for an excellent nanny?

$50-60k/year

We do a Nanny Share... which works out to be about 650 a week per family.

[Anonymous]

2200 is in NW DC from 8-5 with meals included. I think costs go down after 2/2.5 years old. Fingers crossed for communikids for PK3.

[Anonymous]

We also do have a subsidized work option. 1600/mo in DC. As they are unionized and in-DC, the subsidy must be astronomical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So just curious. How much for an excellent nanny?

$50-60k/year

+1, we are in this range. Started out for two kids, down to one (other kid is in school now) but still pay that rate and just gave a small inflationary increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many, many places are forced not to follow the law. Sorry to break it to you. There is just no teachers for hire. They would have floater person go from room to room, if they can get her, to pretend they keep the ratio, but it would be low quality care from an overworked and underpaid substitute , again if they can get one. During covid peaks, floaters were not even allowed, but then of course, kids' numbers were low too. Now, you are lucky to have 2 full time teachers and one assistant for 12-14 toddlers. They add one more person during the times when parents drop off, but with drop offs being made outside in many places now, even that is not done. Try to walk in at your center at 11:30 am. You will be disgusted, but most likely they will not let you in.

You are spreading fake news. it might be wild but they are not going to be out of ratio. They also must let you enter so they can’t tell you you can’t go in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some of these prices are insane. We pay $735/2 weeks for our 3 year old at a federally-sponsored center in downtown DC.

That’s because you aren’t paying sticker price and are being subsidized by your employer. You should thank your lucky starts because that rate is insane.

I'm the poster who pays $735/2 weeks. The federally-sponsored rate at our center is $50 lower bi-weekly than the non-fed rate. So not much subsidy. Check out the federally-sponsored centers for yourself and you will see that the rates are much lower than some of the tuition rates that have been mentioned here. I know because our center benchmarks tuition against other fed centers. Most of the fed centers have openings and welcome non-fed families.

https://www.gsa.gov/resources/citizens-and-consumers/child-care-services/find-a-child-care-center-near-you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some of these prices are insane. We pay $735/2 weeks for our 3 year old at a federally-sponsored center in downtown DC.

That’s because you aren’t paying sticker price and are being subsidized by your employer. You should thank your lucky starts because that rate is insane.

I'm the poster who pays $735/2 weeks. The federally-sponsored rate at our center is $50 lower bi-weekly than the non-fed rate. So not much subsidy. Check out the federally-sponsored centers for yourself and you will see that the rates are much lower than some of the tuition rates that have been mentioned here. I know because our center benchmarks tuition against other fed centers. Most of the fed centers have openings and welcome non-fed families.

https://www.gsa.gov/resources/citizens-and-consumers/child-care-services/find-a-child-care-center-near-you

Sorry, I don’t agree. I got on waitlists years ago on a number of DC federal centers. Tuition for non fed families was close to what we were paying for home daycare, maybe a few hundred less (1800 or 1900 versus 2200 4 years ago). Most of the waitlists were years long. We got into only 1 place, Commerce kids. And I got on most wait lists when I was pregnant from 8 weeks - 5 months. DD is 6 now and many of those places just took my wait list fee and never reached out to us again. And yes, I followed up with them about the waitlists. Waitlist fees are a big scam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some of these prices are insane. We pay $735/2 weeks for our 3 year old at a federally-sponsored center in downtown DC.

That’s because you aren’t paying sticker price and are being subsidized by your employer. You should thank your lucky starts because that rate is insane.

I'm the poster who pays $735/2 weeks. The federally-sponsored rate at our center is $50 lower bi-weekly than the non-fed rate. So not much subsidy. Check out the federally-sponsored centers for yourself and you will see that the rates are much lower than some of the tuition rates that have been mentioned here. I know because our center benchmarks tuition against other fed centers. Most of the fed centers have openings and welcome non-fed families.

https://www.gsa.gov/resources/citizens-and-consumers/child-care-services/find-a-child-care-center-near-you

Sorry, I don’t agree. I got on waitlists years ago on a number of DC federal centers. Tuition for non fed families was close to what we were paying for home daycare, maybe a few hundred less (1800 or 1900 versus 2200 4 years ago). Most of the waitlists were years long. We got into only 1 place, Commerce kids. And I got on most wait lists when I was pregnant from 8 weeks - 5 months. DD is 6 now and many of those places just took my wait list fee and never reached out to us again. And yes, I followed up with them about the waitlists. Waitlist fees are a big scam.

Situation at fed centers is very different than it was "years ago". It's helpful to base comments on current facts. The demand for daycare in downtown DC has dropped dramatically during the pandemic. If you don't believe me, call a few places yourself. Commerce Kids, for example, just reopened a couple of months ago after a 2-year pandemic closure and had immediate openings at all ages.