Average cost of daycare per week: Average Cost of Daycare Will Surprise You

Daycare costs exceed college tuition in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Parents across North Carolina are increasingly faced with tough decisions as the pandemic continues to disrupt child care throughout the state.

Before the pandemic, the Centers for American Progress estimated 42% of children in North Carolina younger than 5 didn’t live in an area with enough child-care options.

“The problems that we have always had in child care have just blown up during the pandemic,” said Shanda Sumpter, an early childhood education project director at NC Child. “North Carolina parents do not have enough choices for affordable child care.”

A quarter of parents surveyed in December 2020 said they could not find affordable childcare, according to a report from the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation.

“Programs and classrooms are closing, the pipeline for teachers is collapsing because they can earn more working at Target, believe it or not, and all those things mean fewer choices for parents and fewer childcare options that they can afford,” Sumpter explained. She said around 80% of programs in the state are reporting a staffing shortage.

Decreasing providers make options for care limited and when there are options, the cost can be astronomical.

A study from the Economic Policy Institute estimated child care for infants averages $9,480 a year or nearly $800 a month. The cost is slightly less for older children. The Economic Policy Institute estimated average costs for toddlers in North Carolina are around $8,000 a year.

The ABC11 I-Team compared these prices to tuition at top state universities and found these costs are higher than many institutes predicted annual tuition.

North Carolina State University estimates tuition for the year costs around $9,130. In-state tuition for students at UNC Chapel Hill costs around $8,992 a year, according to US News. North Carolina Central University’s annual tuition is around $6,584. At East Carolina University, in-state students pay around $7,317 a year for tuition.

North Carolina isn’t the only state seeing this trend. The Economic Policy institute found child care is more expensive than tuition in 33 states. The institution estimates if the state capped costs so families only paid 7% of their income it would save around $5,500 per family annually.

Last year, North Carolina Justice Center reported North Carolina families with young children spent about a quarter of their income on child care.

Wake County resident Sarah Brady was a nanny for many years and recently became a mother. She said it’s not feasible for her to return to any other job but being a nanny.

“If I’m going to go back to work, child care is almost the only option there, because we wouldn’t be able to afford child care for me to go back to working in nonprofit again,” Brady explained.

She said after leaving the field to do nonprofit work she started being a nanny again during the pandemic when demand surged.

“There has been some shift in people who lost jobs working in child care centers and taking an opportunity to work as a nanny, but even then that hasn’t been enough to take care of the demand,” Brady said.

Brady explained hiring a nanny is one of the most expensive forms of child care but still, so many people are turning to it for personalized care due to decreasing outside options.

Hugh McLean, the vice president of operations at Wake County Boys and Girls Club, said many of the families their organization serves know these challenges firsthand.

“The pandemic has put stress on families that people have never had to live through before,” he said. “In a lot of cases, the Boys and Girls Club has become part of a safety net in the community for families that are either going back to work or they lost their job.”

The Boys and Girls Club serves kids 6-18 years old for only $7.50 a year. McLean explained while it costs the club around $750 per kid, they are able to keep costs low because of consistent community support.

“We think we’re a great option for families because what we offer in the club, we have wonderful staff at all of the clubs, and it becomes, I think, maybe, an option that families maybe hadn’t (heard) before,” McLean said.

While his club offers affordable options, it doesn’t serve younger kids whose care often costs the most.

The state does have a child care subsidy program that helps parents cover the cost of care. The program currently serves around 58,000 children. However, state and federal funding is unable to meet the needs of all families in the state.

Around 11,600 families are on waitlists for child care subsidies across the state. This number is 42% lower than the more than 22,000 who were on the waitlist in June.

Wake County mother Cecelia Anderson is one of the families who has been waiting for around six months. She said without the assistance she’s unable to send her three-year-old to daycare.

“Me and his dad, we work different shifts,” Anderson explained. “When he’s at work I’m watching the kids, sometimes my employer lets me bring them.”

She said without subsidy she’s unable to afford care and is hoping to be approved in time for summer.

Lawmakers did allocate more than a billion dollars of COVID-19 relief money to child care centers across North Carolina. In October, the state announced $800 million would be used to support families and help centers recruit and retain staff. Still, Sumpter said this won’t solve everything.

“Those were one-time dollars and now those funds are gone. So we need sustainable ongoing investments from our elected officials to bring down the cost of child care so that families can work and kids can get the high quality, early care, and education that they deserve,” she said.

This isn’t just an issue that impacts individual households, a 2020 study estimated inadequate child care costs North Carolina about $2.4 billion from family income to business and tax revenue.

For parents seeking care, Sumpter recommends reaching out to their county’s department of social services to see if they qualify for child care subsidies. She also suggests parents find the Childcare Resource and Referral council in their county to get an idea of all their options.

VA Is One of the Most Expensive States to Raise Kids.

Here’s How Families Cope.

It’s an old saying most of us have heard before: “If you wait to have kids until you can afford them, you’ll probably never have kids at all.” What used to be a playful prod from friends and relatives to convince young couples to get the ball rolling on having children has actually evolved into a serious consideration for families in our area.

Researchers from loan marketplace giant LendingTree recently published an analysis of their research on how much it costs to raise children in America. Drawing on data from several sources, they estimated and ranked the costs for two-earner families to raise a child in each state, considering basic needs such as housing, food, daycare, clothing, transportation, and health insurance. Also considered was each state’s tax credit or exemption for one child.

Of course, every family’s situation is different, so LendingTree’s research offers just one snapshot of what it can cost to raise a child in this area, but the numbers are sobering.

Basic cost for raising a child in the U.S. keeps trending upward, currently averaged at, gulp, $20,152 annually. And that only covers the basics – you’ll have to move that number up if you add the fun things, like summer camp, family vacations, team sports, music lessons, and birthday parties.

