Quote Originally Posted by Inspired by Reggio View Post

So when clients look at a $35 a day cost for their childcare and think we are 'rolling in cash' sometimes I think they FORGET that much of that goes to the cost of FEEDING their kids a healthy array of foods each day, program supplies and well not to mention the rising cost of utilities to keep them warm, wash-roomed and clean handed ... my sewage bill since I started doing daycare is INSANE from the hand washing and toilet flushing of all the 'waste' 5 children can produce!
I emphatically second your thought !!! My sewage/water costs have skyrocketed and now that I have 3 kids toilet training I feel like I am using a roll of Toilet paper a day and burning through my household supply. In a way it is not fair because before the parent supplied wipes and diapers but now that the kids are training - all the cleaning supplies like the toilet paper and all the flushing/water costs are added to my plate.

Not to mention the kids go and help themselves to tissues and then flush them or decide to flush multiple times on their own.

I also agree that parents probably think we are rolling in the money and have so much money to spare but I have receipts that say otherwise. All the supplies are expensive, replacing a toy, the electricity, heat (we keep the house warmer with daycare than we would for ourselves) and the food are all big money.

I think for 2011 I did over $10,000 in groceries and I know a lot of it is the daycare. If it was my family ...I wouldn't be buying strawberries for $5 in the dead of winter or watermelon from Costco at $9.00