Q for those that use daycare

I am starting to look into daycares for when I have to go back to work in the fall. With my DS we had family help so I didn't use daycare so I have no clue what is the norm...

Typically do you pay the daycare for that week even when you go on vacation, or if its a home daycare, even when the owner goes on vacation?

Also do you know of any daycare that offers flex days.. so for example daycares I have talked to so far, you can do full or part time but part time they want set days like, mon/wed/fri. My DH has rotating days off so ideally I'd like to do 4 days, but the day each week that I would not bring the baby would vary.. anyone know if any daycares do something like this (i am in nassau).

Also what would you expect to pay for a center based program vs. at home daycare per week? Just wanted to get an idea of what typically is the norm.

TIA!

Re: Q for those that use daycare

Most day cares charge weekly or monthly. Unless it's a very small in-home day care, expect to pay even when you're on vacation. We pay monthly and the amount doesn't change if there are holidays or if we keep DS home.

I think it will be very hard to find a day care that lets you rotate days off. They need to keep a certain child:teacher ratio all the time, so they need to know exactly how many children to expect each day. A surprise extra child puts the class out of ratio and is then against regulations. We send DS to day care 3 days a week though I once took him on a day that wasn't his day because we had a family emergency, so they accommodated me. I couldn't do that on a regular basis.

Q for those that use daycare

I pay Tutor Time Weekly. I do pay a percentage if my DD is on vacation. I'm not sure if they all run like that but the one I use does.

Re: Q for those that use daycare

DS goes to a home based day care.
Yes, we pay even on days we don't send him. She has the spot saved for him so it's only fair. She does work with us if he's out sick for a few days. As far as vacations, she rarely takes them and usually works with her other staff to limit the number of kids there instead of closing. Last time she went away, she asked us to keep him home one of his usual days but he was able to go the other days. We also had plenty of notice so it wasn't a problem.
I think you'll find more flexibility with an in home day care but due to state regulations it might be hard to find someone who will let you switch the day your daughter doesn't come. They are only allowed 2 kids under 2 per teacher so that makes it harder for them.
We pay $50 per day and we pay her weekly. Hope that helps!

Re: Q for those that use daycare

We do a daycare center, which we were more comfortable with. They do charge you for any weeks that you are not there, they have such a long waitlist, they cannot afford not to.

Re: Q for those that use daycare

Q for those that use daycare

We use a licensed in home daycare. We pay weekly at the beginning of the week. If we go away, we pay. Holiday, pay for most. Not sure about her vacation bc she hasn't taken one since we've been there (almost 6 months). Sick, we pay. Same with snow days.

Last week, DD went 2/4 days. We paid in full.

I can't wait for winter to be over so I don't have to pay for full weeks where she's only there half the time!

ETA: it's still much cheaper than a center so I can't complain *too* much.

Message edited 2/19/2015 3:53:43 PM.

Re: Q for those that use daycare

We use an in-home daycare. We pay per day essentially - so any time we're not there we do not pay for. We pay at the end of the week. IN terms of monthly cost, it's pretty much the same as a daycare center - but we went with the in-home one due to flexibility.

Q for those that use daycare

We use a center and we pay weekly. We get 2 vacations weeks that we only pay 1/2 tuition.

You might just want to pay for the 5 days because the price is probably not going to be much different. Also it gives the flexibility for you to send if there are drs appts or errand your DH needs to do.

I do t know if any that give the flex you want as they have ratios they need to keep and it would create staffing issues.

Re: Q for those that use daycare

I use a big center. Their policy is that after you are there a year, they will give you one week vacation where you don't have to pay when your child is out. The part-time kids in the class have set days so that there are always the same number of kids and teachers in the room and the ratios don't change.

Message edited 2/19/2015 4:52:45 PM.

Q for those that use daycare

you might be better off finding a babysitter or someone who watches kids in their house

Q for those that use daycare

I use a center but a small one. I always pay even if my DS stays home with me. I follow a school calendar. I'm contracted for whole year but they will let me break for summer. I will have to pay 2 weeks to hold my spot for September. I think after a year we can take one week vacation without pay like others mentioned. These rules seemed pretty standard when I was looking. I inquired about 4 days a week but the part time rate at my center was just as much as full time. It was explained that they need to maintain same staff so same money. I pay 365/week for my 8 month old. Price goes down at 18 months when the ratios change.

Q for those that use daycare

I use a center. After 6 Months they allow 1 week vacation credit.

