How much do you get paid in Childcare? Open Discussion on Childcare Wages....

[ilovechildren]

May i ask nanavic what role is that wage for?

[socialispiice]

I am getting $8.12/hr and happy with my work

[carer15]

ah this is ridiculous child carers

[moon45]

Can anybody help me writing timesheets for 50 hours children while only receiving CCR as payment and 0% CCB and no gap payment .it's not possible to write 50 hours for schoolers in a week .parents are working but can't afford to pay gap fee .

[linsaa fdc]

Hi Moon45,
I assume you are in fdc.
Please send me the actual hours used because they only pay ccb and ccr on 38 standard hours between 8am-6pm and the other hours can be non standard.
ie; start at 6am and leave at 4pm each day. if they are school age or non school age, what your standard and non standard fees are then I can work it out for you. You can personal message it to me if you want to.
In fdc we easily get caught up in parents saying they can't afford to pay. If they have a 0% ccb they are making money and if they can't afford the care they should not be booking the child in with you. If they were in a centre they would be paying no questions asked and usually a lot more than fdc because centres don't get the 133.33% loading that fdc does. I had a family once that kept complaining how they are struggling and can't afford the childcare fees even though I was one of the cheapest in the area. Not long after they slipped that they are late for their personal trainer and they go to them twice a week, the week after the dad said that they were renting a new big tv..... I was pretty angry and never fall for that again. So the moral of that story is people ALWAYS afford what is important to them, unfortunately quality care for their children isn't always at the top of that list so please don't fall for it, we work really hard for the few dollars we get an hour per child. We also have to pay the scheme levy and tax on money that you might choose not to charge them.

Linsaa fdc

[moon45]

Thanks Linsaa
I had the same opnion.

[Jasminka]

Hi All,
Seems that not many of us are willing to share how much do we get paid.
Lorina, you are right when you say that most of us feel that we should be paid more than what we get. Unfortunately it doesn't happen often.
I understand that this is an old discussion but would love to see if anything has changed since it has been first published here. Would love to know how much are others paid and if anyone is paid 'above the award' rate.
At the moment I am paid level 6.9 at $32.13 but with the amount of the work and responsibilities I don't think that it comes even close to what we should be paid.
Thank you all, looking for some open discussions

[Lorina]

Hi All,
Seems that not many of us are willing to share how much do we get paid.
Lorina, you are right when you say that most of us feel that we should be paid more than what we get. Unfortunately it doesn't happen often.
I understand that this is an old discussion but would love to see if anything has changed since it has been first published here. Would love to know how much are others paid and if anyone is paid 'above the award' rate.
At the moment I am paid level 6.9 at $32.13 but with the amount of the work and responsibilities I don't think that it comes even close to what we should be paid.
Thank you all, looking for some open discussions

Hi Jasminka,

I've gotten a few emails and questions regarding pay and most of them that enquire are being paid "below award rate". It really saddens me that here we are trying to fight for an increase and some centres are paying their employees less than the minimum wage! It's so important that educators read the Children's Services Award and actually are aware of what they are supposed to be paid!

Those paid above award I found typically are paid only a few "cents" or so above the minimum wage.... Also, speaking of above award have you seen how much casuals are getting paid?? I would rather be a casual then work full time! Who needs all those benefits as a full time employee will receive, if I can get upto $30 an hour as a casual with no stress or problems!

Anyway, wages have been and will continue to be a problem in our industry...

,
Lorina

[Jasminka]

Spot on Lorina, fully agree with you. I would definitely prefer the casual rate over full time and to be honest I do not even remember the last time I have used 'any of those benefits' considering how busy we get. On the positive note (at least with me), I have been asked what rate I would be happy with as my contract is due to be renewed. I feel like saying $40 per hour just to see their reaction

Jasminka

[linsaa fdc]

Hi Jasminka,
I believe that $40 is a reasonable amount and think we should all be getting paid that. We have so much responibility and an insane workload in ECE. Of course I don't get paid that much but would be wonderful if I did. A couple of educators in our surrounding areas charge $10 an hour but they are never full so they are not earning a full wage........ A friend of mine gets paid more for packing strawberries
Linsaa fdc

[Laiorwyn]

I'm currently in FDC. As a LDC casual I was earning $25 per hour, now in my own business and only having part enrolment because of an oversaturation of unqualified FDC educators in the area I'm getting about $18 per hour, before my fees and expenses are taken out. Works out, at the end of the week, about $14 per hour. This is working with 10m-4y olds.
I could shoot the bright spark who thought to argue with the new CCB - all of my parents would have benefited from it and I would have been getting twice what I am now. The FDCA's article about the current gov increasing the CCB by 15% has my hopes up, but at the end of the day I honestly think I will need to move to a new area to keep working in FDC. Although, in the mean time... I prefer $14 per hour and these lovely kids to $25 per hour and the workload and stress of an understaffed, undermanaged, underequipped LDC.

