Childcare costs

12 hours seems like a very long time to have a kid in daycare. I *think* most centers have a 10 hour limit, but I could be wrong.

I think some options are that nurses who do 12's use the center for 10 hours and then a sitter for 2 hours.

For my four year old I pay per day- 25 dollars...more expensive for the younger kids. Check with where you are going to take your child to make sure they have a drop off capability because someplaces require set days even if it is just once in awhile. As far as twelve hour shifts, where my son goes it is not even open for 12 hours...so you might have to come up with a solution for the hours not covered.

My experience has been that most child care places don't accept occasional users. The reasoning is that you have to pay "full-time" to secure your child's spot or else they may not have room for your child when you need it. My neighborhood has only one center that allows occasional use and the other places charge $70.00 to $95.00 a week whether you use it or not.

I wound up going PRN to get a flexible schedule, but am unable to work full-time because of child care issues.

My daughter is school-age and I was paying someone $50 per day to watch her in the morning and then pick her up from school and watch her until I came home. On the weekends it would cost be about $86 per day and I was just wondering if that is how others pay or if I could offer a flat daily rate, thereby reducing my costs a bit. I'm just not too sure what is reasonable and acceptable. Thanks everyone for your replies!:)

I Had to work PRN cause I could not put my kids in daycare for 12-14hours at a time. Seemed unfair for them, and most daycares are not open that long around here anyhow. I just work around dh's schedule. (we are military too---have you checked the base/post home day care situations----and the daycare center?)

My daycare cost for a 10 hour day maximum is $60/day for 2 children under 1 year. The center is open for 11 hours.

They don't allow occasional use either; we pay a monthly fee for guaranteed placement 4/days week (on Wednesdays they spend the day with Grandma).

I Had to work PRN cause I could not put my kids in daycare for 12-14hours at a time. Seemed unfair for them, and most daycares are not open that long around here anyhow. I just work around dh's schedule. (we are military too---have you checked the base/post home day care situations----and the daycare center?)

Thanks for the reply. I was actually working prn, but there were times when I needed childcare and it was so expensive. She was using before/after school care at her school (private school), but sometimes I look at the tuition and then figure additional childcare and it seems sooo expensive. We just moved to PA and I'm hoping to find another prn job. Hubby just retired from the Army and we're not near a base, but I was never too fond of military places anyway:) Thanks!