Essential costs of raising a child vary by state, but the District of Columbia ranks first as most expensive at a whopping $28,785 annually. Virginia ranks not far behind as the eighth most expensive state, where it costs $23,029 annually.

The biggest difference in cost is related to how much parents pay for infant daycare. In the District of Columbia, parents pay $24,081 per child annually for daycare alone, more than double the national average, and in Virginia, parents pay $14,560. For some, the high cost of daycare is offset by the significantly higher wages professionals in this area enjoy (some of the highest in the nation), but for lower wage earners, it presents an impossible situation.

Working parents typically pay for full-time daycare for five years until the child begins school, but other costs of raising children continue to rise as children get older. LendingTree ranked states by the highest overall 18-year cost of raising a child to adulthood, with Hawaii being first at $281,597, and Virginia being sixth at $225,233.

So, what are parents in Virginia to do?

When the Stork Brings Twins

“Try to live within your means,” advises Maryanna Diaz, a DoD contractor who lives in Brambleton with her husband, Roberto, a Baja Fresh restaurant manager, and their four kids – one boy (9), and three girls (7 and two 21-month-old twins).  Between the infant care three days a week, and after-school care for their other children, the Diaz family pays more than $3,000 a month for childcare, which she says is actually a good deal for four children.

“The twins were a complete surprise, so we knew it would be a financial strain,” says Diaz. “I was recently deployed for four months to help pay off debt, and my husband works weekends so he can be home more during the week, while I’m on the opposite schedule.”  Diaz says they don’t take elaborate vacations, and they buy most items for the kids, including furniture,  on Facebook Marketplace. “It’s hard with this area’s mentality, but don’t go crazy with having to have the big house or keeping up with the Joneses,” she says. “I know many folks are waiting until they are older to have kids, but just know that it will work out if you are diligent and search for ways to cut costs, especially with daycare.”

Avoiding Daycare Altogether

Jackie Baker and her husband, Dave, avoided daycare for their daughter and two sons by being flexible with their careers and housing choices. The Sterling couple began their family in a condominium in Alexandria, but moved to a townhouse in Loudoun County in 2002, because it was less expensive at the time and provided more space. Jackie, a certified teacher, quit working to stay home while her husband worked flexible shifts as a government employee. “I wanted to be with the kids, so we did everything we could to avoid daycare,” says Baker. “We were on a tight budget, and we had only one vehicle.”

When Baker’s children started preschool, she began to work part-time at the preschool, first as a teacher and then as a director. Her husband’s income increased during years of advancement and promotions, and when they were ready to make the move to a single-family home, Jackie returned to teaching with Loudoun County Public Schools. “Older kids come with bigger expenses,” says Baker.  “Besides saving and paying for college, the kids need computers, phones, and internet for school, plus putting them on our auto insurance is costly.” She’s also noticed increasing prices in everything from food to clothing, but her kids do take jobs cutting grass and on campus to help. “They all understand the value of earning money,” she says. Should parents wait to have kids? “Probably not,” says Baker, “because it’s going to be more expensive the longer you wait – it’s certainly not going to get cheaper.”

Protecting a Hard-Earned Career

“I did everything right; I checked all the boxes,” says professional certified public accountant Susanna Baxter. “I went to William and Mary, have a master’s degree, and have a great, high-paying job, so it’s incredibly frustrating that my husband and I are working so hard to just get by.”  Baxter and her husband, David, who is an active duty Naval officer, live in Ashburn with their two daughters (one 7 months, the other 2 years old).

“Typically it’s the woman who ends up staying home or reduces her career capacity,” says Baxter. “I tried working part time, but when kids are so young, there’s not much of a discount in daycare costs for three versus five days a week, because of the mandatory ratios for that age,” says Baxter. The Baxters were paying more than $2,000 a month for daycare three days a week when she decided to return to work full time. “It’s so incredibly frustrating that daycare costs so much, and I had to change jobs,” says Baxter, who commutes to Tysons daily.  “I worked hard and took on debt for my education – I want to be able work doing what I was trained to do, but full-time daycare is costing more than our mortgage.”  The family’s solution: they contracted with an au pair who will care for their children while living with the family.

Baxter says she would like to have a third child, but she thinks the cost of daycare makes it too difficult. “It’s not like we’re living lavishly – we live modestly in an average townhouse,” she says. “Everyone should have enough to maintain a sound home with necessary repairs and have a safe car to drive. I’m paying off student loans, too. Plus, it’s difficult to compete and move ahead in your career if you work with people who are moving faster because they don’t have other obligations.”  One thing Baker doesn’t skimp on – saving for her girls’ educations. “We don’t even question it – we put that ahead of vacations,” she says. “We don’t want them saddled with that debt.”

The More Kids the Merrier

Sharon Awig is a stay-home mother of seven children (11-year-old twins, 5, 4, 2, 1, and 6 months old, with another one on the way). She lives in Round Hill with her husband, Brian, who works in IT.  “Because I stay home, we don’t have daycare expenses, but we buy everything used – including cars, clothes, toys, and furniture,” says Awig. Family outings are always to places that are free or very inexpensive. “We don’t go out to eat a lot, and we try to stick to a budget when buying groceries.”

Awig says the biggest challenge is to not get involved in too many different activities. “It can take up all of your time,” she says. “You just have to prioritize what’s important to you, and try to stay out of debt – don’t focus on keeping up with the neighbors or having the latest clothes, gadgets, or cars.”

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The Cost of Child Care in Georgia

By: Economic Policy Institute

Child care in Georgia is expensive.

• The average annual cost of infant care in Georgia is $7,644—that’s $637 per month.
• Child care for a 4-year-old costs $6,500, or $542 each month.

Child care is one of the biggest expenses families face.

