NOT cheap childcare

[Anonymous]

I keep reading (maybe from one single disgruntled nanny) how cheap the AP program is. And I wanted to counter that impression for any potential HFs reading this board. We've done this for a few years now and really love the program because it gives our only child someone consistent in her life, someone she sees as a big sister. And we love that while our APs speak English in our home, they expose DD (and us) to another culture. But. Our new AP arrived a month ago and I started to tally up the costs every year. It is not "cheap":

$600 Driving lessons. All of our APs have had them.
$150 New linens/towels/etc. Every other year
$100 Welcome gifts
$500 What we pay for their insurance
$50 Stocking the house with their favorite foods for their arrival
$300 New cell phone (this is the first time we've had to buy one, long story)

That's on top of what we pay the agency, and before we're issued their first paycheck. It doesn't include the $500 we pay for their educational credits (the first two years we ended up paying more because they picked expensive classes, now we just give $500 and that's it). It doesn't include the 500+ we pay to bring them to Thanksgiving at grandmas, or the $500 we pay to for weekend trips. It doesn't include the hundreds we spend when we order takeout or the hundreds we spend on food because they go through 3 Kcups a day and a jar of peanut butter a week. It doesn't include who knows how much we pay for gas for them to go to the gym every day and visit friends every night. It doesn't include Christmas and birthday gifts ($200), end of the year gifts ($200), extra water and AC bills (our first AP took hour-long showers), new pots because the AP didn't realize they couldn't go in the dishwasher, and plenty more. Some families do less, many families do far more.

All in, it's 25-28K/year, depending on the year and how much the car repair bill is. Before/aftercare would be FAR FAR cheaper. Even an after-school nanny would be cheaper (if I could find someone who wanted the job.) And I would not have APs coming in after midnight waking me up, getting into car accidents (which each of them has done), dealing with their shifting moods. But I'm not complaining. We believe in the program and think it's a great opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Your insurance it cheap! I had to pay an extra 1500/year for AP insurance and after she left I noticed lot of scratches she never mentioned!

[Anonymous]

This is some great information for potential HFs. I wish I had this before I started the program because it might have made me think twice. I do like our AP but it's not cheap and dealing with some of her stuff is annoying. Currently she is boy CRAZY. I'm so sick of the loud annoying conversations and continuous giggling that fills the house. Believe me, I didn't what to know that boy #35 asked her for "sexy pics." She of course said this and then immediately ran to her private bathroom... gross, just gross. Can't I just be in my kitchen and not hear this stuff? I'm also sick of the wave of perfume that fills the ENTIRE house before she goes out for her booty calls. Anyway, sorry just needed a little vent. To my point, potential HFs should consider all of the expenses like you listed, plus the "this person might drive you nuts" factor.

[Anonymous]

Look, I’m in the program, but this is just silly.

Of course it’s cheap. Like you just said, you can’t find a local person to take the job for “cheaper” even though you think it should be (if you offered a rate someone would take, they would take the job!).

It is cheap childcare... relative to your alternatives.

I tried like hell to find before/aftercare at a similar price point or even a bit more. Reliable employees who will actually show up at the times you schedule them are much more expensive. Therefore the program is cheap childcare.

And before you accuse me of being one of the disgruntled nannies, part of the reason I am in the program is the flexible scheduling. Local nannies complain about any last minute schedule changes even when they demand time and a half for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look, I’m in the program, but this is just silly.

Of course it’s cheap. Like you just said, you can’t find a local person to take the job for “cheaper” even though you think it should be (if you offered a rate someone would take, they would take the job!).

It is cheap childcare... relative to your alternatives.

I tried like hell to find before/aftercare at a similar price point or even a bit more. Reliable employees who will actually show up at the times you schedule them are much more expensive. Therefore the program is cheap childcare.

And before you accuse me of being one of the disgruntled nannies, part of the reason I am in the program is the flexible scheduling. Local nannies complain about any last minute schedule changes even when they demand time and a half for them.

I didn't say I can't find someone to take an after-school job for "cheaper". I can't find someone to take that job at all. Finding an after-school nanny is almost impossible! I'd pay $25/hour to have someone come 4-7pm every day. I've tried. That's what led us to the AP program to begin with. Now we appreciate it and think it's a good fit for us. But cheaper? No. Even if I paid holidays, days off and sick days, plus taxes, it would still be cheaper to have a nanny at that rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, I’m in the program, but this is just silly.

