What to charge, special situation.

I am hoping you wonderful ladies can give me some advice.

One of my DCP spoke with me and asked if I would consider keeping their two children from 8pm on a Monday night until 10am the Sat morning. The children are 5 and 8. I have been providing care for this family for 4yrs and they are like family of corse. Mom and dad are going to Vegas for an anniversary vacation. Grandparents would normally babysit, however are moving on the 25th so can't and have offered to pay what ever I would charge.

The children s/b in school (haha, talk potential strike yet) and so I would provide breakfast, snacks and lunch for school as well as have them sleep at my house and any excursions to keep kids busy.

What would you charge for this?

Also would you charge more, and how much, if there is no school due to teachers strike.

Thank you!

If no school, I would charge normal all day rate per child.

Overnight care not cheap. Sure, children will be sleeping but you are still responsible for the 24 hours, it still impact on family plans, it still mean that you unable to socialize, have supper plans with friends or whatever might normally happen without them. You still have two lot of bedding to launder and change. Extra shower or bath water.

I would charge $100 per child for overnight responsibility and restriction on personal time. Plus standard all day rate if children school not open.

Normal daily rate if there is no school. I also just charge my daily rate for overnight care. But that's just me.

I would charge normal day rate for day and then $100 for both children overnight (not each).

Regular daily fee plus $10/hr per child for overnight. That's a huge responsibility, it's not just one or two days/nights. I personally wouldn't do it.

If there is a strike how will it affect your numbers to have the 2 extra kids all day?
I don't think it that big a job. Its Monday-Saturday morning so you still get your 2 weekends. Ideally the kids are both in school so it won't be 24/7 for the full time. I think $100 a night is pretty reasonable. Could do more if you want. I don't think I'd charge for each child. It isn't really that much more work to have 2 versus 1...it may actually be easier as they can play together and keep each other company.

you've been working with the family for 4 years so you likely have a good idea of how the week will play out.

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Originally Posted by Suzie_Homemaker

If no school, I would charge normal all day rate per child.

Overnight care not cheap. Sure, children will be sleeping but you are still responsible for the 24 hours, it still impact on family plans, it still mean that you unable to socialize, have supper plans with friends or whatever might normally happen without them. You still have two lot of bedding to launder and change. Extra shower or bath water.

I would charge $100 per child for overnight responsibility and restriction on personal time. Plus standard all day rate if children school not open.

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Wow where do you live? I think having a children during the day is a bigger responsibility then at night time when they are sleeping.

100 per kid sounds too high. I would charge by daily rate for the day and over night I charge 10 dollars extra on top on daily rate. So if I charge 45 per day for the night I would charge 55 per night

Also if you are doing any special outings they pay for that too. I agreed to this in the past and we already planned to go to the Toronto Zoo so parents had to pay for the childs admin fees.

Thank you all for your responses. I will use your wisdom as you all seem very close to the same $ amount. Have a great day. ��