• Infant care in Georgia costs $1,030 (15.6%) more per year than in-state tuition for 4-year public college.
• That makes Georgia one of 33 states and DC where infant care is more expensive than college.
• In Georgia, infant care costs just 21.3% less than average rent.

Annual cost in Georgia

College: $6,614

Housing: $9,707

4-year-old care: $6,500

Infant care: $7,644

Child care is unaffordable for typical families in Georgia.

• Infant care for one child would take up 13.8% of a typical family’s income in Georgia.
• According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), child care is affordable if it costs no more than 10% of a family’s income. By this standard, only 37.7% of Georgia families can afford infant care.

Families with two children face an even larger burden.

• Child care for two children—an infant and a 4-year-old—costs $14,144. That’s 45.7% more than average rent in Georgia.
• Child care for an infant and a 4-year-old costs more than rent in 20 out of 23 metropolitan and rural areas in Georgia.
• A typical family in Georgia would have to spend 25.5% of their income on child care for an infant and a 4-year-old.

Child care is out of reach for low-wage workers.

• A minimum-wage worker in Georgia would need to work full time for 26 weeks, or from January to June, just to pay for child care for one infant.

Yet, child care workers still struggle to get by.

• Nationally, child care workers’ families are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as other workers’ families (14. 7% compared with 6.7%).
• In 17 out of 22 metropolitan areas in Georgia, more than 90% of child care workers don’t make enough to afford the basic cost of living in their area.
• A typical child care worker in Georgia would have to spend 40.4%of her earnings to put her own child in infant care.

How big a bite does child care take?

Infant care costs as a share of income in Georgia

Current HHS affordability standard
(new proposed standard: 7%)

For a median family with children

13.8%$7,644 of $55,411

For a minimum-wage worker

	Infant Care
Share of income to afford infant care	50. 7%
Remaining income	49.3%

50.7%$7,644 of $15,080

For a typical child care worker

40.4%$7,644 of $18,910

Quick Stats

• Annual infant care costs:$7,644

• Median family income:$55,411

• Infant care costs as a share of median family income:13.8%

• Savings to typical families with an infant from capping child care expenditures at 10% of income:$2,103

• Share of (post–child care) median income freed up by capping infant care expenditures at 10% of income:4.4%

• Share of families able to afford infant care (i.e., costs are 10% or less of income):37.

  7%

• Full-time minimum wage salary:$15,080

• Infant care costs as a share of minimum-wage earnings:50.7%

• Median child care worker salary:$18,910

• Infant care costs as a share of child care worker earnings:40.4%

• In-state tuition for 4-year public college:$6,614

• Infant care costs as a share of public college tuition:115.6%

• Annual rent:$9,707

• Infant care as a share of rent:78.7%

• Increase in state’s economy from capping families’ child care expenditures at 10% of income:1.0% ($4.59 billion)

Everyone will benefit if we solve this problem.

• Meaningful child care reform that capped families’ child care expenses at 10% of their income would expand Georgia’s economy by 1.0%. That’s $4.59 billion of new economic activity.
• A typical Georgia family with an infant could save $2,103 on child care costs if we implemented this reform. This would free up 4.4% of their (post–child care) annual income to spend on other necessities.

Published : July 11, 2018
Back to : News

what is better to choose and how much does it cost

Tatyana Vinnikova

put the children in and went to work

Even if you have enough money, a state garden can be the best option for a child.

My husband and I have two daughters with a difference in age of just under two years. When the eldest was born, I was on parental leave. In 2018, she turned three years old and went to the state kindergarten. I stayed at home with one youngest daughter – and pretty quickly decided to go to work.

We began to think about where to put the second daughter. Grandparents lived 1000 km from us in the south, and we decided to leave it like that, and not move. They were taken to state gardens only from the age of two, and my daughter was 1 year and 10 months old. And if we had waited, we would have ended up in the short stay group – not for a full day, but for four hours. So the state garden did not suit us.

Only a private kindergarten and a nanny remained. We tried both, but as soon as the daughter grew up to the state garden, we sent her there. I’ll tell you why we decided this way and what were the pros and cons of all three options.

How we chose a private kindergarten

My husband and I were looking for a private kindergarten through Google Maps. In the northeast of Moscow, where we live, there are gardens on every corner. Price, territory, building and license were important for us.

Prices for were on kindergarten websites. A month of stay everywhere cost about 50,000 R. For example, in Sun School – 60,000 R, in Alertum Kids – 55,000 R, and in “Solnyshka” – 45,000 R. In all kindergartens there was also an entrance fee: in the first two – 30 000 R, and in “The Sun” – 50,000 R. He went to stationery, workbooks and gifts for the holidays. And if the parents took the child and canceled the contract, the fee was not returned.

I don’t know why some gardens were more expensive and others cheaper. The programs are similar for everyone: speech therapists and English teachers worked with children everywhere. But the Sun School did not even have its own territory for walking: the kindergarten was on the first floor of a residential building, and the children walked in the yard. And the “Sun” had a huge territory, but staying in it was cheaper. In the end, we chose him.

/priem-rebenka/

How to place a child in a kindergarten without a residence permit

On Google Maps, we entered the query “Private kindergarten”. And on the left, they looked at the rating for each option. All gardens received good reviews. Many gardens, like the Sun School, were located on the first floors of residential buildings. Children are taken out for a walk right into the yard, to the city playground. We considered such gardens last. Source: Sun School

Territory and building. “Sunshine” was the first place we went on an excursion: they are offered by all private gardens. And we liked the territory so much that we didn’t go to others. It turned out to be large, with an area of ​​1 hectare, with gazebos, swings and sports grounds. There was also a garden and a vegetable garden.

The garden was in a separate building, not in the former apartment. We were shown the kitchen, the laundry room, the massage room, the assembly hall, the speech therapist and methodologist rooms, and groups with cute bedrooms. Everywhere was a good repair and a pleasant interior. In addition to toys and books, there were small sofas and armchairs in the groups.

