Watching My Friends Baby

WoW! It truely depends on where you live I guess! Where I live (central MN), $2 an hour would be the going rate WITH the MOM providing diapers, wipes, and formula......

Call a daycare and see what they charge (and who provides what) and then you guys can come up with a rate from there. You should be CHEAPER than a daycare because you are not licensed and don't have to go through all the paperwork and training that they are required to do......

I see you have some responses already, but many appear to be from other parts of the country, which are far less costly than around here. As a social worker who facilitates daycare placements for foster children in your area, I can tell you that $40/day (all day) is a fair minimum. Many daycares (yes, home day cares) in our area charge more like $45-50, and that is with the parent providing diapers, wipes, and formula. The least I have seen is about $30/day. So, I would say about $5/hour is fair. Of course, if you are comfortable with less, go for it. But keep in mind that she will be paying that or more for any other arrangment and probably would not have the flexibility that you are offering her. I would also be clear at the outset about any rate increases you may foresee in future years, as well as vacations and sick days (what would be your/her plan?). Most home-based daycares around here do get paid vacations. I'm not saying you should ask for this, but if you depend on the income and suddenly she takes off for two weeks, it could really affect you. Your friend is very lucky to have this opportune situation available to her, and you are a very kind friend!

My kids go to an in home daycare and we pay $3/ hour for diaper babies and $2.50/ hour for potty trained kids. We provide all diapers, wipes, etc. Mine did not go as babies, but my friend's do now and she provides all formula and bottles. The daycare lady provides regular food for the older kids, but since she is licensed, she gets a stipend from the state.

i'm also a stay at home mom and watch other kids....i charge $2.50 an hour for one child. but with a three month old i would go no higher than $3.50. also your pay can be effected by if she is providing food as the child gets older? is she are planning on putting the child care on her taxes? i don't file taxes on my extra money. make sure you get that straight too.

You could get on Craigslist and look at posts to see what the local going rate is. Or post your services and see what people are willing to pay you and then discuss the data with your friend.

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You could get on Craigslist and look at posts to see what the local going rate is. Or post your services and see what people are willing to pay you and then discuss the data with your friend.

There are Federal laws that govern watching children in your home. It's called the Child Care Facility Licensing Act. Please call your child care licensing agency and see if what your state laws are regarding this before you take the chance of getting huge fines for running an unlicensed child care facility. Some states allow you to watch one or two children without having to be licensed. It's not hard to get a license either if you decided to do that.

I would also call around to see what home day cares are charging. If she is lower income she could qualify for subsidized child care expenses and only pay a small co-pay. If you are licensed and get a contract to receive those funds you could make much more money and she could pay MUCH less.
Also, if you get licensed you can count off a percent of your house payment, utilities, phone, buying toys and supplies, etc...on your taxes. They become business expenses.

But please take this as just a "watch out for yourself" kind of note. If even one of your neighbors call it in that you are watching kids and aren't licensed the state can descend on you like a flood. People watch their friends kids all the time, switching out for an occasional evening out, etc...but watching a child on a scheduled basis is child care not just babysitting.

This is just a thought based on how much a nanny would get an hour. Our nanny gets $12/hr., some get less some more. Assuming this is just among friends and won't be taxed income, perhaps you ask for 70% of the going rate, maybe $7-8/hr. That way you are still getting paid what you would after taxes if it was a "real" job. It's cheaper for her, but still beneficial for you too. I don't know what the going rate is in your town, but just make it fair for both of you and your financial situations.

Remember 3 months is an age that babies need a lot of attention. I'm sure you know. Just don't put yourself in a position where you end up not comfortable with the rate you've suggested. You don't want to put a strain on your friendship. Good luck!

I'd recommend calling around to places locally and seeing what the cost of day care is at a facility vs. in-home to come-up with a fair rate.

You'll also need to make sure to report the income to the IRS - if not, you could be in a world of trouble down the road.

One thing I'd advise is to make sure you're on the same page when it comes to you having the baby in the car when you need to take your kids to appointments, what to do if the baby is sick (so your family isn't) and what to do on days that you need to take off.

I think it's great she has a friend who can help - I'd just want to make sure to keep this part of the friendship very business-related so it doesn't affect the personal side.

We're in a very low-cost part of the country - I have a friend that was paying $25/day for her kids until a recent switch (in case that helps).

Good luck.

I charge $30 a day for infants to 2 years of age.