Hi! I am looking at taking a couple of before and after school kids. I am just wondering what people are charging for this service? I live in Hamilton, Ontario and would appreciate any input.
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Hi! I am looking at taking a couple of before and after school kids. I am just wondering what people are charging for this service? I live in Hamilton, Ontario and would appreciate any input.
I was wondering the same thing. I think $15
I would say $15. That is what I charge my afterschool kid. However, they are subsidy so parent doesn't need to pay.
I charge $20 per day to a maximum of 4 hours. If it's just before or just after, I charge $15 per day to a maximum of 2 hours. I am in a smallish town in the GTA. I am sure you could charge more in larger cities.
I think that what you suggest with the hours makes great sense. $15 seems to be okay for a short period but it pains me that a teenage babysitter makes more that me!
I charge $20 for both before and after school care (maximum of 3 1/2 hours).
Before care is $12 (maximum of 1 1/2 hours) and after care is $12 (maximum of 2 hours).
This is why I do not offer before and after school care ~ society does not value the service at all and expect us to suddenly take a cut in pay to offer this service to them .... honestly the before and after school programs that offer this service have a 1:15 ratio and charge the SAME or MORE than $15 a day in some communities .... they typically do not provide food and take place in a gym and so forth where kids just 'run around' for a couple of hours entertaining themselves with very little program expense for the organizations offering it?
I always wonder why home childcare providers sell themselves short when we offer a smaller ratio with a consistent adult and a homemade snack option and so forth .... we offer a premium service to clients and should be able to charge a premium service but yet our fees are consistently and substantially lower than 'centres' because it is assumed that they offer better service :roll:
The child is still taking up a 'space' in my program and ratio and well I prefer to have a full time child and get full time fees than to have to drag my self and the rest of my crew back and forth to the school in all sorts of weather in order to collect the school age children all for the privilege of earning less money ... yup sign me up ;)
Unless you have to make that 'trek' anyway to get your own kids weigh doing this carefully cause lots of providers 'start' and than 1 month into winter regret it! Also if there is a demand for this service in your area than make sure you charge a FAIR wage to yourself considering the amount of PITA factor this service requires so that when it is -40 and storming outside and you are having to dress up your other daycare children and trek to the school you are not making that walk thinking 'crap why I am doing all this for a measly $15 a day it hardly seems worth it' ;)
I charge $20/day, and that's max 2 hours (an hour in the morn, and an hour in the afternoon). If they would like either one or the other, I charge $15 (and that's for the hour).
If they're here in the morning, I don't serve breaky or a snack. If they're here in the afternoon, I give them a snack if their lunch bag is empty (otherwise they have to finish what's in their lunch).
Remember, you have to charge them a little more as you're having to get the rest of the kiddos ready for outside (especially during the winter). That takes the time and effort that parents don't realize.
Oh, and I don't usually take them for full days (ie PD Days, summers, etc), as I don't have the spaces. But if I did, I would charge between $40-45/day.
I'm charginf $15 for just after school and $25 for before and after.
same as little dragon ...... but i never do more then one at a time ...and i would like to cut it out entirely truth be told .....
The ONLY time I have done before and after care was if there was a sibling here all day OR the before/after child didn't take up a spot for a potential all day child..i.e. all day kid leaves at 3:45 and the before/after child comes off the bus about 4 pm. (also...there is no travel for me) I wouldn't go out of my way by packing up all other children in care and traveling to the school just to pick up a child for a value of 15$. not worth it! for me.
The reason I am "selling myself short" is because I couldn't get any other clients, despite having tried since the middle of June.
I really don't mind my position right now...I have ONE kid from 8:30-3:30 every day but Tuesdays, when I have two kids. I have before and after kids for a grand total of 15 mins in the am's and 1.5 hours after school. Doing this, I am still making over $600 a week. Not bad, IMO.
Also, I don't have to do a run, as the kids are walked (with their parents permission) by my 12 year old every day.
It CAN work out for some.
Wow, I'd like to make that much money for that few kids!!!!! Good for you alpha, keep up the brilliant maneuvering! :thumbup:
Oh wait...did I mention that I have Thursdays completely OFF until after school?? ;)
Sorry I did not mean to single out those who offer before and after school as selling them selves short .... I was actually including myself in that statement as I was speaking of 'providers in general' ~ collectively we have always charged less than 'big licensed centres' which IMO after having worked for almost 2 decades in that environment actually offer less individual service to clients with less focus on nutrition and high ratios and other things that are proven in research to 'affect quality learning for kids' .... I have always wondered 'why' this is our history considering that the service we offer is premium in comparison to our counter parts ... all the current research indicates that young children thrive in smaller ratios with a more home like environment ~ centres and schools are now trying to 'emulate' what we already offer trying to make institutionalized care more 'homey' because more and more studies show that children thrive in small home schooled settings .... just one of those things that makes me go hmmm about how society thinks is all!Quote:
Originally Posted by Alphaghetti
I had to sell myself short when I started out because I feel that I should be able to charge privately the same fee that an 'agency charges' for the same service because well IMO my service exceeded theirs ;) However the market would not bare my logic and I had to lower my fees down to the 'high end of private fees' in order to attract clients initially to get 'started' and than worked at raising them over the next few years but I still have to charge less than 'agency' does despite the fact that those inflated fees agencies charge has nothing to do with the quality of service on the front line and instead is all about the covering cost of management and adminstration :roll
Holy crap ~ fees in your neck of the woods must be high ~ honestly that is what I make having 4 full time kids!Quote:
Originally Posted by Alphaghetti
20X5=100 One B/A kid - she's ten and doesn't count toward my ratio. :D
20X5=100 Her brother B/A
20X5=100 B/A
20X5=100 Her brother
40X3=120 PT baby
40X3=120 PT toddler
Nice ... being $20 a day for the b/a children certainly helps cause that is an extra $25 a week per child compared to the $10-15 normally charged for the service and in my neck.
I'm in Hamilton as well and I charge 15 a day for before and after or just one or the other. If they are only here after, it's still 15, just before still 15. The local schools charge 19 for their before and after school program and they go until 6, I only work until 5:30. So, I'm kinda stuck on 15. I don't do anymore then 1 before and after though.
I'm jealous of your schedule. It's a great example of work smarter not harder.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alphaghetti