My daughter liked to play in the kindergarten. In groups, there was a nice interior and a lot of toys. Source: Anomir-ru

License. In “Solnyshka” we were shown a license for educational activities – for me it was important. Programs in such kindergartens comply with the Federal State Educational Standard for Preschool Education – federal state standards for preschool education. This means that a preschooler will receive all the necessary knowledge there: learn to draw, sculpt, sing, count, and learn letters. And the leadership of the garden will not exclude some kind of discipline simply because it has not found a teacher.

In addition, licensed orchards can be paid for with maternity capital – I just didn’t know what to spend it on. And if I paid in cash, I could get a tax deduction for education. True, the maximum deduction amount is 50,000 R per year. Therefore, I would return a maximum of 6500 R, that is, 13%. But it’s also nice.

paras. 2 p. 3 art. 7 of the Law of December 29, 2006 No. 256-FZ

paragraphs. 2 p. 1 art. 219 NK RF

In general, there were no doubts left, and we concluded an agreement with Solnyshko.

Usually, kindergartens post licenses on their websites, in the About Us, Documents or Licenses sections. But if they are not there, you can ask for a license for excursions. Source: Far Far Away Kingdom

How my daughter went to a private garden

Both my daughter and I really liked the private garden. There were excellent conditions, a rich development program and a lot of entertainment. And there was delicious food.

Conditions and food. Kindergarten worked on weekdays from 08:00 to 19:30. State gardens open at 07:30, but work until 19:00, and not all parents manage to pick up their children on time. But here there was no such problem.

Care was taken in the garden that children easily adapt to it. In the first days, I was in a group with my daughter and fed her lunch. As a result, she quickly got used to the garden and did not cry when I began to leave her for a full day.

/list/security-child/

What should be in a safe kindergarten and school

There were 10-12 people in groups. For comparison, there are 25-28 of them in state gardens. We decided that small groups are a plus: caregivers will be able to pay more attention to their daughter. And since there are few children, then the nerves of the educators will be stronger. And so it happened: everyone treated their daughter with kindness and care.

Plus, I liked that after illnesses my daughter was given a massage so that the residual cough would pass faster. They also gave me an oxygen cocktail on a regular basis.

There were five meals a day in the garden. The children were fed meals made from farm products and were given fresh vegetables and fruits every day. I tried pickle, cutlets and vegetable salad: everything turned out to be very tasty. My daughter liked it too: the teachers said that she ate everything. The state gardens also give fruits and vegetables, but I’m not sure if they’re straight from the farms.

Even while eating, children were taught to use not only spoons, but also forks and cloth napkins. In public gardens, children have only spoons on their tables. Source: “Anomir-ru”

Program and entertainment. The garden was licensed, and its program really corresponded to the Federal State Educational Standard. It included reading, drawing, music and everything that children have in state gardens.

Parents of older children said that English, mathematics and literature are also taught here in a playful way, that is, they prepare for school. And there is no English in the state garden. But my daughter was still too young, so she didn’t get into all these classes. With her, they were engaged only in creativity, made experiments with water and helped to observe nature.

/list/atypical-kindergarten/

English with a native speaker and early career guidance: 10 kindergartens in Moscow with an atypical program

There was always something interesting and unusual in the classroom. For example, in music lessons, children played the harp. And besides appliqués, sculpting and classical drawing, there was ebru painting here – these are special paints that are used to paint on water.

Similar Ebru kits were handed out to children in a private kindergarten. Source: “Ozon”

Even in a private garden, not only all-Russian holidays were celebrated – New Year, Maslenitsa, March 8 – but they also came up with something of their own. I remember the “Week of Birds Flying South”: the children made crafts related to these birds and figured out which ones fly away for the winter and which ones do not.

There was also Ecological Week, when children learned how to save nature. Plus, they arranged the “Day of Greece” and the “Brazilian Carnival”. There, the kids tried the national food of other countries and tried on folk costumes. My daughter was delighted.

My daughter also participated in the same celebration. For all events, educators dressed in themed costumes, held games, competitions, and cooks prepared special treats. Source: “Anomir-ru” This is the “Brazilian Carnival” in our group. The children were given masks, and they themselves painted them

Why did I take my daughter from a private kindergarten

My daughter was fine in a private kindergarten. But I hoped that in a small group she would get sick less often, but this turned out not to be the case. I took sick leave every month, sometimes for three weeks in a row.

When my daughter was sick, I paid almost the full amount for the garden. The management deducted only the cost of food from the calculation of 6000 R per month. For example, one day out of 20 days in a month, the daughter was absent on 15. We paid 1,500 R for meals instead of 6,000 R. A 39000 R for garden services was given in full.

45,000 R

we paid for a private kindergarten

State kindergartens are different. If the child does not walk, these days do not need to be paid. And with private ones, how lucky. For example, the children of the editor of this article also went to a private kindergarten. When they were sick, she paid half the cost.

I knew that the contract contained a predatory condition: to pay for the garden almost completely when my daughter is sick. But I did not think that she would get sick so often

By the summer of 2019, my maternity capital was exhausted. I’m tired of endlessly taking sick leave and paying for the garden when my daughter is at home. We decided to take her from a private garden, and the eldest daughter from the public one, and hire a nanny for them for a full day. She would at least sit with them during illnesses.

I tell you what came of it.

How we were looking for a nanny

It was not easy to find a nanny. I’ll tell you how much we were going to pay her, where we were looking for her and by what criteria we chose.

How much we were going to pay. To get an idea of ​​the prices, we studied the ads on the websites of various agencies and “Helper” – this is an aggregator for the selection of domestic staff. And we realized that the price depends on the qualifications of the nanny and her duties.

