Difference in daily rates

I've got a question.

If one offers babysitting and another offers home child care, can they both charge the same daily rate?

What's your thoughts on this?:)

Thanks!

I am kind of confused by the question. Do you mean if someone offers child care in the child's home vs. child care in the childcare providers home?

If you mean what mamaof4 noted

Quote:

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Do you mean if someone offers child care in the child's home vs. child care in the childcare providers home?

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, then here's my response:

When I was a nanny, I charged between $16-20 an hour depending on how many children and the ages of the children.

As a home daycare provider, in the area that I'm in now, my rate is $35/day. The rates in my area range from $25-35/day (with one woman charging $40/day).

I think what she is referring to is the type of program or lack there of being offered. Mostly the answer is that the terms are somewhat interchangeable because the meanings of each has gotten lost over the years. Many still refer to childcare as babysitting but at the same time even those that use that term may very well provide a full care and learning program. The answer is anyone can call their program whatever they want and can charge whatever they want since there are no regulations or standards that must be followed. Do some people get more money for less work of course. Do some people do far more than they have to do to keep the parents and kids happy of course they do. But that is the great thing about this job is that we can make it whatever we want it to be.

Around here, you can charge pretty much whatever people are willing to pay you! It's up to the parents to pick between what kind of childcare environment they would prefer.
If you are asking about kids coming to my home vs. me going to the childrens' home; then I would say it would be a more expensive daily or hourly rate for the provider to go to the client's home. Nannys around here definitely make more that way, but when you do home childcare you usually have more kids, so you make up for it that way.

Thanks everyone. I had written out my question and it got lost in my description so I erased it and tried to keep it simple but maybe a bit to simple.
To clearify what I meant I am considering caregiving in my home but I no longer want to have it looked at as a home daycare (I don't have the means right now to go about getting my place set up and to do programming the way I envision it to be in order for it to have it looked at like home daycare). I figured to just offer it as babysitting but questioned myself, do I still have the right to charge the same rates as I would have if it was advertised/offered as home daycare?
You all have helped, thanks!

Ok I get what you are saying. You may want to rethink what you think is required to offer quality care. It doesn't mean you have to have matching chairs, tables and shelves with tons of expensive stuff on them. It isn't totally about the environment. Yes parents will need some educating about how you are offering for care but....a trip to the dollar store or the thrift shop will set you up with a few toys. As long as you have a variety that is enough. You can even use a room in your house such as the livingroom as long as you cover the basics - a basket of books on the end table, a puzzle or sorting toy on the other one, some cars or large items stored under the coffee table, a shelf of toys you roll into the room on daycare days. Make use of a park nearby if you don't have a playground at home - but kicking around balls, blowing bubbles and running freely are also good outdoor activities. For very little money you can have the basics you need. Then as you get started budget a portion of each pay towards your set up. As far as fees go there is no reason you can't charge the same as the lady down the street with the fancy set up. It isn't about the set up it is about what you do in the set up. Sing with the kids, have crafts and pictures to colour, borrow large toys from a toy lending library, borrow books and CDs from the library. You can do a circle time with just your voice (songs, fingerplays, game). Will it take you longer to get kids into care potentially and you may want to charge a lower - read here a couple dollars lower than the lady down the street with the fancy set up if you think that will make you feel better and it might help since money talks sto many families. BUT do not label yourself as "just a babysitter" or you will not be taken seriously by any families. They will think this is a stopgap measure for you and that you are not serious. Let them know your plan, show them that you have the basics and that you will be using a portion of your income to expand what you are offering based on the ages of the children that come into care. Then make the local thrift stores your weekly destination and then it doesn't feel so bad to buy a $2 toy a week and it means you will be there when that great deal on the childsize table and chair or painting easle comes in. Do not sell yourself short. If you feel this is the right career choice for you then go for it.

I am in 100% agreeance with playfelt!! Please, please, please do not sell yourself short. A kind and loving caregiver is as important as one who can produce a curriculum and has specific centres set up.
I, personally, do not have things set up for my ideal care situation. We have a basement suite in our home, and in a perfect world, that is where my daycare would be. But right now we have family living down there, so I have my own family and the daycare stuffed into half of our home, lol.
Are you giving children food, providing activities for them, wiping their noses and bums, giving them a snuggle before nap, laughing and singing and playing with them? If yes, then you can absolutely charge as much as the lady down the street. Obviously you can't advertise that you have a learning program or whatever, but who cares? A lot of parents just want to know that their kids are cared for appropriately.
NONE of us are "just babysitters". A babysitter, to me, is a teenager who comes to your home to eat all of your junk food, put your kids to bed and spend the rest of the night on the phone with or texting their bf/bff. Hehehe, kidding, but not really. Actually, I know for sure that you would find a wide variance even among the providers here as to what we all offer, etc.

I understand what you all have shared with me, and it's helped with my decision. :)