Double Duty. One Paycheck.
Newsflash: Daycare is a hot topic!
One of the hottest topics for working moms is daycare. The mention of daycare can send shivers down a working mom’s spine and produce tears of frustration and guilt.
Daycare, we hate it, but we love it. All at the same time.
About as soon as the two pink lines showed up on my pregnancy test, The King and I began looking for a daycare. All of the books told us to get on waiting lists. And so we did.
Before my third trimester The King and I had visited most of the downtown Seattle daycares. Being the anal person that I am, I even had an excel spreadsheet comparing the pros and cons of each daycare, as well as the tuition costs.
Newflash: daycare in downtown Seattle is a lot of money!
As my due date got closer and closer and the waiting lists didn’t get any shorter, we realized that we weren’t going to get to choose which one our baby attended. He would be going to whichever one we could get him into!
Newsflash: daycare is a racket!
After having to extend my maternity leave a week and talking my mother-in-law into watching my newly born Babboo for a few more weeks, we were finally able to get into a daycare. While this particular facility wasn’t our first choice (based solely on the high cost), we were happy to have him in a place we were comfortable with. And one that was close enough for me to sneak over to and breastfeed. (Which, let’s be honest, I only did one time. It was easier to just pump at work.)
Babboo has now been in this daycare since he was born over eighteen months ago. Besides a few incidents of hair cutting without our permission and more stained shirts then I can shake a stick at (why are they so against bibs?), we’ve been happy with this daycare. Babboo is one of many little boys in his class that were born at the same time. He’s known these little guys his whole life. They play together well and are just so stinky cute. The teachers also seem to genuinely like Babboo. That is always a bonus.
Last night, while leaving the daycare after picking Babboo up, I was met at the door by the director. She handed me a pile of papers and said,with a smile of her face; “here’s some info on the tuition increases.”
I was not fooled by her smile.
I thumbed through the pages until I found what I was looking for: actual numbers.
We’d heard a rumor that tuition may go up 10%. We were prepared for something a little under 10%. While The King and I weren’t looking forward to this increase, we figured we’d be able to afford to keep Babboo there for the time being.
Tuition is going up over 20%.
Newsflash: 20% is not 10%! Not even close.
When I got home I read through the paperwork and did not believe them when they said that the increase was due to an audit of other downtown daycares. Babboo’s daycare is saying they are far less then the others. Based on my own audit, they are not cheaper. Not by a long shot.
This morning an e-mail was sent to Babboo’s daycare requesting a copy of their audit. They seemed surprised that we wanted to see it. Frankly, I’m surprised that they’re surprised.
So while as much as we like having Babboo in a daycare in downtown, close to both of our offices, it looks like the new daycare search will commence.
And honestly, it might not be in downtown Seattle.
Isabel is a pseudonym for this Seattle-based blogger. She’s been working since the day she realized soda and lip gloss weren’t free.
Isabel became a mom in 2006 and continues to work full time, outside the home, since diapers and mortgages aren’t free either. You can read far too much about her personal life at hola,isabel.
If you have questions, anecdotes, topics or just want someone to complain about daycare with, email Isabel at holaisabel [at] gmail.com.
The topic of daycare is my main stress these days. Every time someone asks me when I’m going back to work (in the office, I’m working randomly from home right now, but it’s not going to work for too much longer), I have to say “whenever we can get the baby into daycare”. We’re on about 5 wait lists, but I think we’re still pretty far down on all of them. And, due to the high costs that you mention, I’ll only end up having about $200 leftover from my paycheck after we pay for daycare. But, unless we end up losing money by me working, it’s still worth it to us.
Assuming we ever get in somewhere.
Daycare is my biggest source of stress and we’ve had daycare situations that we’ve loved and ones that we’ve hated. With 3 kids and me working full time, daycare’s been our biggest expense - even more than our monthly mortgage payment usually. Affording home daycares is bad enough - I can’t even imagine what a center in a city like Seattle must cost. Good luck!
We signed CJ up on a waitlist for a good daycare when he was 8 mos old. Two months ago we got the call that they had a space (2 days a week only). He is FOUR YEARS OLD. There is a daycare crisis in this city, I swear it.
I guess this is one reason I am thankful I am in the suburbs! I got lucky and daycare was not much more then what I paid previously in Spokane.
I would definitely ask for an audit. You should be able to ask where the money goes.
Daycares in Seattle are insane. I subscribed to Child Care Resources Online and went through 40 centers and home daycares in my area. It was frustrating because those who did have openings wanted an exorbitant amount of money since Nathan wasn’t two yet (highest quote was $1,800/month).
We were very lucky to find our home daycare provider. She lives on our street! She is not expensive! I found her through Craigslist!
I hate that “daycare woes” is, like, a real live term now. And I hate this country sometimes. I know that’s so un-PC.
Yikes, 20%! Good for you for asking to see their audit! There should be no reason that it should be kept a secret. Our daycare made their audit available for all parents to see…in fact I will send it to you so you can compare.
That bites. Seriously.
I’m surprised that they were surprised, too! Hopefully they won’t be surprised when they start losing babies!
My kids go to a downtown daycare in Seattle and I was treasurer of the board for quite a while so I can tell you where the money goes. It goes to pay the staff who make an average of $10 to $11 per hour. At our daycare almost 89% of the tuitiion revenue pays the salary/benefits for the staff. Our daycare has 50 kids. In order to have a 1 -3 ratio in the infant room to a 1 - 7 ratio in the pre-school/pre-k rooms, provide coverage for staff breaks, and be open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm takes about 25 staff: 21 teachers, director, cook, admin assistant and accountant. So yes, it’s expensive - but you’re paying for half of one person’s salary -and they have to live on that amount (as I said - an average of $10 to $11 per hour). Unless/until there’s a government subsidy, quality daycare will always be expensive. That said - I can’t imagine a higher priority for my dollars than ensuring that my kids are in a quality child care center.
[...] precious time with Babboo. Or pumping in the closet at work. And let’s not even talk about daycare. Because dude, that alone may convince us to never have another [...]