Qualifications – whether the nanny knows languages, whether she has a pedagogical education, experience working with children and recommendations from previous clients. For example, a grandmother without education or a student who wants to earn extra money in the summer can be found for 20,000 R per month. And an experienced teacher who will teach children three languages ​​will ask for up to 200,000 R.

/watch-my-kid/

Who are babysitters and how to look for them

Of course, the more duties a nanny has, the more expensive her services. The cheapest thing will be a nanny who simply takes the child for a walk and for mugs, feeds ready-made food and monitors the cleanliness in the children’s room. And if she cooks, does laundry, prepares children for school and does homework with them, then her services will cost more.

We were not satisfied with nannies-grandmothers and nannies-students. But we were not going to teach children three languages ​​either. We had three minimum requirements: that the nanny never use moral and physical violence, be responsible for the safety of children, and keep toys and children’s wardrobe in order. We were ready to pay up to 75,000 R per month to a woman who agrees to do this.

This nanny is ready to play the role of a kind grandmother: she promises to sing lullabies and feed delicious pies. But she will not do homework and teach children English. Therefore, an hour of her work costs 100 R, and a month – 16,000 R. And this nanny, although a student, speaks English, can teach chess and plays the piano. She wants to cook meals for the children and do homework with them. Therefore, her services will cost from 1,500 R per hour, and a month of work – 240,000 R. True, if you hire a nanny for a full day, it comes out cheaper. I think this one would take 180,000-200,000 R

Where they searched. My husband and I posted ads on our Facebook pages and wrote that we were looking for a nanny for a full day and five days a week. They did the same in the group of their area. We also watched ads on Avito and Pomogatele – nannies publish their profiles there.

7 services that will help you find a nanny

We also turned to an agency that friends advised us. They warned that if they found a nanny, they would have to pay the agency a commission in the amount of one of her salaries. But this did not frighten us: the main thing was to find a good specialist.

Similar conditions were in our agency. Since we wanted to hire a nanny for a year, we would have to pay a commission in the amount of her monthly salary. Source: Alconti-ru At the request of Nanny in Moscow, Avito issued 338 advertisements. Source: “Avito”

As chosen. A lot of people responded to the ads, and two nannies were offered to us by the agency. Those who definitely do not fit, we swept aside in correspondence. They simply asked: “How can a child be punished?”‎ If the answer was: “No way,” then they were invited to a personal meeting.

There were two such meetings. At the first meeting, it seemed to us that the potential nanny had problems with alcohol. And the other was cute, but we were confused by her advanced age. Still, two babies of three and four years old sometimes required the ability to run fast.

/nanny/

How to find a nanny

As a result, one colleague advised his friend. She worked as a nanny for 20 years, and now she was looking for a new family. We hired her.

How our nanny won us over

I liked that this nanny was recommended by people I know. She was 55 years old and strong enough to keep up with two children.

We met with the nanny and asked her to tell us about herself. It turned out that she is a preschool teacher by education and works with children using fashionable methods. For example, according to Lyudmila Peterson’s mathematical manuals, this is when a child learns to count from the age of three, remembers geometric shapes and important concepts: greater than, less than or equal to, far and close, fast and slow. But most importantly, the nanny promised to play with the children and often walk with them.

We agreed that she would work on weekdays from 09:00 to 19:00 for 75,000 R per month. For processing, we promised a rate of 350 R per hour. Plus, we decided to pay her five sick days a year and four weeks of vacation, if it is at the same time as ours. And give days off during public holidays.

75,000 R

we paid the nanny for a month

We wanted to conclude an agreement with the nanny. The form was Googled and adjusted to our conditions. But at first, the nanny wanted to add some points there and kept putting it off. And then we just forgot about him.

How our nanny worked

Trial period. The first two weeks were probationary. We warned the nanny that there were cameras in the apartment – we had them for a long time, but we did not use them. The nanny reacted normally to this.

At work, my husband and I turned on the broadcast and watched what was happening at home. The girls played, learned to read and write, ate or watched cartoons. When the nanny put them to bed, she read books.

A couple of times we drove past the playground when the children were walking there. And it didn’t seem to me that the nanny was yelling at them or leaving them unattended. In general, we liked everything, and she stayed with us to work.

Daily routine. Nanny’s working day started at 09:00. She would come and feed the children breakfast that I had prepared. And from 09:30 to 11:00 she played and did math and reading with the children. I noticed that the girls quickly learned the letters and began to add syllables.

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At 11:00 they went for a walk, and at 12:30 they had lunch. I also cooked dinner in advance, and the nanny warmed it up.

From 13:00 to 14:30 the children slept, and then they had an hour of free time: they played or watched cartoons. At this time, the nanny cleaned the nursery and washed and ironed things. Cleanliness and order reigned in the room: it adhered to some kind of Japanese system of storage and cleaning.

At 15:30 the children were having lunch. Sometimes the nanny herself cooked pancakes or pancakes for them. And sometimes she warmed up my food. At 4:00 pm they again went for a walk or the nanny took the girls to circles. At 18:30 the children had dinner, and half an hour later my husband and I were returning from work.

I liked that the children rarely got sick with the nanny: they were no longer in a large team. And during illnesses, I didn’t have to take sick leave – I left instructions, and the nanny gave the children medicines. True, at first she hinted that she preferred homeopathy, but I stopped these conversations.

Related expenses. In addition to the basic salary of 75,000 R, we paid the nanny for processing and bought food for her and the children. In addition, we had to send the children to mugs.

The nanny’s overtime cost 350 R per hour, about 2000 R per month. But I didn’t worry if I got stuck in a traffic jam. Plus, my husband and I began to go to the theater and cinema.

