Hello,
I have a neighbor who needs my help. She needs to drop off her 2 children (5,7) to me at 5:00am. I then will drive them to school at 8:30am. Then pick them up at 3:30 and bring them back to my house until 5:30. How much should I charge her?

OP, there are so many ways to answer this but you need to provide more info:
- Are you helping temporarily is this a regular gig?
- Do you have kids too and driving them to school as well or are just her child minder?
- What do you want out of this? e.g. is the a money earner for you or are just trying to help someone in need?
- where do you live (child care costs vary by area)?
- will you be watching kids when they are sick/out of school?
- what happens if they need to leave school early? e.g. sick; 1/2 days, etc.
- what happens if you have a conflict (e.g. doctor's appt that runs late).
- what will you do with her kids from 3:30-5:30? do homework? play? watch TV?

I think if this is a long term situation then you need to think carefully before committing. She will be relying on you and if you change your mind or have other conflicts that come up you could really put her in a bind. Additionally, based on your description, you will be running an unregulated daycare (if in MoCty) and should technically be licensed because you are minding someone else's kids in your house. In the same vein, you should be reporting your income. You also should be covered for liability if something happens to her kids while in your care.

Anonymous wrote:Please charge $15/hour plus the cost of food. Yes it's a lot of money but it's a big ask and you're providing the use of your car and chauffeur services. I can appreciate your neighbour is in a bind but that it totally not your problem.

I agree. Don't devalue yourself and what you are able to provide. Be kind about it, but remember who needs whom.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, school is not day care but it takes a village to raise a child. If it was just about learning facts then sit your kids at home in front of a computer for home based online classes. Schools are places for children to learn within our village for the benefit of the students and the village. Schools are state/local based as they represent the unique needs of each village. The village of the Washington DC area often has families with 2 working parents, single parents that work and traffic/long commutes. Longer school days and/or year round school makes sense for our village.

+1
I'm a single-mom and totally overwhelmed. I've never had the ease of having another pair of hands to help in the house, so if two-parents households are struggling, something needs to be done.

If our country wants people to be productive members of society by working and create a future generation of successful children, then our country should change, having everyone scrambling for before/after care is crazy and let's not talk about snow days and two hour delays.

Yes, school is not day care but it takes a village to raise a child. If it was just about learning facts then sit your kids at home in front of a computer for home based online classes. Schools are places for children to learn within our village for the benefit of the students and the village. Schools are state/local based as they represent the unique needs of each village. The village of the Washington DC area often has families with 2 working parents, single parents that work and traffic/long commutes. Longer school days and/or year round school makes sense for our village.

Anonymous wrote:If MCPS was really concerned about low income families and all families and women advancing in the work force, instead of starting school 20 minutes later, they would ask for a grant (Bill Gates type foundation) or federal/state funding and start schools earlier so that school times are longer than parents work hours not shorter. Have more clubs/activities/classes at school to make the day longer. For those stay at home mommies that think their kids "need" to be home with them earlier, they can home school or have the option to pull their kids out. One day our nation will look back on this and wonder how working women/men with children were able to handle this scramble. Every family with kids has 12 years of this. Yes, when kids are older they can be home alone after school, but why not extend the school day?

WTF?? What a terrible idea.

I'm a WOHM but I can guarantee you that I don't want my kids to be at school any longer than they already are. School is NOT supposed to be daycare.

Anonymous wrote:If MCPS was really concerned about low income families and all families and women advancing in the work force, instead of starting school 20 minutes later, they would ask for a grant (Bill Gates type foundation) or federal/state funding and start schools earlier so that school times are longer than parents work hours not shorter. Have more clubs/activities/classes at school to make the day longer. For those stay at home mommies that think their kids "need" to be home with them earlier, they can home school or have the option to pull their kids out. One day our nation will look back on this and wonder how working women/men with children were able to handle this scramble. Every family with kids has 12 years of this. Yes, when kids are older they can be home alone after school, but why not extend the school day?

Uh, because school is not daycare. I know people here hate hearing that but parents are ultimately responsible for their own children. I personally don't agree with starting school 20 minutes later, but because I choose to have my kids attend MCPS then it's on me and DH to figure out who will take care of them before and after school. Because we are their parents. The school is not their parent.

Please charge $15/hour plus the cost of food. Yes it's a lot of money but it's a big ask and you're providing the use of your car and chauffeur services. I can appreciate your neighbour is in a bind but that it totally not your problem.

If MCPS was really concerned about low income families and all families and women advancing in the work force, instead of starting school 20 minutes later, they would ask for a grant (Bill Gates type foundation) or federal/state funding and start schools earlier so that school times are longer than parents work hours not shorter. Have more clubs/activities/classes at school to make the day longer. For those stay at home mommies that think their kids "need" to be home with them earlier, they can home school or have the option to pull their kids out. One day our nation will look back on this and wonder how working women/men with children were able to handle this scramble. Every family with kids has 12 years of this. Yes, when kids are older they can be home alone after school, but why not extend the school day?

My neighbor, a college kid, used to do this as one of her many part-time/odd jobs. She would have to drive to the home, mom would leave, and she'd take over- get the kids up, get them ready and give them some cereal and drop them off at school (s)( I think it was more than one school too). She got $75/week. Can't remember how early she had to be there, but this kid was a real hustler, so I could see her agreeing to get up really early.
I think it makes sense to do on a trial basis to see if it works for you. Since you are doing afternoons too, I'd say maybe double it to $150/weeK?? I dunno ..

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's dropping off at 5 AM? That is not fair to the kids.

Must the kids be driven to school? Can they take the bus?

You should factor in the cost of gas into your fee.

Did you consider that she doesn't have a choice?

Not the person you are quoting, but it is possible that she doesn't have a choice AND the situation is also not fair to the kids. The two factors are not mutually exclusive.

And unfortunately, genius, one trumps the other, as employers don't give a rat's ass about one's childcare issues.

So give it up.

Who would wake their kid up at 4:30am?? She needs to find someone who comes into her home. Helping an hour or two a day is one thing but this is full on child-care with breakfast feeding, afternoon snacks and carpooling. That is asking too much