Do I have the highest childcare costs?
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Anonymous
| Every time I read a thread about how much people spend on different incomes, I’m shocked that even people with what I consider off the chart mortgages, car payments, other expenses, etc, usually have a lower monthly childcare payment than I do. We pay $4900 per month for an infant and a 2 year old in a full time reputable daycare center. We’ve been with the be center for 2.4 years and we’re very happy with the care. But the price is staggering. We can afford it, so this isn’t a post asking for ways to cut that cost (for example, I know we could look into in home daycares, which would be cheaper). I’m just wondering if anyone else out there is paying the same as us or even more than us in childcare costs. Tell me I’m not the only one! |
Anonymous
| Which center is this? That’s a lot. |
Anonymous
| I have 4 kids ages 5 and under. Basically double what you pay and she lives with us! There is a discount but not much. |
Anonymous
|
Do they both cost the same amount? At what age does the older one get cheaper due to ratio?
I can’t answer your question, I’m just being nosy. I paid $20,000 a year at a decent, but not top of the line, daycare for an infant in 2007. So $2500 a month for one (if that’s what’s happening) seems somewhat reasonable 11 years later. I assume this is Maryland where ratios are lower than DC or VA. |
Anonymous
Do you have a nanny or a daycare? |
Anonymous
| Our center is close to that, but probably not quite (and they give a small discount for having multiple kids there. |
Anonymous
| The "two daycare" time doesn't last too young if you're only planning on two kids, so if you love the center, hang in there. |
Anonymous
| We have a nanny and I pay $3600 a month and then additional taxes on my return. |
Anonymous
| I’m in Arlington with a 4 and 2 year old. We pay 2100 for the 2 year old and 1650 for the 4 year old. It’s a great preschool/daycare |
Anonymous
| Our high-quality daycare is $2500 for our infant. Older child is in first, so we just have to pay $550 for aftercare. But your costs sound reasonable to me for 2 in a good daycare center. |
Anonymous
| We were oaying about that when our kids were that age. The older they get the less the costs are (more kids per teacher), etc. Now we have one in public ES (aftercare/camps only cost) and one more year of daycare! |
Anonymous
| Wow. No way could I afford $60k/year in daycare. That's wild. |
Anonymous
| In NoVA I had twins in a great Montessori at 18 months on for about 3600 a month. Great hours and great teachers. I moved to a higher cost of living area. We ended up paying 4500 a month for terrible hours at a perfectly fine play based school when they turned 2. The offered zero language and horrible music classes. We figured out better hours at another school and will be paying about 1200 a month. |
Anonymous
| Damn using daycare and an au pair together you’re still spending more than us for 2. |
Anonymous
|
I knew someone once who had a nanny they liked very much. When their child became a toddler, they sent him to an expensive Montessori school half days, which they also liked, while keeping the full time nanny. Then they moved to the suburbs, but the nanny didn't drive, so they hired a driver every day to take the child and the nanny to preschool, and then to bring them back, and then to drive them to various afternoon classes. Then they had another baby, but they didn't want him waiting around the area of the preschool, so they hired a second nanny.
I figure 2 full time nannies, a full time driver, and preschool tuition, costs a fair amount. |