We spent 30,000 R per month on food for the children and for the nanny. And 16,000 R went to mugs. With more expensive nannies, they are not needed: they themselves are engaged in sports and creativity with children. But ours warned that she was not strong in them. Therefore, we enrolled our daughters in fine arts, dancing and music at the nearest educational center. Each lesson cost 500 R, and for two we gave 16,000 R per month.

123 000 r

per month cost the services of the nanny taking into account the circles and additional expenses

for the services of the nanny, food and circles, we took 123,000 r per month

Nanny salary

75 000 R

Food for children and nanny

30 000 R

Mugs

16 000 R

Revival nannines

20000 R

Why did we say goodbye to

months we have noticed that children do not treat the nanny with warmth. When she came, they never ran towards her, as to our other guests, did not smile, did not look into her eyes.

I started turning on the sound on the video and listening to what was going on at home. It turned out that the nanny puts a lot of pressure on the children when she teaches them to read and count. Although we asked not to run the program: happy and calm children are more important to us.

We also saw that the nanny tends to clean up rather than play with the children. It is clear that it is more pleasant for an adult to collect socks, and not to carry a train. But we wanted the focus to be on children.

And one day the daughter came from a walk with a scratched face. At the same time, the nanny began to tell which grandmothers from the playground had what plans for the summer. We understood that she went there to gossip, and not to look after the children.

At this time, the pandemic began. Under this pretext, we said goodbye to the nanny and paid her two weeks in advance. At first they were going to look for a new one, but they went to the Volga, and then to Krasnaya Polyana. As a result, the children rested, improved their health, and we decided to give kindergartens a second chance.

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This time we wanted to take our daughters to the same kindergarten. But the private one went up to 60,000 R per month, and paying 120,000 R for two was expensive for us. Then we decided to send our daughters to a state kindergarten.

How daughters go to the state kindergarten

We applied for “Mos-ra” and enrolled our daughters in kindergarten No. Both were accepted immediately. The eldest gladly returned to the group where she had not gone for a whole year. It turned out that she really missed her friends.

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As a result, the state kindergarten became the best option for both children and us. I tell you why.

Green area and good building. Our garden is old and has been operating since 1966, but the building is in good condition, and the groups have been recently renovated. It is not as beautiful as in the paid garden, and there are fewer toys and educational and role-playing games. But overall, it’s clean and nice.

As in the paid garden, the state garden has a large green area. And there are many playgrounds, gazebos and sandboxes on it. Here they are not so chic, but the children still like it.

Groups. Unlike the paid garden, here in groups of up to 30 people. But the daughters still do not get sick so often: apparently, they have grown up and improved their health in the south.

Because there are many children, they quarrel more often. The teacher cannot keep track of when one baby bites another. But if someone does this all the time, then they calmly talk to him and involve his parents.

But all the children are from one district, and not from different ones, as in a private kindergarten. After kindergarten, they meet at playgrounds, shops and cafes, and they love it. It is also important that they go to the same school and the same class. This means there will be less stress.

caregivers work in shifts and I have no idea how they manage. But most importantly, they are friendly. Someone is strict, someone is a friend of children, but there are no inadequate ones. Everyone knows that parents can complain to the Ministry of Education and the teacher will be fired.

Children are sometimes punished, but in harmless ways. For example, once the children staged a flood and a toilet paper festival in the group. For this, they were led around the garden for three laps. The teachers called it a punishment, although in fact the children walk like this every day: they study the plants around the perimeter and breathe fresh air. But it had an effect on the children: everyone understood that they needed to behave well.

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Food. If the child is not hungry or does not eat something, the teachers do not force him. But my children like the way they feed in the state kindergarten. For example, at home they do not drink kefir, but there they enjoy it. Perhaps for the company. And recently they said that vegetable stew in the garden is tastier than at home. It’s a shame, but I’m glad they like it.

In general, it did not seem to me that the youngest daughter felt the difference between food in a private garden and a state one.

Communication with the clinic and vaccinations. If a child is sick, information comes from the polyclinic to the kindergarten that he has recovered. It is not necessary to take help. True, perhaps this is only in Moscow gardens: I know for sure that there is no such thing in the region.

The State Garden itself controls the vaccination schedule and Mantoux tests. With the permission of the parents, they are made right in the medical room. And in private, you yourself need to take your children for vaccinations.

Program. The State Garden follows the general program of preschool education. As in private, there is music, physical education, fine arts and natural history. True, no one paints on water with paints.

But there are a lot of additional paid development games right in the garden. For an additional fee, children can go to dance, drawing, judo, chess, gymnastics, English and modeling. It turns out not as profitable as in the house of creativity: here it costs 500 R for 30 minutes of classes, and there – 60. But the children do not need to be taken anywhere separately.

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My daughters go to dances. We also tried drawing, but this circle is the most popular, and my children are stressed by the crowd. Instead, the eldest is learning chess and going to classes in chemical experiments. And the youngest is doing gymnastics with a ball.

Price and additional costs. I pay 7000 R per month for a garden for two daughters. We do not pay for the days when they are sick. We give another 20,000 R for mugs.

27,000 R

per month I pay for two daughters in the state garden, including circles

As a result, the state garden with circles costs almost four times cheaper than the paid one. That one would cost 120,000 R per month if we take both daughters there. In addition, I would have to pay for mugs in the art house. A nanny would have treated us about the same, taking into account food and mugs.

I am not going to pick up the children from the public kindergarten. For our family, this option turned out to be the best. Even though we came to him when our daughters grew up.

What is better

For the convenience of parents , the best option is a nanny. You don’t need to take sick leave with her, and after work you can safely linger. But it is very difficult to find a good nanny – we did not succeed. In addition, it is unpleasant that a stranger is constantly at home. And babysitting services are not cheap: we paid 75,000 R per month, and this is not the most expensive option.

