STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

alb · Marc Jacobs

Help with child care decision - anyone?

itsapinkthing · Coach

alb it sounds like a very fair amount of payment. As for taxes I am not really sure but you need to find out if she had a FEIN#, this is what you would use to write off the child care on your taxes. Also consider arrangements for what to do if either child is ill, if her son is sick you do not want to expose your child and vice versa. Just something to consider in the arrangements.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

i know that when i baby-sat "my baby" (i miss her soooo much!) they had a little journal for the days she went to daycare.

it basically looked like a spreadsheet with the time of day in a column, and activities in the rows. the day care people just put an 'x' when they changed her diaper, when she ate (what she ate), when she napped, etc.... also, there was room on the sheet for comments. like one day this kid accidently scraped her with their fingernail. that got written on the sheet. just to cover the daycare, and so the parents could see any changes (they have taken her journal to the doctor several times just to show changes in diet). also, the daycare wrote activities, like, she really enjoys stories, etc....

i thought this was a great idea. really it took the daycare five minutes to fill out the sheet, the parents made one spreadsheet, printed it out several times, and bound it. also, it is something nice to put in a baby book, or box and look back later on..

also, make sure the lady is cpr certified (you might have to pay to cover her class if she's not).

alb · Marc Jacobs

Thanks, Pink! We talked about what to do if one of the children is sick and I think I'll just keep Lucy myself that day if that happens. She said he doesn't get sick very often. Anyone else have any thoughts on this arrangement?

alb · Marc Jacobs

Thanks, shopgirl, just saw your message. Those are great ideas. I thought about asking her to take a cpr class, I guess I will do that and offer to pay. Thanks for your help!

mikacat · Coach

i think it sounds like a steal!!

the ideas the others said are good ones.

I hope we find as good a deal.

I was thinking we would have to pay closer to $300 -$400 weekly.

honey · Gucci

it sounds like a good deal, especially if you trust her. as far as taxes, you probably won't have to withhold them. i believe that you (or your acct.) can issue you her a 1099 at the end of the year, and then she's responsible for reporting it. though i'd double check that since i know companies can do that, but i'm not sure about individuals. also if you do this you should tell her b/c getting a 1099 kind of sucks -- not that it's unfair but most people don't expect them so they're not anticipating having to pay taxes on the money when they first receive it, and the 1099 comes after the fact.

FashionPrincess · Hermes

How many hours a week would she work? If it full time (40+ hours) I feel $200 is kind of low. Maybe more like $300. And I think a nanny is better than daycare because it's more flexible and more one on one attention.

jacL · Coach

$200 a week sounds reasonable to me IF you are not going to claim it on your taxes; my mother used to care for children inside her home and she charged about $4 an hour since the parents chose not to claim it. If you do claim it, you need to pay more (although I don't know how much--sorry). I also think it is a good idea to have a backup in case an emergency arises while you are at work and can't leave right away. That way, the sitter can take her to the backup sitter or daycare.

lindsayp · Kenneth Cole

I do childcare program enrollment at the YMCA in my area. Our programs run about $200-375 PER MONTH for childcare!!! In my "professional" opinion, $200 per week seems like a hell of a lot! It may differ for each area, but you might want to check out the Y in your area and see if they do childcare.

blink · Coach

$200 is about right, and still better than daycare costs. the taxes are for the caregiver to worry about. if she decides not to report the income, you simply don't get that childcare tax deduction. My son goes from 8AM to 12/1PM on weekdays and our caregiver charges $80 a week, which everyone else I know tells me is a steal. She lives on my neighborhood street, and she has been watching a few babies in my neighborhood for about three years. She's certified with the state and although it's expired, she had CPR certification also. She charges a lot more to babysit on a weekend night though, I think $50.

Overall, this is a great situation and I recommend it over a daycare facility. I love that there are just a few other babies there for my son to socialize with, but not so many that he doesn't get attention. Also, over the months, I have become friends with this caregiver, I completely trust her, she's my age, and I know she loves my son and carries him around a lot, just like I do.

If he has a fever, I don't take him. He has gotten sick from the other babies, especially over the winter, it's hard to avoid this, kids get sick really easily. If a child gets a fever at her house, she calls the parent to come get him.

-- Edited by lorelei at 12:39, 2005-06-22

Kari · Dooney & Bourke

Hey alb,

I think its great you've found a person you trust to take care of Lucy. I think $200 sounds fair. Especially if she is keeping another baby (i think you mentioned that). The other baby's parents will be paying her as well, so overall she is going to be doing well.

As for the taxes, I think it is up to her to report the income and pay the taxes. I know that you can deduct the expense, but I don't think it is your responsibility to do the withholdings for her. Of course, this is just stuff I've heard...I have no knowledge of tax law yet. Do you have an accountant or attorney you could call?

alb · Marc Jacobs

Thanks everyone for the input. Kari--I don't have any experience with tax law nor do I know anyone that does (it's been a long time since I took federal income tax in law school), but I think what everyone says here sounds about right. I could do research, i just haven't yet-I thought someone would know off the top of their head. I should ask our accountant though--that's a great idea and I don't know why I didn't consider that (duh). I hope you're doing well!