How to figure out child care expenses

[MrsK]

What is the name of your state? Louisiana

Thanks to my ex still not paying support (we're going on 2 months of arrears here...would be more but his mom gave me some $ for him twice), I am looking at possibly going back to work FT to help out with bills.

I've pretty much determined that this is going to be a pattern (him getting a job, paying, losing job due to his stupidness, cant pay for awhile...) & so its probably best that I work & collect $ from him when I can.

I am going this week to file with SES (*sigh*) so they can handle the aggravation & court proceedings, plus I want to make sure I'm getting the garnished wages & tax intercepts before the other girl (remember, he has an ex who is pregnant with a kid that is probably his).

Now, I am sure they will want to recalc. support once I am working, which is fine by me.

My problem is how do I determine what amt to put for child care? I have 4 children- 2 are not school aged, 2 are (and the 2 that are in school are my kids with my ex, younger 2 with my husband). I am doing one of two things...

1) Using daycare/a sitter for the kids outside of my home, which means my older 2 will use before/aftercare @ school & a program in the summer

or 2) (and the more likely option)- I will be getting a sitter in my home, who will be here before & after school for my older 2, and all during the day for the younger 2. She would probably be watching the older 2 about 3-4 hrs a day (before school + after school) plus all day in the summer.

Additionally, there will obviously be more child care expenses on days they are off from school that I will not be off (teacher inservice days, other holidays, etc).

Let's say I am going to pay the sitter $800 a month. How do I figure out how much to say is actually for my older 2 kids? I know it will be a very small portion of it. BUT, in the summers, I likely will have to pay more to the sitter, OR I will have to find a summer program for the 2 of them.

My state's calculator asks how much the CP is paying each month for child care...so its not like they can say (or maybe they can?) "Ex pays 50% of child care expenses per month" & I just have to tell him how much it costs me each month for the older 2 & he has to give me 50%. I believe they want to figure it into the support to be paid every month.

I'm confused...I am sure the calc. works fine when one's kids are in daycare full time, year round, but with the 2 older ones in school, obviously its not going to work the same.

Any help? TIA.

 

[CJane]

Ask the sitter that you hire what she'd charge per kid per day for before/after as well as full time.

My kids (2 school-age and 1 toddler) all go to the same sitter. She charges $2/day for before/after care per kid and $10/day for a full day.

She keeps track every month of how many full/half/before&after days that she has each kid and bills me accordingly.

Anyway, it costs me almost the same every month during the school year - within $20 or so anyway, if one of the kids is sick and is there all day or something.

So... I add up what it is per month for the older kids for the school year and x that by 9 and then figure up what it'd be full time for the time they're with me in the summer and x it by 3 and add the two together and then divide by 12.

That reads WAY more complicated than it really is, but I'm sure you get the point.

 

[TheGeekess]

My after school provider charges $45/week. For days they're out of school, it's $10/day more. During the summer, it's $90/week. Her rates are in line with Bama DHR guidelines. You might want to check your state's DHR/CPS site and see if they have guidelines posted.

 

[MrsK]

Ask the sitter that you hire what she'd charge per kid per day for before/after as well as full time.

My kids (2 school-age and 1 toddler) all go to the same sitter. She charges $2/day for before/after care per kid and $10/day for a full day.

She keeps track every month of how many full/half/before&after days that she has each kid and bills me accordingly.

Anyway, it costs me almost the same every month during the school year - within $20 or so anyway, if one of the kids is sick and is there all day or something.

So... I add up what it is per month for the older kids for the school year and x that by 9 and then figure up what it'd be full time for the time they're with me in the summer and x it by 3 and add the two together and then divide by 12.

That reads WAY more complicated than it really is, but I'm sure you get the point.

Thanks CJ. I will figure it out, I dont think it looks too complicated. The help is much appreciated!

 

[MrsK]

My after school provider charges $45/week. For days they're out of school, it's $10/day more. During the summer, it's $90/week. Her rates are in line with Bama DHR guidelines. You might want to check your state's DHR/CPS site and see if they have guidelines posted.

Thanks! I will check into that.

