What would you charge?

[torontokids]

I have a PT family moving to full time. My full time rate is $5 less per day. They haven't asked me about fees moving to full time so I'm not sure which fee they are expecting to pay. Their child is my only child under 2 yrs old though and I was going to up my under 2 rate except I got pregnant so I never bothered with exploring that. Do you think I should just move forward with the rate they are currently paying ($5 more) but charge for 5 days per week?

[mickyc]

Do they know that you charge others less for full-time? If they do then I would charge them the same as everyone else. If they don't then continue to charge them their current rate x5 days a week.

[kindertime]

I believe the opposite. You run the risk they find out you're charging them more - for no reason. They are sticking with you before your mat leave and going full time to boot. I would give them the "good news" that the daily fee is going down (even though the total is going up.)

[5 Little Monkeys]

Agree with kinder time

[Lee-Bee]

I would act in good faith and charge your normal full time daily rate. They have stuck with you through your mat leave and trust you. I would however make it known. Tell them that your under 2 spots are going to be $5 more than the 2+ spots and therefore the spot their child is taking will cost others X amount but since they are loyal, long standing customers you will give them the over age 2 rate. I assume this child will be at some point in the near future so you would be dropping the family down to the lower rate anyways. This will give you some good karma points.

Once their child is over 2 and you fill the spot with a under 2 up the fee as you had originally planned.

It seems wrong to over charge them more per day than other full time families once they turn full time just because they are currently paying more to use a part time space. I would find it hard to put trust in my child's provider if I was to learn they were over charging me.

If you do want the $5 more a day then you need to do it formally, let them know that they pay $5 more as part time and that the rate would normally have been lowered but since the new bill has changed things you are increasing the rate for under 2. You will then have to lower it when the child turns 2.

[torontokids]

So I opted to charge them the regular full time fee (which was due to a increase but I chose not to increase due to my mat leave.) She was happy to hear her fee would be going down.

[fivelittleones]

I have one flat rate for all ages. Is it more common to charge less for over 2? Still lots of learning and crafts, outings, potty training, preparing for school. No diapers, but still same amount of work for me.

[mickyc]

I have one flat rate for all ages. Is it more common to charge less for over 2? Still lots of learning and crafts, outings, potty training, preparing for school. No diapers, but still same amount of work for me.

I prefer children 16 months and over. It's hard to fill as most kids are 11- 14 months when they start daycare. I have started charging $2 more per day for under 16 months.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I have one flat rate for all ages. Is it more common to charge less for over 2? Still lots of learning and crafts, outings, potty training, preparing for school. No diapers, but still same amount of work for me.

I had thought about having 2 rates but decided not too. Like you said, the amount of work is the same just different type of work. It also keeps it nice and simple for bookkeeping.

Centres do charge more for different ages though so I don't think it's unusual but just more uncommon for hdc's to do so IME

[torontokids]

I have always charged the same for all ages. With the new Bill, the under 2's were going to become a premium rate for me as the spaces became more scare.