Business & Tech

Berkeley Parents, Do You Overpay For Child Care?

Calculate the going rate for child care in Berkeley.

Child care can be a big money-maker.

Bay Area child care providers are the best-paid in the United States, a recent Huffington Post article reported.

An adult in Berkeley watching one child should be paid between $14.50 and $15.50 an hour, according to an online rate calculator, which is better than the recently upped minimum wage of $10 per hour in San Jose.

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That's on-par with regional averages: $14 per hour for one child and $19.25 for three children, according to a new report from UrbanSitter.com. The data shows Bay Area parents who use the website pay more for child care than parents in any of the 13 other U.S. metro areas the site serves.

UrbanSitter, which started in San Francisco, matches parents and care providers using social networks. Over 9,200 parents and 3,100 sitters are using the service, according to 7x7.

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UrbanSitter, along with national networks Care.com and SitterCity.com, provide profiles, reviews and suggested rates to parents selecting child care providers.

The SitterCity.com's rate calcuator figured a child care provider between the ages of 18-21 with little experience should be paid $14.50 an hour in Berkeley. That increases to $15.50 if the sitter is older and has more experience.

Parents, how much do you pay for babysitting in Berkeley? How do you find your sitters? Tell us in the comment section below.


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