How much to pay for in-home childcare for a newborn?

[Lisa799]

I work at home full time and will be taking 8 weeks off after my little squish arrives. Once I'm working again, I will need childcare in order to be able to keep up with my normal work schedule. I've been debating my options for a while and decided that having someone come to our house would be the most desirable option. I am home all day so I will be in the house but unavailable for a portion of the day while I am in meetings, etc.

We live in Dayton, OH and the COL in this area is pretty reasonable. A friend who is a SAHM has voiced an interest in bringing her son with her and taking the job. I wouldn't expect her to be responsible for other duties while she's here (cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc) but we would be providing her and her son with food. I'm stumped at how to decide on what to pay her - for one thing, I'm not sure how many hours she'll be here (we're going to decide on a schedule while I'm out on maternity leave). I don't think it's going to be 40 hours a week - I think a good estimate would be about 25 hours a week on average (sometimes will be more and sometimes less, depending on my meeting schedule at work).

Financially, my DH and I would be a lot more comfortable deciding on a weekly flat rate but we have no idea where to even begin on an amount. I don't want to take advantage of a friend but I don't want to overpay because we have a friendship either.

Any thoughts on how to go about figuring this out?

[isabelsmummy]

What is minimum wage where you are?
Here, for a nanny, we would generally pay $14-18/hr and by comparison minimum wage is $10/hr.
Nannies who bring their own children are generally paid a bit less.

[Palooka]

I'm paying my nanny $13.50/hour, minimum wage here is over $8/hour I think. We also have a newborn.
Flat rates are tempting, but there's always a danger that one party will feel short changed while the other is oblivious. I've made a deal with our sitter that she's guaranteed 25hrs/week, even if we end up needing her less, and anything over 25 we pay at the hourly rate. This gives us incentive to find a schedule that utilizes her time wisely, without going over, and she seems happy knowing she'll receive a minimum salary each week.
If she were bringing her own child I would probably pay 20-25% less per hour, but I wouldn't mention the food thing unless she and her son are truly eating you out of house and home. It helps to make a grocery list with the sitter and go shopping before they arrive so there is food they know is there for them to enjoy.

[doodah]

you can check other ads on craigslist and similar places and see what other nannies would charge. try looking at sittercity or care.com

you might also consider the issues with her bringing her son....what if he is sick? what if she is sick? what if he does not get along with your child, is bored at your house or worse, destructive in your house? maybe you know her and her son really well but I have heard that these issues are common when you hire a nanny that brings their own child with them. whatever you do, have a contract in writing!

[mabelinoad]

I charged $30 a day per baby until 1 year old. What if baby went to her house?

[Palooka]

Originally Posted by mabelino I charged $30 a day per baby until 1 year old.

WOW! Are you looking for work? We're paying a little over 100$/day, and she's not even the most expensive I've seen

[jamilynn84]

I brought my kids with and got paid $11 an hour... I worked 20-30 hours a week.

Apologizing in advance for iPhone typos/autocorrect

[Windexqueen22]

I am a SAHM and watch a baby at my house 3-5 days a week! I charge a flat rate of $50/day for 5days and $75/day for 3 days! That is roughly $1000 a month depending on the amount of days!

Personally I wouldn't pay her less b/c she is bringing her son along! I am sure if she could afford childcare she would send her child somewhere! As a SAHM I understand that times are tough and she most likely needs all she can get!

I like the idea of guaranteed hours a week and then paying by the hour of it is more! Good luck mama!

[jenbengtson]

I charge 250 a week for a new born for full time time care.

[luvsviola]

Most around here charge $15 an hour, plus you have to pay their SS, taxes, and they can file for unemployment when you fire them. Many people I know go through agencies so they can be sure all the taxes are paid correctly.

I would set a weekly fee with her, though. It is hard to plan your budget when you don't know how many hours you are going to get each week.