Of course it’s cheap. Like you just said, you can’t find a local person to take the job for “cheaper” even though you think it should be (if you offered a rate someone would take, they would take the job!).

It is cheap childcare... relative to your alternatives.

I tried like hell to find before/aftercare at a similar price point or even a bit more. Reliable employees who will actually show up at the times you schedule them are much more expensive. Therefore the program is cheap childcare.

And before you accuse me of being one of the disgruntled nannies, part of the reason I am in the program is the flexible scheduling. Local nannies complain about any last minute schedule changes even when they demand time and a half for them.

I didn't say I can't find someone to take an after-school job for "cheaper". I can't find someone to take that job at all. Finding an after-school nanny is almost impossible! I'd pay $25/hour to have someone come 4-7pm every day. I've tried. That's what led us to the AP program to begin with. Now we appreciate it and think it's a good fit for us. But cheaper? No. Even if I paid holidays, days off and sick days, plus taxes, it would still be cheaper to have a nanny at that rate.

But you can’t find someone at that rate, so that’s not the market rate, right? If you paid $100/hr there is no question someone would take it. $50/hr? Probably still someone. $25/hr? No takers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, I’m in the program, but this is just silly.

Of course it’s cheap. Like you just said, you can’t find a local person to take the job for “cheaper” even though you think it should be (if you offered a rate someone would take, they would take the job!).

It is cheap childcare... relative to your alternatives.

I tried like hell to find before/aftercare at a similar price point or even a bit more. Reliable employees who will actually show up at the times you schedule them are much more expensive. Therefore the program is cheap childcare.

And before you accuse me of being one of the disgruntled nannies, part of the reason I am in the program is the flexible scheduling. Local nannies complain about any last minute schedule changes even when they demand time and a half for them.

I didn't say I can't find someone to take an after-school job for "cheaper". I can't find someone to take that job at all. Finding an after-school nanny is almost impossible! I'd pay $25/hour to have someone come 4-7pm every day. I've tried. That's what led us to the AP program to begin with. Now we appreciate it and think it's a good fit for us. But cheaper? No. Even if I paid holidays, days off and sick days, plus taxes, it would still be cheaper to have a nanny at that rate.

But you can’t find someone at that rate, so that’s not the market rate, right? If you paid $100/hr there is no question someone would take it. $50/hr? Probably still someone. $25/hr? No takers.

You really believe the market rate for after-school nannies is $100/hour? Wow. This board has officially lost it's mind.

[Anonymous]

There's absolutely no reason to pay $100/hour for a nanny.

For example, our local martial arts place offers summer camp for around $300/week. 7:30am drop off and pick up by 6:30pm. Kids don't have school for 12 weeks. $300x12 = $3,600.

For three kids, $3,600x3 = $10,800.

Our private school offers summer camp for 8 weeks of summer (and a 4 week gap) for $450/week from 9:00am-3:30pm. Extended day is offered for $215 (AM and PM). So, 7:30am-5:30pm is $665 and $665x8 = $5,320 plus a 4 week gap.

For three kids, $15,960 plus a 4 week gap for an expensive summer camp.

That leaves... covering those additional 4 weeks of summer and every other break during the school year that can't be dealt with by taking vacation by one or more parents. Somehow, if we're assuming an AP's total costs average about $25,000/year, $9,000 easily covers all those random school day breaks with various camps and other options.

So, again, to support OP's point before someone argues that she only has 1 kid. APs are NOT cheap childcare. I could have a LOT less hassle with onboarding an AP and dealing with various issues (such as driving) through other options. But we have currently chosen the AP option because we like the relationship APs can have with the kids.

[Anonymous]

Even at your high estimate of costs, it is roughly half the price of a nanny, so while it is a lot of money, it is far less than market. It is also less than before care, aftercare, and summer/winter camps when you have three.

If you have one kid, it may be prohibitively expensive. At three it is a bargain, especially when you don’t have to waste time doing drop off and pickup during rush hours.

[Anonymous]

Daycare is cheaper most of the time!

[Anonymous]

No, its not cheap. You don't need a $300 cell phone or give them yours and upgrade yours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look, I’m in the program, but this is just silly.

Of course it’s cheap. Like you just said, you can’t find a local person to take the job for “cheaper” even though you think it should be (if you offered a rate someone would take, they would take the job!).

It is cheap childcare... relative to your alternatives.

I tried like hell to find before/aftercare at a similar price point or even a bit more. Reliable employees who will actually show up at the times you schedule them are much more expensive. Therefore the program is cheap childcare.