 

[CourtClerk]

It would probably be easier to calculate if you used a daycare center because (obviously) their rates would be on paper, but just asking the sitter to break down the amounts per child should work.

On a side note, I am jealous... completely jealous at what you guys pay for childcare. Before/After school care for Stink costs me $444/mo. but it's the same amount all year long, includes summers (all day).

 

[TinkerBelleLuvr]

Hey CC - our school district's is mighty cheap too! We pay $30/week for 4/5 days. It's an additional $10 per day if they don't have school. I believe it's $90/week when they are there in the summer, or for Spring Break.

Now, I landed up switching to the Boys & Girls club because it's $50/school year, plus field trip money. Middle school doesn't have extended day like the elementary did so we had to get creative.

 

[CourtClerk]

Stink is in Middle School, but I've been paying that amount since he was in the 5th grade. I use the YMCA though because I'm not fond of the Boys & Girls Club over here, during the summer though, his field trips are included, which is good because they go on a trip 3 days a week during the summer... and they aren't cheap ones either.

 

[TinkerBelleLuvr]

Sweetum likes B&G club because her best friend joins her on their days off Sweetum does go straight home on regular days because she's home alone for only an hour. She can always trot across the street to the neighbor if need be, so we have options.

 

[CourtClerk]

I don't like kids at home alone. Not at all. In fact, the YMCA van drives right past my house to take him to the Teen Site at the Y. I stopped taking him in the morning because it was just stupid for him to go to the Y to drive back past my house to go to school...

Besides, he'd have to be home about 3 hours before I got home. Lots of neighbors and kids at home, but I don't like the idea of unattended kids like that. They lose their minds momentarily sometimes.

 

[CJane]

I got very lucky.

I was paying $100/week for Twain when I lived in nowhereville at an in-home unlicensed place.

When I moved back to 'my' area, I found this woman very last minute and she's CHEAP and LICENSED. She's a stay at home mommy of 4 and so she figures that she's getting paid to do what she'd be doing anyway and doesn't want to be prohibitively expensive.

The ONLY daycare in town wanted to charge me $80/week/kid for before/after and $145/week for Twain. Not exactly doable.

 

[TinkerBelleLuvr]

I'm not fond of it either, but there aren't many choices where I live. The neighbor is a licensed daycare person, so if I'm going to be late, she can go there and I'll pay her.

 

[txrose1998]

The after school program at my daughter's elementary school is only $220/month! I thought that was great until i heard some of these rates! Still it is better than the $700/month I paid the daycare before she started kindergarten!

 

[StampGirl]

I got ya all beat!!! My two younger ones just started the after-school program (waiting list for last 2yrs) at their school and it costs $5 per day per kid. So yep $10 a day for my kiddos to be there for a few hours. Gives my mom the much needed reprieve she needs and allows the Ex to be late on his friday pickups and I don't have to deal with it!

Amazingly enough, Dorkboy agreed to pay for one kid and I pay for the other and didn't have to get a court order. I was shocked!! ha ha

HOwever, when the lil one was a baby and I had to send her to a licensed in home care provider, it cost me $125 a week. Of which Dorkboy did not pay a dime. Yep $600-700 a month (was more when I was in school late in the afternoon/evening) and I wasn't even working but was in school finishing my degree. Thank goodness the oldest was in school and the middle one qualified and got into the preschool on my college campus for free!

 

[TheGeekess]

I consider myself very lucky to have found my afterschool provider. I live in a rural county and most of the childcare in the area only does infants-K4. My provider only watches school aged to 13, but she and I have spoken about it and she's willing to have The Child through HS. (When she reaches 16, she can be Ms. Cheri's helper!) We're slightly out of the school district, so no bus service from that school to my house; I drop The Child off in the AM at school and she catches the bus to after-school care and I pick her up after my hour commute from the job that's two counties away. Last summer, she allowed myself and another lady to do 'daycare share'; the two kids alternated every other week (The Child spent the off weeks with my parents in another county). Ms. Cheri takes her bunch to a water park several times during the summer, movies, skating... It's a good deal, and like I said, I'm very lucky to have found this kind lady.