How much to give for daycare providers?

[nellgirl]

My daughter has been at an amazing daycare since September. She loves it there and the 2 teachers have been really flexible and kind with her (she’s quite ‘spirited’). Prior to this, we shared a nanny with another family, and gave her a day’s salary for Christmas. I don’t know if that was right, but she seemed happy with it.
I’m wondering how much to give the teachers. I’m thinking of an amazon gift card because it’s easy and they can get pretty much anything there. The head teacher has been with her every day and she has been really flexible in terms of potty training, behaviour, etc. The other teacher is newer, but has been there for a month and a half or so. It’s this second teacher that my daughter doesn’t listen to very well, so it’s kind of a thank you-I’m sorry gift.
I’m also giving them a card with my daughter’s picture on it and a letter telling them how amazing they are.

[VillainV]

We are doing Target GCs, card with a nice note, and chocolates (I happen to know that they all like chocolate — last year he had a teacher who was vegan so I gave her vegan lip balm). Target has a stocking-stuffer aisle that has nice chocolates (Lindt, Roche, Ghirardelli) in small festive packs for a few dollars. This year the CGs are $10 each because we’re buying for more people.

ETA: I think Amazon GCs are okay, but feel out the demographic. While I buy everything on Amazon, some people still don’t like to shop online. There are also a lot of people in our area who are unbanked and don’t have debit cards (I don’t know that anyone at his school falls into this category, but they easily could). For this reason, I like to pick a B&M store for people I don’t know well.

[cricketwife]

I have done $10-50 for daycare workers, depending on how much we were able to afford and how many I was buying for at any time. I can tell you that in my circle, $50 blew them away. I wish I could do that for all of them every year, but I cannot. I would not do amazon because not everybody shops there. And if you do, definitely make the amount enough to get free shipping, which I think is $35 ( I know they have free shipping at the moment for the holidays but that may end before they use their cards).

[irishbride2]

I used to give a 100 gc and a bottle of wine I knew she liked.

[dcn]

I do $10-$20 gift cards depending on how many I’m buying for.

[icedcoffee]

We do $25 for main teachers and $10 for floaters/director/assistants in the form of a Target gift card.

[suzv]

I do $25 gift cards for the two teachers in his room. For the directors and the two women who work at the front desk, I spend around $15 each on some kind of gift. Last year it was on a little lotion/bath bomb gift set from Ulta. Not sure what I'll do this year yet.

[shaynaatl]

We do $25 gift cards per teacher.

[Mrs.flang]

Her first year when she was an infant I was so appreciative and such a nervous mom that I probably over-did it. I gave $100 GCs to target to the three infant room teachers. And she had only been there two months at that point!

Last year I did $50 for each of the two main teachers and $25 for a floater DD really liked. This year I'll probably only give to the two main teachers (different from last year) and will do $50 in cash.

[scm1011]

Our daycare asks for cash that they distribute evenly to all teachers. I'm giving $100 and calling it a day.

[cabbagecabbage]

As much as you can reasonably afford. Daycare workers are paid crap and work so hard. I feel like you couldn't possibly over give in this situation.

[Blue Moon]

We're doing $25 Target cards for the main teachers only. I really wish we could afford to give more, but our gift list is out of control this year.

[brooke77]

DS has one teacher. She is getting a $25 Target giftcard. There are several assistants throughout the day/week. We are planning on bringing in some muffins/donuts and a sweet note thanking them for taking good care of DS. We will probably bring it in the week before Christmas.

[vmars]

I do $40-$50, but it’s normally only 1-2 teachers. I know his teachers are underpaid and overworked (based on employees who have left) so I think they definitely deserve the money, but I know not everyone can afford to do that themselves.

[nextbigthing]

$50 Target GC for main teacher, $25 for assistant. $10 for cook and 2 admins.

Also DS and I are making cookies to bring for the staff and I think another day I'll do bagels.