And before you accuse me of being one of the disgruntled nannies, part of the reason I am in the program is the flexible scheduling. Local nannies complain about any last minute schedule changes even when they demand time and a half for them.[/quote

100% agree!

I'm new to the program off the heels of a 43hr a week nanny. Our expenses (with no real flexibility for the weekends were)

20hr (inc OT) $46,280/yr (I paid for 52 weeks a year, one week sick, 2 weeks vacation) PLUS nearly 8% in FICA taxes
had to supply a nanny car, so no difference whatsoever in that. The alternative would have been reimbursing the nanny at the 54 cents a mile in an unreliable car, NO THANK YOU.
Christmas gift was one weeks worth of pay.
I always allowed our nanny access to our fridge to fix herself lunch/snacks.


I was well into 52K in the hole with a nanny. An AP has been dirt cheap. Yes, DIRT CHEAP. I have at least 2K back in my pocket each month.

We have 3 children and even if we did use aftercare, we would be looking at $450/wk in aftercare (for a bargain basement aftercare) and a fortune for camps during summer and breaks and a hell of a lot of hassle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daycare is cheaper most of the time![/quote

daycare cheaper than an AuPair? LOLOLOL, i guess you have only one child and live out on the frontier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's absolutely no reason to pay $100/hour for a nanny.

For example, our local martial arts place offers summer camp for around $300/week. 7:30am drop off and pick up by 6:30pm. Kids don't have school for 12 weeks. $300x12 = $3,600.

For three kids, $3,600x3 = $10,800.

Our private school offers summer camp for 8 weeks of summer (and a 4 week gap) for $450/week from 9:00am-3:30pm. Extended day is offered for $215 (AM and PM). So, 7:30am-5:30pm is $665 and $665x8 = $5,320 plus a 4 week gap.

For three kids, $15,960 plus a 4 week gap for an expensive summer camp.

That leaves... covering those additional 4 weeks of summer and every other break during the school year that can't be dealt with by taking vacation by one or more parents. Somehow, if we're assuming an AP's total costs average about $25,000/year, $9,000 easily covers all those random school day breaks with various camps and other options.

So, again, to support OP's point before someone argues that she only has 1 kid. APs are NOT cheap childcare. I could have a LOT less hassle with onboarding an AP and dealing with various issues (such as driving) through other options. But we have currently chosen the AP option because we like the relationship APs can have with the kids.

what about parents who, ya know, work during the school year?

In your cheaper scenarios for my 3 children, I'd be at

summer $10,800
school year $18,000 in aftercare (cheap where I live is $150/wk per kid)

You can't compare live in personalized childcare to the cost of institutionalized warehouse care. An AuPair is closer to a nanny than warehouseing your kids.

not sure why you all get so defensive than AuPairs are cheap for live in care. I have an AuPair and I've had a nanny for years. I don't like daycares which is why we always did home care. It is not even a comparison and once my kids became verbal and old enough for an AP, I'm very happy get the the financial relief and move to cheaper personalized care.

[Anonymous]

You must be hiring a bunch of princesses. I have hired 4 APs who are 21+, mature, not looking for extras, just here to learn English (better than what they've got now) to get a better job back home and spend a year or 2 in America.

I am a single mom teacher making 85K a year and i make it work.

1) My AP does not have access to my car. She has a bus/metro pass and small uber allowance. But she sure gets a lot of rides from your APs driving your insurance-expensive car!

2) Cute linens on sale at IKEA do the trick.

3) special foods come out of her pay. This is discussed during the interview process. I do buy her meat, which i have never done as I have been a vegetarian since age 18. I have read plenty on this board about moms not tolerating "special diets" -- well, I do; I have violated my values and allowed meat in my house for the first time in 20 years because my fabulous APs were worth it.

4) welcome gift cards -- yes $100. Different stores/restos.

5) Educational allowance -- absolutely. I am a teacher, after all.


Beyond the 45 hours a week i need her year-round (I work in summers too) she owes me nothing after 3:30pm. I tell her she can do anything she wants to during the day with my child as long as she cares for/keeps my daughter safe. She can watch TV or go to museums or anything in-between. I am not counting on her to raise my child; that is my job. She is my child-minder , that is all. My APs value their freedom and lack of demand from me. They also like that i am a single mother to one daughter and there is no drama in our home. It's a very easy gig. We are on our 4th and the first 3 are still a part of our family.

I do consider it cheap child care and make no bones about it. I try to give back in other ways since I cannot do so monetarily and it has worked out beautifully.