There are also pluses and minuses for a child with whom a nanny sits. At home, he gets sick less often and learns faster, because the nanny deals only with him. But my daughter was bored without the team, and we made sure that not every nanny will keep children engaged in sports and creativity.

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I think it only makes sense to hire a nanny if your kids get sick a lot. And if you find a person who not only teaches children, but also does not forget to play with them.

For the comfort of children , a private kindergarten is good. There are small groups and unusual developmental games, besides, the child communicates with other children, and does not sit in a social vacuum, like with a nanny. True, friends from the garden may live in other areas and then go to other schools. And in his child he will not know anyone.

But a private garden is a lot of trouble for parents. You need to monitor vaccinations yourself and take sick leave when children get sick. Another private garden is expensive, as is a nanny. We paid 45,000 R per month, but part of the money went to waste when our daughter was sick.

It seems to me that a paid garden is suitable for those who care about a beautiful room and well-groomed territory. And for those who think that drawing and modeling are not enough for a child, but English and playing the harp are also needed.

Golden mean is a public kindergarten. There are large groups, but the child is developed in the same way as in private. Yes, he does not draw on water, but it is still interesting and fun there. In addition, the child gets to know children from his area, and he will have less stress when he goes to school.

The state garden is also convenient for parents: it is cheaper than the private one, vaccinations are monitored there, and there are mugs right in the garden – it is not necessary to take the child somewhere.

The main disadvantage of the state kindergarten is that parents have to take sick leave. But this problem disappears when the child grows up and adapts to the conditions. That’s what happened with us.

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KINDERGARTEN HOURS

Page updated on 07/17/2017

KINDERGARTEN HOURS OF OPERATION

1. Kindergarten working hours from 07.00 to 19.00.
2. The mode of direct educational activity of kindergarten students is established in accordance with the requirements for the daily routine in a preschool educational institution (SanPiN).
3. When implementing the general educational program of a preschool educational institution for young children from 1 to 3 years old, directly educational activities should be no more than 1. 5 hours per week (game, musical activities, communication, development of movements). The duration of continuous directly educational activity is no more than 10 minutes. It is allowed to carry out directly educational activities in the first and second half of the day (8-10 minutes each). In the warm season, educational activities are directly carried out on the site during a walk.
4. The maximum allowable weekly educational load, including the implementation of additional educational programs, for preschool children is:

in the younger group (children of the fourth year of life) – 2 hours 45 minutes, in the middle group (children of the fifth year of life) – 4 hours,

in the senior group (children of 6 years of age) – 6 hours 15 minutes,

in the preparatory (children of the seventh year of life) – 8 hours 30 minutes.

5. Duration of continuous direct educational activity

for children of the 4th year of life – no more than 15 minutes,

for children of the 5th year of life – no more than 20 minutes,

for children of the 6th year of life – no more than 25 minutes,

and for children of the 7th year of life – no more than 30 minutes.

6. The maximum allowable amount of educational load in the first half of the day in the junior and middle groups does not exceed 30 and 40 minutes, respectively, and in the senior and preparatory groups 45 minutes and 1.5 hours, respectively. In the middle of the time allotted for continuous educational activities, a physical education session is held. Breaks between periods of continuous educational activity – at least 10 minutes.
7. Directly educational activities with children of senior preschool age can be carried out in the afternoon after daytime sleep, but not more than 2-3 times a week. Its duration should be no more than 25-30 minutes a day. In the middle of a directly educational activity of a static nature, a physical education session is carried out.
8. Directly educational activities of the physical culture and health and aesthetic cycle should take at least 50% of the total time allotted for directly educational activities.
9. In the kindergarten, meals for children are organized in accordance with the sanitary and epidemiological rules and regulations, the established monetary norm, and taking into account the individual characteristics of the pupils. Medical care for children is provided by regular or specially assigned by the health authorities to the kindergarten by medical personnel who, along with the administration, are responsible for the health and physical development of children, conducting health-improving and therapeutic and preventive measures, observing sanitary and hygienic standards, regimen and ensuring the quality of nutrition. The kindergarten is obliged to monitor their work in order to protect and promote the health of children and employees. Types of work (services) performed by a budgetary institution in the implementation of medical care – first aid (nursing in pediatrics).

Day mode

	1 junior group	2 junior group	Medium group	Senior group	Preparatory group
Morning reception, games, independent activities, communication	7. 00 – 8.05	7.00 – 8.00	7.00 – 8.00	7.00 – 8.00	7.00 – 8.00
Joint activities Gymnastics Morning gathering “Entering the day”	8.05 – 8.10	8.00 – 8.05 8.05 – 8.15	8.00 – 8.10 8.10 – 8.20	8.00 – 8.10 8.10 – 8.25	8.00 – 8.15 8.15 – 8.35
Breakfast	8.10 – 8.45	8.15 – 8. 45	8.20 – 8.50	8.25 – 8.55	8.35 – 8.55
Independent play activity, communication, preparation for GCD	8.45 – 9.00	8.45 – 9.00	8.50 – 9.00	8.55 – 9.00	8.55 – 9.00
Direct educational activities (total duration including break)	9.00 – 9.10 9.20 – 9.30 (by subgroups)	9.00 – 9.15 9.25 – 9.40	9.00 – 9.20 9.30 – 9.50	9.00 – 9.25 9.35 – 9.55	9.00 – 9.30 9. 40 – 10.10 10.20 – 10.50
Preparation for a walk, walk (observation, games, work, experimentation, socializing)	9.30 – 11.10	9.40 – 11.40	9.50 – 11.50	9.55 – 12.00	10.50–12.20
Return from a walk, games	11.10 – 11.30	11.40 – 12.00	11.50 – 12.10	12.00 – 12.20	12.20 – 12.30
Dinner preparation, lunch	11.30 – 12.00	12.00 – 12.30	12.10 – 12.40	12.20 – 12.50	12. 30 – 13.00
Sleep preparation, daytime sleep	12.00 – 15.00	12.30 – 15.00	12.40 – 15.00	12.50 – 15.00	13.00 – 15.00
Gradual rise, post-sleep exercises, air, water, afternoon tea	15.00 – 15.20	15.00 – 15.20	15.00 – 15.20	15.00 – 15.20	15.00 – 15.15
Joint activities (games, reading fiction, leisure, individual work)	15.20 – 15.30 15. 30 – 15.40	15.20 – 15.35	15.20 – 15.40	15.20 – 15.45	15.15 – 15.45
Walk	15.40 – 16.30	15.35 – 16.25	15.40 – 16.30	15.45 – 16.30	15.45 – 16.45
Self-interest activities in activity centers, games	16.30 – 17.00	16.25 – 17.05	16.30 – 17.10	16.30 – 17.15	16.45 – 17.15
Dinner preparation, dinner	17.00 – 17.30	17. 05 – 17.35	17.10 – 17.40	17.15 – 17.35	17.15 – 17.30
Preparation for a walk, evening walk, going home	17.30 – 19.00	17.35 – 19.00	17.40 – 19.00	17.35 – 19.00	17.30 – 19.00
NOD	18 min.	30 min.	40 min.	45 min.	1h 30 min
Sleep	3 hours	2h30	2h20	2h10 min.	2 hours
Walk	4 hours	4h. 15 minutes.	4h. 10 min.	4h. 05 min.	4 hours

