Going Away From Hourly Rates

[MSHY]

So I’m in the middle of ChildNet 3.0. I recently graduated from DMACC in Iowa with my CDA credential. I have provided in-home daycare for over 16 years. When I lived in Ames, Iowa I paid per week for my child in daycare. When I moved to a SMALL rural town in Northeast Iowa per week rates wouldn’t fly in 2006! Now that I am much more experienced, times have changed and there is a daycare desert here in this town. I need to get away from hourly rates. Meaning I only charge for when the children are here. I do charge max of 2 sick days for myself and get paid 5 days of vacation and the Holidays paid. But I have parents bucking on the change! The centers in town charge a flate rate for 0-20 hours and 20-40 hours. Ppl come on I’m registered and I need to support my family!! One provider told me she averages the hours the mom works (40) and charges a flat per hour * those 40 hours whether the child is there or not! I got the rates for my area from my R & R gal and still how the heck to do make it fair across the board or per family without loosing money! I have a lot of PT families now!!! Help!!

[flying_babyb]

So you either say your not doing part time rates or you charge part time rate to a higher rate due to the fact your being more flexable. So say on average a 40 hr rate is $5 a hour, Charge part time $7 a hour. Figure that into a weekly rate
A example from my old center:

INFANT $235 weekly PART TIME: $155 weekly
ONE $230 weekly PART TIME: $140 weekly
TWO $225 weekly PART TIME: $135 weekly
THREE $220 weekly PART TIME: $130 weekly
FOUR + $210 weekly PART TIME: $120 weekly

[Cat Herder]

I have one rate, all ages, year-round, 10 hours per day availability, per slot. I don't want to juggle hours or expose others to unnecessary germs or behavioral issues. Fewer kids, same pay. No pay, no stay. They do not come in the door on Mondays without online payment having cleared before their arrival, no excuses, ever.

All federal holidays are paid. The parents "do not pay" for my vacation weeks because that is already figured into my weekly tuition rate (annual, divided by 50 weeks instead of 52). Simple. If I take an unexpected day, I credit their account. Fair is fair.

I don't care how they attend, part-time, full-time or not at all. They pay the full tuition, in advance of the week, for that ability. If they decide on Wednesday they are giving up their slot, they lose the money for Thursday and Friday. No other fees are ever paid or refunded, just tuition in advance of the week.

I don't care if they hold the slot for a year without ever attending, it happens often with parents trying to conceive. The first family on my waitlist is offered any available slot. If they turn it down, it goes to the next on the list and they are moved to the bottom. As long as payment clears, it belongs to them. They can send a neighbor's kids if they want.

I prefer simple, and this is the simplest way I have found. I can't even remember my last late payment or being asked the dreaded "What do I owe".