[isabel]

I did $15 Starbucks cards for the main teacher and helper in each room, so 4 people total. I wish we could do more, but I am really focused on staying within our budget for Christmas this year.

[hbomdiggity]

Can I ask too?

DS started in a new room/teachers in September. 2 main teachers and 1 floater. 1 main teacher went out on maternity leave early November so there is a sub for 4 months. DS will be in this room for 2 years (preschool).

Do I give the teacher on maternity leave anything?

[melsbels]

Our twins attend in-home daycare 2 days a week. I’m planning on giving our provider a $25 GC for a pedicure at a salon in our community, and some Christmas chocolates so she can share with her husband who sometimes helps with the kids lol

[icedcoffee]

Dec 5, 2018 14:53:06 GMT -5 hbomdiggity said:

Can I ask too?

DS started in a new room/teachers in September. 2 main teachers and 1 floater. 1 main teacher went out on maternity leave early November so there is a sub for 4 months. DS will be in this room for 2 years (preschool).

Do I give the teacher on maternity leave anything?

I probably wouldn't give the teacher on ML anything because I'm guessing she won't be back until the end of January so I wouldn't really know how to get it to her.  I'd probably give her something for teacher appreciation later in the year though to make up for it.  I'd give the sub a small gift now.

[farmvillelover]

Dec 5, 2018 9:11:44 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Our daycare asks for cash that they distribute evenly to all teachers. I'm giving $100 and calling it a day.

I wish our daycare would do this.  Some teachers get really stiffed and other favorite long-time ones get windfalls and it makes me feel bad.  

My younger one is in a class that has like 5 or 6 diff teachers, it's been a shitshow for months.  They are all getting $25 apiece, the cook is getting same.  I bring a stack of $10 starbucks gift cards I give to the front desk/admin staff (there are 4 of them) and then I do donuts for the entire staff.

[scm1011]

Dec 5, 2018 16:48:42 GMT -5 farmvillelover said:

Dec 5, 2018 9:11:44 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

Our daycare asks for cash that they distribute evenly to all teachers. I'm giving $100 and calling it a day.

I wish our daycare would do this.  Some teachers get really stiffed and other favorite long-time ones get windfalls and it makes me feel bad.  

My younger one is in a class that has like 5 or 6 diff teachers, it's been a shitshow for months.  They are all getting $25 apiece, the cook is getting same.  I bring a stack of $10 starbucks gift cards I give to the front desk/admin staff (there are 4 of them) and then I do donuts for the entire staff.

I agree, it’s a good method. They just started this last year and I think it was because floaters were being overlooked. I’m happy to make sure they get their share and appreciate not having to agonize over who I should give what.

[steamboat185]

We do 50 in cash for the main teachers and then 10-20 for a few of the floaters.

[glitzy07]

Well, I officially feel like I'm not giving enough.

We do a $50 restaurant GC for our in-home provider (to a restaurant that her daughter, who I went to high school with, told me she and her husband love). We usually also give her wine or chocolates. D goes here full time.

Then we bought a bunch of $5 Target GCs during the 10% off sale last weekend and I was planning to do a GC and some chocolates for each of the people C interacts with at the pre-school where he goes for before/after care. There are 9-10 people total that he is with at one point or another during the week (including the cook). Now this doesn't feel like enough compared to the amounts of some other people.

[krystee]

I do $100-$150 for our home daycare provider and $25-$50 for the assistant. She doesn't charge for her time off at Christmas so I want to make up for some of her loss of income.

[jnibean]

Dec 5, 2018 20:41:44 GMT -5 krystee said:

I do $100-$150 for our home daycare provider and $25-$50 for the assistant. She doesn't charge for her time off at Christmas so I want to make up for some of her loss of income.

Ditto, minus the assistant (she doesn't have one).  Our in home daycare provider doesn't charge us for time off.  We don't pay to keep DS's spot over the summer either.  She takes care of mostly teacher's kids, so she doesn't have kids during the summer, save a few days here or there when she asks to see the kids.  Even then she won't take money from us.  

