After School Kids - Rates for 1 hour of care?

[Spixie33]

Hi...I need advice on after school rates. I have a boy that I will be doing after school care for from Sept - dec.

I don't like doing after school but the parents live a few houses down and knew I did daycare and asked me.

I told the parents $15 when they asked me my rate.

They only need me 1 hour for after school - no before school.

Yesterday at pickup the mom seemed to hint that she thinks the rate is too much. She said "So your price is really $15 per day huh?"
Which of course to me (translated) means -- "Don't you think that is a lot?"

Now they have me feeling bad. I only have to walk a few houses down to get the child from the bus stop so it is not like I have to go far and the child is at my house less than an hour before the parents get home.

I feel bad and am considering telling them that I will drop to $10 but on the other hand I still feel it is an extra trip I have to take out with my smaller daycare kids that we wouldn't have to get our shoes, coats etc on unless I was doing this after school care so I feel like I can't go any lower than that even if it is only 1 hour.

Ahhhh

So the question is.....if you were doing afterschool care for 1 hour per day for this child - what would you think is fair?

[zen39]

I think where I am the average for before and after school care is anywhere from $15 - 25. For me, my rate is $25 (although all my spots are presently full day). My rate is not negotiable, whether the parent uses 3 hours of after school care or whether they use only one hour. If this was me and my rate was $25, I would say it's $25. I'm not cutting you a deal because you want only an hour.

Good luck!

[Play and Learn]

For before and after school the rate is $20. But one or the other is $15. I only have the kids in care for 2 hours max for before & after. It's not too much. And usually with after school, I tend to give the kids a snack.

[playfelt]

The rate sounds fine to me. If mom explain that it is $5 for the pickup, $5 for the snack, and $5 for hour of care.

[Skysue]

For me it all depnds on the child, age etc... in my area it's $15.00 for just afterschool care at centres so I would charge $12 if it was a favour for a neighbour? But thats just me!

[KingstonMom]

I think you should NOT change your rate. it just shows you are flexible on your rates and you run a business based on inconsistant policies.
Just think come the middle of winter. -40 degrees and snow blowing all over. Who wants to go out in that? It doesnt matter if you are walking 5 minutes or 45 minutes, just bundelling up small children is a challanging task on its own and could take you 20 minutes alone. And I would think, geez, Im doing this for a measley $15!!
The parents are lucky to have found you right on their street. If it were anyone else, they would have to drive furthur to pick up their kid and still pay the same if not more.
Some providers have a set rate whether dck is using the before school option or not.
Get ready to expect them to ask you to care on PA days since you are so close to them too probably.
I dont do before and after, but I would charge $15 as well. Even if it just the afternoon portion.

[Junelouise]

I have one boy who is before and after school and I charge $ 15.00 for that, his sister is starting next monday and just after school (grandparents take her to afternoon class) and I am only charging $ 10 for that, but only because I have to get her brother and a couple of other kids anyways..so they are paying $ 25.00 per day for both kids. Mom is providing after school snacks.
I would stick to your $ 15.00 if this is the only kid you have after school, and charge $ 30-35 for PD days.

[kimg]

If that's your rate, don't change it. It isn't like you raised it after she signed on. She wanted you to care for her kid knowing what you charged.

ETA: Opps, I just realized this is a post form 2011. I was just browsing and got carried away.

[mickyc]

Oh wow! I used to give before and after school care. The bus would pick up at my house though so I didn't have to really do anything, the kids got dropped off and they walked to my house and came in. They were really only here for an hour in the morning and an hour 20 minutes after school (sometimes less). I only charged $5 a day per child. I actually charged the one child $2 a day for a bit, upped my rate to $3 for a bit then finally up to $5. Even then the parent thought it was a lot. I also didn't provide the children anything, no snack, no drink, no activities. Majority of the time the kids would watch TV in the morning and then play for a bit in the afternoon (watch TV for the last half hour of the day in winter). They only paid for the days they were here but it was $5 no matter if they were here in the morning, afternoon or both.

I have decided if I take children on the bus again I will be charging $8 a day for the days they need care.

I agree with others - if you said $15 then stick to it. I certainly wouldn't do it if I had to dress all the other kids to go pick up the child. That in itself is work $5! lol. And if you are feeding the child that would be extra. How much time she needs shouldn't matter.

[5 Little Monkeys]

She agreed to use your service at $15 for the day. If she wants something cheaper than it is up to her to find alternate care. I would not decrease your rate.

I personally don't offer to do before and after school care but I am wondering how others do it? If a parent wanted me to do it than they would have to pay full rate as I charge per space and don't want to deal with overlapping children.