Rate changes

[JennJubie]

I am raising my rates from $35 a day to $37. I have a family who started care just in April. Would you raise their rates come January? They will have been here eight months by that point. Just looking for some input.

I say January because that's when I've stated in my contract that rate changes may occur. Anyone who signs on with me from this point on will be charged the higher rate.

[apples and bananas]

If your contract says that's the month then I would assume, as a client, that rates may go up at that time, regardless of when I sign on. I think January is far enough away from April that it shouldn't make a difference.

At the end of the day... if your contract states a rate increase could occur in january then clients should expect that.

[Momof4]

I renew my contracts on Sept. 1st. It makes sense to me because that's when you lose kids to JK. Also, there is too much to think about on Jan. 1st.

Anyway, if I sign people on after Jan. like now, I would make the contract guaranteed until Sept. 2014.

[sunnydays]

I do pretty much what Momof4 does except that I renew contracts in January. If a family has been with me less than a year, I don't raise rates (but if it were more than 10 months, I might do it). I also don't raise rates more than a dollar per year, but that is what is in my contract.