How to pay $10 an hours for childcare?

Question

I see that many people suggest to pay $7-$10 for childcare (for 2 kids), but how is that possible when most people make just that or a little more? (minimum wage where I'm from is only like $7 something, I think.) How would they pay for the rest of their bills? I'm a sahm so don't have to worry about it but I'm curious.

Answer 1

Most people pay their child care centers/ baby sitters $4 an hour or around there, depending on the amount of children they watch and if they're reputable or just a 15 year old sitter.

They wouldn't be able to pay their bills, I can tell you that! My mother in law is a single working mother. She likes to keep up with the Joneses (my family) and she can't even pay her electricity bill ($150 a month due to past delinquencies) She earns $12 per hour, forty hours per week, and works four weekend days during the month. She makes about $3,000 a month and also receives child support $600, and a SSI check for her other kid in the amount of $800 a month. She needs to straighten up her finances, but she still pays a sitter $4 an hour. Sometimes she just leaves her kids home alone. So maybe that's how she affords her other bills. I for one, cannot stand this woman. Making a decent income for a single mother, and not paying her basic utility bills, but I betcha her cell phone bill is up to date!!!

Some of these people you refer to, have people help them out (government, state, parents, relatives) with child care. Some people just struggle so they can earn the difference per hour. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive. I could only find a job that pays $8 per hour with a $10 per hour potential with commission. If I paid a sitter $4 per hour, I would lose out on half my hourly wages after tax. That would make me a poor lady! Sometimes you have to figure out if it's even worth working!!

Answer 2

I think you misunderstood.  It's probably $7 an hour for just babysitting, not daycare.  So, babysitting 2 kids for a night out for a few hours. Not daycare who watches your kids for 8 hours.  And $400 a month is pretty darn cheap where I come from.

Answer 3

When the sitting is by-hour ($10), it's usually only an occasional job, like when the parents are going out to a dinner or something. When it's more like a daycare situation, then the price is weekly or monthly. When it's a weekly/monthly situation, then the price usually works out to less than the hourly, because the sitter wants the business. If you're looking for a daycare situation, the going rate is about $25 per day (around $400 a month). If it's hourly, it's usually about $10 per hour.  

Answer 4

That is ridiculous. I have never heard of anyone paying that much, I thought it went per week not per hour. My boyfriends aunt watches my daughter and I pay her $400 a month.

Answer 5

Child care costs a lot. My daycare is 165.00 a week, ad that up for a month.  

Answer 6

I don't think people paying that much are making that little.  They must find a cheaper alternative.

The person I babysit for makes $12/hour and I charge her $20/day for both of her children.  They both come at 7:30am, the oldest takes the bus to school from my house, and then comes back at 3:30, they get picked up at 5:30-6pm.  Broken down into per hour rate I'm charging only $2, and I'm feeding lunch, snacks and a healthy dinner and making sure homework is done so the mother doesn't have to deal with it after a long day at work.  I don't babysit everyday, but that may change soon.

The daycare's where I live charge parents $7/day per child but the government subsidizes it....they get $40.  

Answer 7

I've been a nanny for several families. My last position I made $13.00 per hour. Some people can afford it. I've been offered a position for $16.00 an hour as a nanny, both parents were doctors and they had three kids.

It depends where you live and what you do for a living. The cost of childcare is the reason many people stay home. I personally wouldn't pay anyone LESS than $10.00 per hour. Can you really say that is expensive when you are talking about the well being and safety of a child?

Answer 8

I pay $10 an hour for 30 hours a week (8am-2pm) =$300, but I its for part-time work.  So My nanny has the option of working another job plus there are no taxes, I pay her cash.  I know she lives with a roommate and takes public transportation, so those are some money savers.