humanrefutation wrote:ReasonablySober wrote:Day care is one of those things that I didn't realize was such a massive expense until all my friends and family started having kids. It's especially ridiculous when I hear horror stories of flaky places that will cancel care on days and parents just have to deal with it.
Yeah, same here. When I moved back to Madison, I talked to a lot of my coworkers about the issues they had finding daycare for their kids. The best places - those with good reputations and quality facilities - have waiting lists and are extraordinarily expensive. It blew my mind how much of a challenge it was.
Yeah, the more stable setups are at the daycare centers which you mentioned are more expensive.
I do understand it though. Other than maybe our provider telling us a week earlier or something (we had a friend we had referred to her had found out earlier because she told future clients earlier) I really can’t complain. It sucks for the consumer but it’s also her livelihood and she does a great job.
Some of the centers are probably jacked up in price but a single provider in a large metro area generally makes decent, not huge money IF they can remain fully occupied ($50-80k)...man, for what they provide, they are underpaid even if that is a decent living wage and some providers can probably push over $100k if they take 7+ kids.
Back to our situation which started this all...as some suspected, the kid was told by his current provider and already somewhat open/excited to the idea of somewhere new and we have something potentially lined up...but then after he got time to think he randomly broke down crying late tonight telling us he didn’t want to go away from his current daycare and doesn’t want her to move.
Again, this is a minor as hell problem and the kid will forget it and be fine but those moments as a parent still tear you apart.