How much will I pay for care in sitter's home?

[Anonymous]

I think this is a sort-of nanny situation. There are a few women in my neighborhood who offer to care for children in addition to their own toddlers or preschoolers, in their homes. They are not certified in-home day care providers, and we live in a close-in suburb of DC. Any estimates on what I can reasonably expect to pay someone taking care of our DS (who will be 3 mo when we start) along with her child, in her home?

[Anonymous]

Higher than average since you have an infant. It's not like the two kids can go off and play in the playroom with the mom checking on them every 15 minutes.

[Anonymous]

It's sort of a nanny share, only she gets most of the benefits. Also, what will happen in terms of your child's schedule with her child's? They won't be on the same nap schedule.
$10/hr

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's sort of a nanny share, only she gets most of the benefits. Also, what will happen in terms of your child's schedule with her child's? They won't be on the same nap schedule.
$10/hr

True, but I can't imagine my little one being on much of a schedule by then. (He's resisting my attempts, so I kind of foresee him going with flow of an existing schedule.) She does get a lot of benefits from the situation, but I think that would lower the price. When you think about it in hourly terms, $10 is a real steal for child care, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's sort of a nanny share, only she gets most of the benefits. Also, what will happen in terms of your child's schedule with her child's? They won't be on the same nap schedule.
$10/hr

True, but I can't imagine my little one being on much of a schedule by then. (He's resisting my attempts, so I kind of foresee him going with flow of an existing schedule.) She does get a lot of benefits from the situation, but I think that would lower the price. When you think about it in hourly terms, $10 is a real steal for child care, right?

I think it really depends on the setup you choose. Will you be her "boss" in that you will set the schedule, and she and her child have to adjust, or are you okay with your baby being "along for the ride" sometimes sleeping in the stroller or carrier? Will you expect to have some oversight in how she spends her time? For example, would you want to know what she does during nap time, or can she fold a load of laundry? Will you tell her when her holidays and vacation are? Will you even pay for those? The more of a "boss" role you take, the higher I think the rate should be. If its going to be a much less formal arrangement, and your expectation is simply that your child is well taken care of and stimulated, and you don't care if she goes grocery shopping during the day, then the rate can be lower. I think a range of $9-$12/hour is appropriate. $12/hour if you want a pseudo share, with you as the decision maker, and she has the experience of a nanny, or if you will be treating her as an independant contractor and she has to pay all of the taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Higher than average since you have an infant. It's not like the two kids can go off and play in the playroom with the mom checking on them every 15 minutes.

I disagree with this. I think it's easier with an infant who can sleep anywhere. You can't leave 2 two-year olds alone for very long but you can put an infant in a bouncy seat watching you while you fold laundry or do a craft with a toddler. I say this as a mother of 2 toddlers and an infant. 2 toddlers are MUCH harder than 1 toddler and an infant. Of course, at some point the infant will become a toddler...

[nannydebsays]

This is informal daycare. I wouldn't expect to have a parent telling me what I could and couldn't do in my home as I cared for their child and mine.

I would expect to run the show, and I would also generally try to work with her child's schedule, but I'd take both kids to the park and baby could sleep in the stroller, just like a second- or third-born would do.

That said, I would also expect to be paid minimum wage, or a daily minimum for a maximum number of hours a day, and I would expect the mom to pay me 52 weeks a year.

[Anonymous]

I've used this kind of care for my kids when they were young, and I did this sort or care before I went back to work and needed care. IMO $10 an hour is way too much. It's not a normal job since you're not really the SAHM's boss. I don't think it's fair to expect to earn $10 an hour while going about my mom business with another chid added to the mix nor do I think it's fair to pay someone to drag my kid along like a little sibling. That being said, I think it's the best sort of child care. It's a win-win for both moms. But I think it needs to be considerably less than a nanny and even less than a licensed care center per week.
-T

[Anonymous]

OP have you asked her her rates? I'd do that beforehand you might be surprised.