Percentage Towards Daycare

Mom987 · November 2013

Hi all!

I'm curious to see what percentage of your total takehome pay you pay towards full time childcare. Right now, DH and I take home $6,601/month after taxes, insurance and 6-9% 401(k). Our childcare for 2 kids is $850 every 4 weeks, so $921/month, so about 14%. We've been happy with their daycare for 2+ years (ages 3 and 8 months), but recently our 3 year old was injured while at daycare and we're considering other places. The prices are more than double, $1,946/month (29.5%) for the one run by our church, and $1,560 (23.6%) for another private daycare that doesn't even have a spot open for our 8 month old (that would be the total price if our 8 month old joined). I'm just curious of what other people pay.

Thank you!!

hoffse · November 2013

Well I don't have a child (yet), but I've researched daycare costs. In my area it would be about 10% of our take-home pay for H and I with one child. This is with H working too (currently in school).

How was your three year old injured? I used to get scrapes and bruises all the time in daycare, but it was my own fault - I played rough, and that's just what happened on the playground. Now the preschool teacher who spanked me? Yeah, my parents took care of that one immediately.

I guess I'm wondering if the injury was preventable or whether it was just your 3yo being a 3yo.

Mom987 · November 2013

After I posted this I actually realized someone would ask this. We are very laid back parents, but a 4-5' wooden bookshelf (cubby unit) fell onto our 3 year old that wasn't bolted into the wall or ground. He fell onto the ground and hit his head and bruised his back. It was preventable, but also could have been SO much worse. Also, both DH and I took 1/2 day off work and went to urgent care with x-rays, which we've ready asked them to reimburse. That's why.

Mom987 · November 2013

Already* asked them to reimburse.

brij2006 · November 2013

Honestly, I know you're not happy about the bookshelf situation but it can happen. It could've happened at a grandparents home, your home, anywhere. Accidents happen, and that's exactly what it was. Daycare centers try to protect as much as they can from accidents happening, and if you've been pleased with them up until now, then I would stick with them. I know it doesn't make you feel better about the situation, but it can happen.

To answer your question, when we looked into daycare costs ours was 18% of our take-home pay for the most expensive center. An at home daycare was 13%.

Mom987 · November 2013

I totally understand what you're saying. I just thought a childcare facility would bolt down large furniture pieces. This just happened yesterday, so that's why I'm still mad.

thank you both though for your responses!

hoffse · November 2013

Hmmm that does sound pretty preventable. Daycares should certainly childproof...

Did they take this incident seriously? Have the checked the rooms for this problem with other furniture? If so, I might be inclined to stay. If not, then I would probably move on.

Mom987 · November 2013

I do think everyone there cares. When I got there to pick him up, the director, teacher and another girl were all with him in the front office. Then this morning another teacher was also concerned and gave me a hug. They removed the shelf once it happened and I do think they're seeing it as a learning experience (I haven't been the most friendly to find all the details, to be honest). So all we've done is research those two other daycare options near us in the meantime.

vlagrl29 · November 2013

I think the only way to get affordable day care is an in home daycare. One of my GF's has had her DD in one for 3 years and it's going really well. We can't afford daycare so I SAH

Xstatic3333 · November 2013

I worked in group daycares for three years. The fact that they are making some positive changes is a good sign, but yikes, that shelf should have been bolted! I'm really shocked it wasn't.

I second checking in-home options, especially for the 8 mo. Despite having a center-based background, that's what I'll probably do once we have kids. Just ask tough questions and check references. If you search you can probably find a great place run by someone with an early childhood degree who puts in a lot of time and effort. The prices you mentioned would be on the low end of standard for quality centers in my HCOL area, but I'm sure that varies hugely.

hoffse · November 2013

Question about the in-home options for people who know about it: are these licensed facilities? I'm asking because in my state it's illegal to have children at in-home centers if they are unlicensed. I just don't know much about it, but it might be worth thinking about.

maple2 · November 2013

In response to your initial question, we pay almost 30% of our take home pay (post retirement savings, which would change the percentage by quite a bit) for child care expenses for 2 kids. We pay more for childcare than we do for our mortgage. Another option you could consider is a nanny. In our area, the cost for a nanny is pretty comparable to the cost for daycare for 2 kids.