[linsaa fdc]

Hi Laiorwyn,
You need to market yourself and let people know what they are getting for their money....ie qualified educator etc.... we have a huge amount of educators and schemes and centres in my area as well, you have to let people know you offer something that they aren't getting elsewhere. If you haven't already put yourself on careforkids.com.au its free and lots of parents go there to find childcare.
Hang in there
Linsaa fdc

[Laiorwyn]

Easier said. I am pregnant and will be going on leave at the end of July. I've known since January, and although I've had enquiries and I've done my best to market, parents tend to run screaming if they find out you're pregnant. I've even had one decide on the day she was supposed to start that she didn't want to start. Even had another day care lined up to start, just didn't tell me until 5:30am that day. So since the beginning of the year I've had only partial enrolments despite my best efforts. BTW, 2 things... 1, the parents I have got enrolled have been telling me for the last 2 months that I should be charging more. Apparently going out there and seeing the alternatives, they've decided they like my care. And 2, The fact is that the last place I was working at found a reason to dismiss the last pregnant educator they had there when she was 4 months in, less than a week after they found out, so I am still better off...

[linsaa fdc]

Congratulations, are you having a little boy or girl?
Sadly I can understand why people would be changing their minds... it is rude to not tell you till you are waiting for them to arrive... they probably just don't want the inconvenience of starting then going elsewhere while you are on leave but they should say that and not let you think they are starting.
How long are you taking off? FDC is the perfect job when you have little ones of your own, they do count in your numbers but you are able to work and be the one to watch your baby grow. You can still breast feed if you want, its perfect.
How much are you charging an hour? Have you checked careforkids to see what other FDC Educators are charging in your area? You need to be paid a reasonable amount for the work you do, we are not a charity service and we have to do an awful lot for our money.
All the best
Linsaa fdc

[linsaa fdc]

Just checked your profile and searched your area on careforkids and the fdc hourly rate is very cheap down there, I would have thought it would be more expensive than where I am. We are in a "low income" area but our average price is around $1 more per hour. It adds up over the week.

[Laiorwyn]

I'm charging $6.50 currently, but the plan is to go up to $7.50 when I start again. For a long time I've only been looking after 2-3 per day.
I have always known and understood why the parents don't want to enrol with a pregnant woman, but the ones that have said yes have been very inconsiderate about it... Either dragging their feet for weeks while claiming they're desperate for care or cancelling last minute.
I know bub (it's a boy!) will take a position in the ratio, but I figure that if I work full time I would lose more paying ldc rates than filling up a full time spot with him, and I'd have to somehow get him there and back every day. Better just to enjoy and document my own baby's growth and development as well as the enrolled kids. That is, after all, the point of family day care, and the whole reason I opened. Love hubby tho, he told me not to use his mums offer to babysit. How often does that happen?
I'm satisfied that hubby and I will be entitled to a little assistance as a small family, rather than a couple. I'm drooling over the rent assistance. Despite the low fdc rates in the area, you're hard pressed to find a house that rents for less than $450 a week, and where we are the owner is being very kind and not charging the full $600 they could get...

[Laiorwyn]

The hardest part in this area is the over saturation of fdc's run by ladies who don't speak much English, have barely enrolled in certificate 3 and are more than willing to work for $5.50 per hour. I don't honestly know how they do it, but it is clear to me that they don't offer an eylf / being belonging becoming experience for the kids.

[linsaa fdc]

It's completely wrong what the parents did to you, where has basic manners and courtesy gone?
That's insane that rents are so high and fees are so low, just as well you can claim a big chunk of you rent on your tax to make it all worth your while....make sure you make the most of your deductions.
It's good that there is a variety of educators from different ethnic backgrounds but we are all under the same guidlines and have to be following the EYLF because that is what childcare is all about these days. But you have to blame the schemes for that as well. The schemes up here are very diligent checking documentation, planning etc every time they visit and getting on anyones back if they aren't up to standard...and helping them if they need it//. The thing is with fdc is that you only have to be enrolled in cert 111 and start to be able to work, which was great when I started 19 years ago but with everything involved in childcare these days how can you do it all at the same time because this job fdc is all time consuming having to do lots of work in our non working hours.
When is your little boy due and how long are you taking off?

[Advocate]

Hi Lorina,

I am trying to clarify the correct hourly rate for an employee that holds a Cert 111. Started as a Cert 111 trainee in Aug 2015 and qualified in Aug 2016. I might be reading the award & the classifications wrong, but as far s I can see pay rate should be $20.61ph. From date of qualification ( mid Aug 2016) the employee was paid $20.16 ph and from 21st November this was increased to $20.29. However, personal leave taken in Oct 2016 & Nov 2016 was paid only at $12.1600 ph. This also seems to be incorrect. Could you please check that I am understanding the classification correctly & if it is correct to pay personal leave at a lower rate?

Thank you

[Lorina]

Hi Lorina,

I am trying to clarify the correct hourly rate for an employee that holds a Cert 111. Started as a Cert 111 trainee in Aug 2015 and qualified in Aug 2016. I might be reading the award & the classifications wrong, but as far s I can see pay rate should be $20.61ph. From date of qualification ( mid Aug 2016) the employee was paid $20.16 ph and from 21st November this was increased to $20.29. However, personal leave taken in Oct 2016 & Nov 2016 was paid only at $12.1600 ph. This also seems to be incorrect. Could you please check that I am understanding the classification correctly & if it is correct to pay personal leave at a lower rate?

Thank you

Hi Advocate,

For an employee that holds a cert 3 qualification completed in Aug 2016, according to the Children's Services Award, the employee will be on Level 3.1 (commencement).

In regards to personal leave, as far as I understand, it should be paid at the same rate as the employee will be receiving if they were working at the centre. This should not be paid at a lower rate...

,
Lorina