90,000 how much does it cost to raise children in Paris. One article

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The appearance of a long-awaited child is a significant event for every couple. And concurrently, a good reason to revise the family budget, including a new expense column. The editors of the ZagraNitsa portal found out how much it costs to raise children in Paris now. We share useful information and invite everyone to share their personal experience in the comments

Money is a delicate issue for many, and it is not customary to discuss it out loud. Especially in France, where the financial topic is elevated to the rank of taboo. Yes, and a child is not a car or a pet, in order to openly discuss how much it costs to maintain it per week, month, year … And yet, to help those who are interested in the price of a non-trivial parental issue, we found out how much it costs to raise children for Parisian families.

First expenses: childbirth

Perhaps the main turning point for the family budget of new parents is the day of birth. A new family member appears in the house with his moral and material needs, the bar of which is gradually rising every year. But back to birth. In Paris, as in any other French city, obstetric services are provided in private and municipal clinics. In the latter, childbirth will cost from 3,000 euros in the absence of insurance, in the first, the amount will depend on the class and status of the institution and can range from 10,000 euros to infinity.

The amount will also depend on the cost of the hospital stay. For example, the daily rent of a room at L’hôpital privé d’Antony costs from 175 to 400 euros, and at Maternité de l’Institut Mutualiste Montsouris – 55 euros. Having insurance that covers the lion’s share of medical expenses associated with childbirth can be a real life saver for the family budget.

Photo: shutterstock

How much do French parents spend on children?

According to the information compiled by l’Insee staff, the average parental couple in France spends 6,000-7,000 euros per year per child under the age of 16 (about 13% of total income). To be extremely precise, families with one working parent allocate an average of 5900 euros for children’s expenses, with two – 8400 euros per year. These amounts are distributed among the main items of expenditure as follows: babysitting – 3084 euros, clothes – 1217 euros, kindergarten / school + insurance – 1029euro, toys and entertainment – 456 euros, children’s furniture and accessories (playpen, chair for feeding, car seat, etc. ) – from 56 euros.

Photo: shutterstock

As for food expenses, the same statistics say that single parents spend around 1,700 euros on grocery shopping, couples with one child under 16 years old – 2,000 euros. But again, these numbers are averages. Every family has a different income and spending situation.

Nursery, kindergarten, school: how much does education and child care cost

Parisian mothers, as a rule, try to get out of maternity leave as soon as possible and are ready to return to society in just a couple of months after giving birth. During the period when the mother spends time at work or is absent for other reasons, the baby remains at the disposal of the nanny or teachers from the nursery, kindergarten. The latter work on a private or public basis, but in any case, the maintenance of the child will be paid. For municipal école maternelle, the amount is calculated based on family income and can vary greatly – from several hundred euros per year or more. As for a nanny, the average price tag for the Île-de-France region over the past 12 months is 8.95 euros per hour.

At the age of six, children begin attending an “elementary” school, which takes place 4 days a week. On Wednesday, children are free from lessons and actively work on their creative development: they change school desks for all kinds of cultural events. Schoolchildren get acquainted with music, painting, history in museums, parks, various circles. The French believe that children should be left room for creativity, and for this they are ready to pay for extra hours of babysitting or find other ways out of the situation.

Additional expenses for looking after a child are also required for the holidays, which happen almost every one and a half months and last for 2 weeks. It is forbidden to leave children under 14 years old in France alone, and therefore parents need to foresee who the child will be with in their absence.

Help for parents: government benefits

As native French, foreigners with a residence permit (other than student visas) have equal opportunities to receive benefits paid by the state. You can apply for them through the National Center for Family Benefits CAF.

For families with many children and low-income families, there are a number of programs to help manage the costs. For example, after the birth of their second child, parents can receive AF assistance (allocations familiales) in the amount of 129 euros per month until his 20th birthday. There is also an allowance for schoolchildren by September 1, called ARS (allocation de rentrée scolaire). Its size is from 360 euros. The final amount will depend on the age of the child.

Photo: shutterstock

For single mothers and fathers, the ASF allowance (allocation de soutien familial) is provided, according to which the foundation pays 95.5 euros per month to the parent. Families with many children (from three minors) can apply for a special card for 19 euros, which allows you to travel around the country by SNCF trains with a discount of up to 75%.

For pregnant women, a separate program is provided that helps to purchase everything necessary to care for the baby in the first months.