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Post by Googsmom aka Jennifer on Apr 20, 2008 22:07:13 GMT -5
I was wondering for those of you who have a babysitter while your at work, or whenever, for your special needs kids esp., if it's not to nosey, how much do you pay them? I'm really thinking about having my sister watch Brooker for a few hours a day a couple times a week so I can get some things done around here. My desk in the office is a disaster. My helper assistant manager is lost There are clean clothes piled up on the spare bed i'm telling you, two feet high. I made hubby fold the socks in bed today I am in real need of this help and she could sure use the extra money. I just have no idea what babysitters get paid these days. I've always paid sister to watch Mary years ago like a pack of cigs and some gas money but Brook is much more to deal with, she demands constant interaction and sister knows this and is real good w/ her. Any help here would be super. Thx......~Jenn~
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Post by CC on Apr 20, 2008 22:47:32 GMT -5
In my neck of the woods which happens to be northern New Jersey, we pay 10.00 an hour for a sitter for Chris. Actually we have paid that for some time now, probably would go up some in the near future CC ~
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Post by lespring on Apr 21, 2008 5:02:00 GMT -5
Angela's PCA's get $12.00/hr, but it comes out of her waiver. If I was paying cash I'd probably pay $8-10 depending upon how much needs to be done for/with Brook.
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Post by damarasmom on Apr 21, 2008 8:31:46 GMT -5
Well, we have paid $10/hr and Damara is usually in bed asleep by the time we leave...
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Post by Connie on Apr 21, 2008 9:25:02 GMT -5
Hummm...I must be a cheap skate!!!
I only higher a babysitter for when we go out and it is a teenager. I pay a flat $5 an hour. This is for 4 kids 12, 10, 8, and 6.
Recently...I've even started highering my 12 year old. But, then there are times he has to watch them just because I said so and he's their brother!! I know bad mommy.
Connie
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Post by ALLISA on Apr 21, 2008 10:35:39 GMT -5
It definitely varies depending upon region.....I know PCA's get paid $ 11.84 by the state (Massachusetts).....in the past I have paid between $ 12-15 an hour.....minimum wage is $ 8 an hour.....so most babysitters will expect at least that anyways. And a sitter coming into MY house has a busy day ahead of her !!
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Post by elizabethsmom on Apr 21, 2008 11:01:51 GMT -5
Jenn, You should check at the local mental health department. I have an Aunt who has special needs (not DS), and her case worker told me to share with our support group that they would provide the pay for "respite" care if needed. i.e., they would pay for a babysitter for a special needs child. She said it can be anybody you choose. My Aunt lives with my mother, but the caseworker said that even if one of the grandkids (we have adult kids) were to babysit, or one of us kids, that person would get paid. It comes out of a seperate budget they have. I've never checked into it, (BECAUSE I have older kids who I babysit for their sister...haha I must be a bad mom too), but that's what I was told.
It would be worth asking about.
Sheryl
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Post by liasmom on Apr 21, 2008 11:19:49 GMT -5
Living in rural SD, the ongoing rate for babysitting is only 1.75 an hour, give or take a quarter. The wages people make are not very much. Lia goes to a regular sitter, always has and I pay the regular rate- only more because she is not there that much and I feel obligated to reward the sitter for her being so flexible. Everywhere else we have problems with Lia's behavior, but not there. If we hire someone for a weekend or evening we generally pay more- $3 an hour or more. Kids dont want to do it for free. If your sister is going to also do household chores, I would say pay her more. Nancy
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Post by momofrussell on Apr 21, 2008 12:25:33 GMT -5
LOL Connie.. you and I are cheap together then!! If I paid $10 everytime I needed a sitter I'd never be able to go anywhere!!!
I too usually pay $5 an hour for all 3 my kids and it was usually a teenager. Now that Regan is older I pay her but it's usually not $5 an hour, it's less. She gets about $20 a week for helping me in the afternoons and she doesn't know she could be making more from other sitting job LOL She doesn't care and I put it in the bank. If I need her all day say on Sat all day, I give her another $20.
Now, my sis now helps me with the kids... and if I am using my respite with her or my mom, I pay them $10 an hour because I can. I can set any $ per hour I want and this makes up for me being a cheapskate with my own money when I need them. I also pay my sis $60 a week for helping me with the kids in the AM for about 1.5 hours an AM. I only pay her that because I need to make it worth her while as a job and for driving to my house and doing my job for me LOL I have already left for work when she comes over. She gets them up, gets them fed, dressed and on the busses and then she goes home.
A.
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Post by Googsmom aka Jennifer on Apr 21, 2008 12:25:57 GMT -5
Thx everyone. I was thinking $10.00 just cuz it's sister. My goodness Nancy, SD sounds just like AZ. When i lived there and worked at a diner, pay was $1.45 hr plus tips of corse. Sheryl, the department here said sence Brook gets SSI, I should use that $ to pay a bbsitter. OK, didn't feel like arguing w/ them. Plus, i'll be here too i just need sister to keep track of Brooker and do the playing and school time stuff so i can actually do my job stuff sometimes before my boss freaks out on me good thing i only see him a couple times a year. I usually can do work and brook all at the same time but now that she is older she will just stand at the gate and scream for me if i'm w/ a customer or on the phone. Your not a cheap skate Connie, lol. I wish sometimes esp durring the summer when Mary is here every other week instead of every other day that she could watch brooker. She does kinda "watch" her a little but i got so mad at her dad and other mom awhile back i took them to court and had it put in writing that mary was not allowed to babysit ANY of her younger siblings untill she was at least 16 and found capable of doing so. (Long story there) Thanks again girlz, sister will be happy w/ ten bucks an hr. Should pay for her cell phone and gas to get back and forth to her real job too.
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Post by Haleysmom on Apr 21, 2008 13:58:29 GMT -5
Have you applied for respite care? Check w/your DS Society or ARC to see if you would qualify for respite - then THEY will pay her!
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Post by Chris on Apr 21, 2008 14:42:04 GMT -5
Our respite care only pays $7 an hour. When we hire a babysitter, we usually pay $10 an hour and that is only to babysit Sarah.
Chris
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Post by elizabethsmom on Apr 21, 2008 14:56:06 GMT -5
Jenn, You should check again with the area services... I know the respite care comes out of a different "budget" than the SSI. Not even the same agency! Get a different person to talk to. The case worker I mentioned told me to tell ALL of the members of our support group to call if they wanted and use it...no matter what other benefits they were or were not getting. Sheryl
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Post by Deannalee on Apr 21, 2008 15:25:47 GMT -5
HAHAHA!!! What is a babysitter? I don't have one and can't afford one. Alyssa helps with the older two boys....for free....but Justin has to go everywhere with me. I don't think she could handle him with Jarod, too. Deanna
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Post by Googsmom aka Jennifer on Apr 22, 2008 9:31:42 GMT -5
Yes Sheryl, I made a few more phone calls and it's just better if I pay sister "under the table". She would have to claim income and all that jazz, blah,blah,blah and it's just easier this way for now. If the day ever comes I need a bbsitter for an all day thing, 5 days a week it would be a great service. I don't know if i could leave her w/ anyone for all day though. If I didn't have this job where she comes to work w/ me, i'd probally live in my mom's "guest house" at the farm and just be really broke Oh Deanna, at least you have Alyssa huh!!?? Brooker has to go everywhere w/ me too. Sister has only watched her I think twice when I was not here too. Last week when Mary was in hosp (hubby was here w/ them) and once when hubby had heart surgery but SIL was here w/ them. Brooker is a two person bbsitting kid
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