‘90s Family : Who’s Minding...

The California Child Care Resource and Referral Network surveyed costs of day care in 1995. The figures given are weekly rates for full-time care (35 hours a week or more) and hourly rates for part-time care.

* Family day care, in which providers care for children in their homes. Large family homes are licensed for a maximum of 12 children and two adults must be present. Small family homes are licensed for six children and require one adult. Most of the county’s 7,400 family day-care homes are licensed for six children.

The mean cost for full-time infant care was $90.39 a week and $3.17 an hour. The mean costs for preschool care (ages 2-5) were $85.73 a week, $3.18 an hour. The mean costs for children 6 and older were $73.64 a week, $2.83 an hour.

* Child-care centers, including private for-profit centers, parent-run cooperatives and church-based nonprofits. These centers typically handle from 13 to 250 children. The state regulates the ratio of caregivers to children, square footage and staff qualifications.

The mean rate for full-time infant care at centers in Los Angeles County was $120 a week. (There was not enough data to calculate an hourly figure.) The mean costs for care of preschoolers were $84.30 per week and $3.04 an hour. The mean costs for school-age children were $85.63 a week and $2.80 an hour.

* In-home care by baby sitters or nannies who work in the child’s home. They do not have to be licensed. To help parents evaluate prospective nannies or baby sitters, the state established a registry called Trustline in 1994. To check out an applicant, call (800) 822-8490. Be aware that an OK from Trustline is not a recommendation nor does it indicate qualifications for child care. Caregivers registered by Trustline have voluntarily submitted an application and fingerprints, and the state can tell you only if they have criminal convictions in California.

According to the network’s survey of 1995, nannies or baby sitters who are placed through employment agencies and work for just one family were paid from $150 to $500 a week, depending on qualifications. Some part-time nannies or baby sitters used hourly rates, ranging from a $4 to $12.