How Much to Babysit?

I agree with some of the other posters--I do home daycare & one family I watch comes for After School care only. I have a set rate of $8/day for before OR after school care, or $12/day for before AND after school care. You have to think--If it is 2.5-3.5 hours a day, you will be helping with homework & providing her a snack. So, you really should take that into consideration.
Hope this helps!!
J.

I would think maybe $60 a week. A 9 year old really isn't much work.

Most business "after school care" centers start around $50/week. Assume that you will be providing snacks for this child also... so "budget" for that when you name your price.

I watch 2 children afterschool and I live in Hall County GA. I have 2 girls 5th & 2nd grade and I watch 2 boys 2nd & 1st grade. Everyone rides the bus to my house. The 2nd grader I watch from 2:45-5 and the 1st grader I watch from 2:45-5:30. I charge different amounts to them both because of my relationship with both. The 2nd grader (next door neighbor) I charge $5 a day. The 1st grader (former pre-school student of mine) I charge $7 a day. I have told them that I am not a daycare so I am not 'holding' a spot for them so I only charge for the days that they are really here..I do not collect if they are sick or out of town or whatever. Our afterschool YMCA is until 5:30 everyday and charges $65 a week if you are at school that day or not. ('holding your spot') If it is a teachers workday then I charge $10 a day. Hope this helps

Every day after school? I used to charge $3 an hour to babysit a friends young son (under a year, required constant supervision) and not that I'd really charge a friend a lot, but that's what she offered.

Another friend had me babysitting her (at the time) 6 and 9 year olds...really, they kept my child entertained! We agreed on 75 cents an hour (she was pretty hard up) and I eventually quit charging her altogether.

It's not as if the person is a close friend of yours, but what is her situation? A nine year old girl is most likely not going to put you out much...will probably do her homework and play quietly, etc...I would've said maybe $2 an hour, $10 a week TOPS, or less.

I was always a softie so I would only charge 10 a day. Then again latchkey charges around 25. Heck when I used to stay home I always had assorted kids finding their way home with mine.

You need to ask locally...in my area even small children only cost about $2.00/hr. $60 a week or $10 a day would be crazy expensive...Then again my aunt gets $20/hour for a 7 year old near Minneapolis.

Check out the local YMCA's afterschool program in your area and then undercut them by 10 or 20 percent, OR increase the cost by 10 or 20 percent.

((In our area 2.5 hours of afterschool care 5 days a week is $1700 per 12 week session... or $141 per child per week. Does not include half days ($50 per half day), no school days ($100 per day), or before school care.))

Your local YMCA will have pretty much the lowest prices in town for quality childcare. So they're a good baseline.

Another thing (or 3) to consider/ work out with the family:

- What do you do on days where you (or your child) is sick as a dog?
- What do you do on days where the 9yo is sick?
- Is this including the school's half days?
- Food
- Days where your child has afterschool activities can you be transporting the 9yo with you as you take your own child to their activities?
- Are they also asking you to take their child to any afterschool activities?
- Homework... as in are you going to be held responsible that it's completed?