[dcn]

Dec 5, 2018 19:51:50 GMT -5 glitzy07 said:

Well, I officially feel like I'm not giving enough.

We do a $50 restaurant GC for our in-home provider (to a restaurant that her daughter, who I went to high school with, told me she and her husband love). We usually also give her wine or chocolates. D goes here full time.

Then we bought a bunch of $5 Target GCs during the 10% off sale last weekend and I was planning to do a GC and some chocolates for each of the people C interacts with at the pre-school where he goes for before/after care. There are 9-10 people total that he is with at one point or another during the week (including the cook). Now this doesn't feel like enough compared to the amounts of some other people.

Don’t feel bad! You are doing what you can afford.

I get that people want to show appreciation, but I sometimes feel like it is all out of control. I honestly think this board is really skewed. Not everyone is giving $50 gifts to teachers or spending $500 on gifts like this. I wouldn’t compare yourself or feel like it’s not enough.

Some years I just write a nice card with a small treat. The point is to show appreciation, but it doesn’t have to be about $$$.

[blondemoment123]

I know this has been discussed, so forgive me.

DS (13 months) has been with his teacher since he was 2 months old. Is a $25 Target gift card for both her and the helper okay? I’ve scaled Christmas way back this year since my health insurance premium is going up. But I feel guilty not doing more since they’ve been amazing from the start.

Should I do a Visa gift card instead? We’re not allowed to give cash.

[VillainV]

Dec 9, 2018 9:57:40 GMT -5 blondemoment123 said:

I know this has been discussed, so forgive me.

DS (13 months) has been with his teacher since he was 2 months old. Is a $25 Target gift card for both her and the helper okay? I’ve scaled Christmas way back this year since my health insurance premium is going up. But I feel guilty not doing more since they’ve been amazing from the start.

Should I do a Visa gift card instead? We’re not allowed to give cash.

I think $25 is plenty generous. Visa cards sometimes have activation fees or other restrictions that make using them tricky (like it has to cover the whole cost and can’t be split with other payment, tough to transfer funds off the card, etc). Not all do, so read the fine print carefully. For this reason I generally prefer Target, but if you can find a Visa or MC card without a lot of restrictions, that would be fine.

[cherryvalance]

Dec 9, 2018 0:03:58 GMT -5 al dente said:

Dec 5, 2018 19:51:50 GMT -5 glitzy07 said:

Well, I officially feel like I'm not giving enough.

We do a $50 restaurant GC for our in-home provider (to a restaurant that her daughter, who I went to high school with, told me she and her husband love). We usually also give her wine or chocolates. D goes here full time.

Then we bought a bunch of $5 Target GCs during the 10% off sale last weekend and I was planning to do a GC and some chocolates for each of the people C interacts with at the pre-school where he goes for before/after care. There are 9-10 people total that he is with at one point or another during the week (including the cook). Now this doesn't feel like enough compared to the amounts of some other people.

Don't feel bad! My mother is in early childhood and has done it all from running in home center by herself, to teacher in a larger preschool, to director. Most gift cards are $5-10 IF she gets them. A lot of presents are homemade treats and candles. She works in a very middle class area.
$25+ gift cards is unheard of for her or her teachers.

To this point, I thibk a lot of these posts are just humblebrags. All of the teachers continue to post that they don't expect anything, a note/card or compliment to their bosses would be awesome, and GCs in any amount are amazing.

And yet, there are still a ton of, "I'm planning on giving $500 cash and a baby unicorn, is that enough?!?!" Please.

[erbear]

Do not give me a baby unicorn. I do not need anything else to take care of. Lol.

Teacher here. I mean this quite sincerely: $10 is plenty. Add a handwritten note thanking them for their work. We are grateful for any recognition that we are working hard with your kid.

It actually makes me a little uncomfortable to get anything more than $20 (I do think I might feel differently if I were a DCP vs a teacher). And cash makes me very uncomfortable.