Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, you cannot negotiate tuition with a large chain daycare. There are set prices for each location and they have no incentive to negotiate with an individual, there is only downside for them in doing so.

Only an in-home might negotiate, and a popular one with high demand probably wouldn't.

Dont bet on it. Why should an in home budge on what they charge? How would a parent like for their boss to negotiate for a lower rate
for your pay? I think it is insulting to ask a provider to negotiate the rates. Providers have their bills and mortgage/rent to pay and overhead
of running a business.

I agree. It's also a bad idea from a business standpoint for them to negotiate rates and looks very unprofessional and might anger other parents if word got out they negotiated and parents are paying different rates.

Anonymous wrote:No, you cannot negotiate tuition with a large chain daycare. There are set prices for each location and they have no incentive to negotiate with an individual, there is only downside for them in doing so.

Only an in-home might negotiate, and a popular one with high demand probably wouldn't.

Dont bet on it. Why should an in home budge on what they charge? How would a parent like for their boss to negotiate for a lower rate
for your pay? I think it is insulting to ask a provider to negotiate the rates. Providers have their bills and mortgage/rent to pay and overhead
of running a business.

You can't negotiate.

Your center has a different lease structure with their landlord than the other 2 BH/KinderCare/Goddard/La Petite/Chesterbrook centers do (did I get all the chains?)

If a chain is in a federal building, they pay less rent. Sometimes the company that houses the center charges less than market rate for the space, others do not. If it's in a federal building they might be getting a good rate, but perhaps no.

Salaries and the lease/rent are the 2 big expenses.

Anonymous wrote:Doubt you can but worth a try. Honestly, I imagine this is how it'll go:

You: unless we can pay X amount then we're leaving. Location A, B, and C all have this amount as their tuition.
Them: bye! *opens the waiting list and makes some calls*

I bet the teachers will say good riddance.

Doubt you can but worth a try. Honestly, I imagine this is how it'll go:

You: unless we can pay X amount then we're leaving. Location A, B, and C all have this amount as their tuition.
Them: bye! *opens the waiting list and makes some calls*

Anonymous wrote:OP here: thank you for the feedback. It looks like we can either accept the current rate or move to a different center. Thanks again.

What's the increase?

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I have never heard of anyone negotiating a lower rate with a center. They have almost no incentive to cut you a break if they can fill the spot at the higher rate.

My Center knocked off $120/month, but, it wasn't full at the time and we are private pay (not using vouchers) so am pretty sure they just knocked down to the rate they receive from DC for those on vouchers.

Also, different counties have different ratio requirements. Arlington, for example has a lower kid to teacher ratio than Fairfax, so I would assume a center in Arlington would be more expensive than Fairfax.

OP here: thank you for the feedback. It looks like we can either accept the current rate or move to a different center. Thanks again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I have never heard of anyone negotiating a lower rate with a center. They have almost no incentive to cut you a break if they can fill the spot at the higher rate.

This.

And 5 miles in an urban area is a lot. I only live 7 miles from downtown DC but am in VA. I wouldn't expect a location in Crystal City to have the same rates as a place at 15th and K St.

+1
The comparable rates are centers in about the same mile radius, not five-mile radius.

If it's a large corporate one like KinderCare or Bright Horizons, I don't think the individual centers are even allowed to negotiate tuition since it is probably set by corporate.