Sisugal · November 2013

Consider hiring a nanny to come and do child care in your home.

Sisugal · November 2013

Consider hiring a nanny to come and do child care in your home.

Xstatic3333 · November 2013

hoffse said:
Question about the in-home options for people who know about it: are these licensed facilities? I'm asking because in my state it's illegal to have children at in-home centers if they are unlicensed. I just don't know much about it, but it might be worth thinking about.

It varies state by state. In MA they are licensed and subject to some decently strict standards regarding ratios, safety precautions, "curriculum" (which can be play-based but shouldn't be haphazard or random), etc. I'd imagine most states have some sort of licensing system, but that the standards vary.

Xstatic3333 · November 2013

A nanny could be a great idea, too. They are cheaper in some areas, especially if you have flexibility in your work schedules so you don't actually need 40-45 hours of care.

Mom987 · November 2013

Thank you for your suggestions! Update this morning, if anyone is interested. He is turning 3 next month, but he has been in the 3's class for 2-3 months now (he gradually visited throughout the day and then eventually would go there for the whole day). This morning, they had me drop him off in the 2's classroom instead, which he doesn't like anymore since he's been in the 3's. The director wasn't there and the teacher said she's find out why, but maybe the owners/director wanted him to go back to the 2's since he wasn't technically eligible to be in the 3 year old room? We did ask for reimbursement on his urgent care/x-ray bills, so maybe they have to find a way to cover their bases and have him in his correct room? Thanks for listening.

Xstatic3333 · November 2013

Is there any chance that the 3's teacher was running late so several children were dropped off in the 2's to maintain proper ratios?

At the centers I worked at, "toddlers" ended and "preschool" began at 2 years 9 months. Ratios allowed changed at this time, and mixing ages was fine as long as proper ratios were maintained (1:4 or 2:9 for toddlers and 1:10 for preschool) I can't recall if the legal basis for this was state or national, but the point is that your LO should be fine in the 3's room. A lot of centers keep cohorts who will be in the same grade together so they hit their birthdays at different times but advance as a unit.

I don't want to sound harsh, but if they did just arbitrarily move your LO back to the 2's without consulting you, explaining why, or transitioning him properly, that is extremely unprofessional. Switching daycare rooms is a big deal at that age! I don't care if they want to cover their liability bases by putting him in a lower-ratio room, ripping him away from his new friends and teachers is a horrible practice that could really upset some children. I hope it turns out there's another explanation...let us know how it goes!

Mom987 · November 2013

Thank you Xstatic3333. We went to the 3's class and the teacher was there with her group and told us to go to 2's today.

The director wasn't there at the time I dropped him off, but the very sweet 1's teacher hugged him and helped him into the 2's room (the 1's and 2's were together for breakfast).

Xstatic3333 · November 2013

I'm sorry to hear that. It does sound like the center has some very caring teachers! Hopefully you'll get to talk to the director soon and clear everything up.

Wulfgar · November 2013

For us we pay my MIL 12% of our take home pay. This is a little less then our mortgage, we live in a house that my wife bought for 70k. If we paid to have him in a regular day care it would be closer to 20% based on where we would put him.

cbee817 · November 2013

Ours has varied over the last 3 years- 2011, we just had DD#1 going 2 days a week (my mom watched her the other days) so that was 6%. For 2012, DD#2 was born in May, but didn't start going until September, so it went up to 8.5%. 2013, they were part time until October (my mom got a full time job) and are now full time so this year was 14%. We're projecting 2014 to be about 19.5%. It's more than our mortage (~16%) but it'll only be for a few more years.

jlaOK · November 2013

We have 2 in daycare (3-yr-old and newborn). We pay ~20% of our take home pay.

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