Q for those that use daycare

My kids were at a Tutor Time up until 2 weeks ago, I paid even when they were closed for a holiday or when I kept my kids home. We did 2 days a week and they needed to be the same 2 days each week so my guess is it would be the same for 4.

Q for those that use daycare

We use someone who watches kids in their home. She's great, and she works with us in terms of flexibility. Her full time rate is comparable to a center, but we save a bit of money since we are part time.

Re: Q for those that use daycare

My DH has rotating shifts too. For that reason, I opted to hire a nanny who comes to my house and generally conforms her weekly/daily schedule to match what we need.

I checked into most of the local day cares (including some smaller in-home set ups), and none could match our flex needs.

Costs me a bit more, but she also cleans for me....and I have the luxury of never having to wake DS. Makes my morning routine much easier.

Q for those that use daycare

I'd look for a private sitter

Re: Q for those that use daycare

My son goes to a great daycare in Smithtown. The daycare is also a pre-school and then a private school K-6. They are wonderful and he LOVES going. I'm so lucky, the peace of mind is great. We pay monthly, a monthly rate, for him to go three days - Monday, Wednesday, Friday. My mom watches him Tuesday and Thursday. I couldn't afford five days literally! I now have, since September, a better paying job so I could bump him up but he actually enjoys the time with my mom so much that I'm not going to change that. He's only 17 months old. When he gets to pre-school age I will make it five days. By then, he'll be OK with that and I'm sure my mom will enjoy having a break! We pay the same amount regardless of if we travel or not or if we have off because the daycare has to staff the same people and the money being paid holds his spot -- that helps keep the child to teacher ratio real low, and it is very low which I love, and that helps make it so that he never, ever crib shares or anything. I'm so happy that it's very personal - it's a home-like setting and they do TONS AND TONS of activities and art projects and all sorts of stuff with him. I get a big hand-made book once a month of all the things they did that month and tons of pics of DS doing them all.

I know, when I was looking at daycare places they all did it pretty much the same way -- Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday Thursday OR full five days. It was hard to find ones that deviated from that! It was weird. Luckily, that's what we needed - the three days on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday -- so, it worked. I often wonder how people with odd hours or odd days do this.

I'm not sure about cost in terms of comparison - we never looked at home places. There were a few places in my area that are home-like and kind of "sought after" - like, with mine, I went on a waiting list while I was pregnant to be considered for an open spot. After DS was born a child there moved to California so we got lucky. But, for Monday Wednesday and Friday I pay $1,100 a month - it's certainly not cheap. My word. But at least it's worth it because he loves it.

And FWIW -- the other places in my area - whether they were more of a private school like the one we have (there are two other places like that near us) or whether it was a big chain center like say a Tutor Time - they were alllllll within maybe $50-$60 of each other, per month -- it's not like the cost difference was a lot. THAT shocked me but I guess I shouldn't be shocked! They know what they are charging so they all charge the same, give or take!

The stuff that varies are little things -- like, many places you have to provide linens like blankets and crib sheets... some even a crib mattress! At my son's place they provide all linens, blankets, and mattresses - he gets his own and they are washed daily on-site. It's convenient. In the infant room (6 weeks - 18 months old) you provide the food, bottles, etc. When they are 18+ months old in the toddler room they provide the food. They have catered organic food daily for them. That's great and convenient too. Hours vary from place to place also. Some places it's "drop off and pick up anywhere between 6am and 6pm". At my son's center it isn't like that - they staff very closely to what they need. So, they want to know that I drop off at 7-7:30am each morning and pick up about 4-4:30pm ya know? It all depends on the place.

Hope this helps -- it can be confusing. When I did my research, I searched online and I toured many places in person and I kept a notebook and took notes and pics and wrote everything out so I could compare to each other a lot easier than trying to remember. Also, a lot of places give this kind of info on their website.

It's an undertaking

Re: Q for those that use daycare

Re: Q for those that use daycare

Re: Q for those that use daycare

My Tutor Time does flex days.
I used to vary between 2 days a week and 3 days a week.
I would also vary the days.
They didn't care at all.
Super flexible.
They have a large enough staff that they could handle the ratios even with the changes.

If you are going on vacation you have to pay half tuition for that week.

Message edited 2/20/2015 11:11:37 AM.

Re: Q for those that use daycare

Re: Q for those that use daycare

Re: Q for those that use daycare

Thanks- I did call the TT near me but they do not offer the flex days. I guess it varies by location. So i'll probably have to do the FT rate wherever I end up.

Thanks for all of the helpful responses.

Re: Q for those that use daycare