My husband and I just got a call after my 14 m.o. daughters’ first week at a new daycare…

[daleksteve]

…and they want to raise the price of daycare from $325 per girl per week to $480. Almost $1000 a week!

Has this ever happened to you? What would you do in this situation? Are these prices reasonable?

The daycare workers insist that the girls are a delight, but I can’t help but feel that my babies must be absolute monsters with that amount of price-gouging.

EDIT / UPDATE: We heard some more from the owners, and the price increase is just for us because the girls are “a lot more work than [they] had expected.” I’m not sure what they were expecting from 14 month old twins!

 

[lola1993]

@daleksteve Wow. I live in Dallas and our 18 month year olds are $700 per week for both. This is shady practice in my opinion though. I believe daycares have the right to raise rates annually starting Jan 1 with one month notice. Otherwise, I would feel like this was a bait and switch.

 

[daleksteve]

@lola1993 It really does feel like a bait and switch.

Fortunately, we’ve already paid for the first two months at the initially quoted rate, so we have time to think on it. My husband (who does drop-off) is thinking of asking one of the other dads he’s friendly with if he experienced something similar, but I’m not sure the best way to do that delicately.

 

[mhiriam]

@daleksteve It might be best not to do it delicately. Just explain your predicament and ask if something similar as ever happened to them. And maybe offer that you don't need numbers from from, but it might help give you all an idea of what's going on if the other dad is willing to share the numbers.

I'm so sorry you're going through this OP. I can't imagine having to deal with that since I have heard wait-list with twins for daycare can be rough. Best of luck!!!!!

 

[demarch]

@daleksteve Have someone call and ask about pricing for that age group. If it's different call them out. Depending on the laws in your state record the call and play it for them.

 

[nonku]

@demarch Do this and maybe ask someone else. We use a YMCA so there is graduated pricing once a family has below a certain income…so I probably wouldn’t ask at our facility unless I knew them and their occupation.

 

[termikile]

@demarch Before recording any phone calls, check the consent laws in your state. In some states it's illegal to record a phone conversation without the other person knowing.

 

[lilly45]

@daleksteve After your update, I would find a new facility. Upping the charges because they can’t handle toddler twins is a red flag. The fact they can’t handle toddler twins is a red flag.

 

[seniorlady]

@daleksteve I always feel so poor when I read stuff like this. This would financially destroy someone not making $100k a year.

 

[lavecilla]

@seniorlady It did and it does. For the first year the twins and their older sister were in daycare I was literally paying my whole paycheck to the daycare and it was the cheapest daycare around. Once covid shut everything down for a month we went back and they decided my oldest was too difficult to deal with and gave us the boot (they doubled the "class" size and had kids from 4 to 12 in the same room). My daughter was no angel but the untrained staff struggled with keeping a class of mixed aged kids entertained and on task. It was the straw that broke the camels back and I ended up becoming a sahd.

 

[mendicant]

@lavecilla This is why I’m not teaching. I don’t love my job enough to work to work. No shade, I totally miss getting out of the house, but not enough.

 

[abubokhale]

@daleksteve We paid $740 a week for 2 kids under 2. I knew my boys were absolute high-need monsters, but we go to a "chain" daycare so I guess they had a pricing chart that they can't deviate from.

 

[skiknight]

@daleksteve I hate to say it but this is “reasonable” in the HCOL area we live in

 

[fudgy]

@daleksteve That’s insane to me, more than most people make! My husband and I work opposite schedules, so good bye marriage, twin life is hard!!!

 

[ahunbleservant]

@daleksteve Join the fight at r/universalchildcare

We live in another developed country (Spain). The country is way less wealthy than the US and somehow it affords to provide free or very cheap childcare.

Preschool starting at 3 years is free.

Before that I'm paying €320 a month both girls total. That's like 15% of a monthly salary each if we take into account Spanish salaries are way lower.

Lower earners or the unemployed people don't pay.

And this is for a country that, don't make me wrong, could improve a lot of things.

 

[runningwithraven]

@ahunbleservant I’m in Canada and I pay $400 a month for full time care for my boys. And we make very good money - doesn’t matter your salary. We only go 2-3 days because we could only pay full time or 1 day a week. So we just decided to have the option for full time. Such a great deal. Glad you have the same in Spain!!

 

[tendercarelawnservice]

@ahunbleservant Thanks for your input. I have friends that are moving to Spain for Healthcare. America needs to wake up and realize we can do better. No one can afford daycare unless you are making 6 figures annually to offset the costs. We might do part time daycare.

 

[tmp]

@daleksteve Price seems normal for my area

 

[johnvladimir]

@tmp These rates would still be a steal in my area…but I would be peeved if I’d only be at a daycare a week and they wanted to raise my rates this much right away.

 

[daleksteve]

@tmp After some research (really more like cursory googling), it seems that the new prices are in line with rates in our area as well. I’m more shocked by how much they underestimated the price initially. The huge jump made it feel like they’re trying to push the girls out.