What is everyone doing for Child Care?

I am a single mom who works full time. I have been fortunate so far to have my younger sister available to take care of my son. Now things have changed and she is no longer available. I have started doing research and its very scary. I am not sure whats best. I have some options, there are pleanty of private day care providers in my neighborhood, lots of good centers around us and I have even researched a nanny.

There are pro's and con's for all of the above. I am just wondering what some of you are doing and why?

I have had private, in home care before. It is less expensive at times, and if you really know the person or can get various references, then it is great.

Usually the caregiver cooks all the means. Which is a good thing and they will try to make sure that your child enjoys what is prepared. So sometime, your child will have already had dinner by the time you get there.

The down side, the educational and socialization structure is very different. Also, not to say that they will, but what if a family squabble erupts, your child will be there during this situation.

Now, as for centers, I prefer them for several reasons:

1. I can check the BBB and get a detailed history of the provider. How many times it has changed hands, complaints, etc.

2. You can check into the educational background of the various teachers.

3. The center will usually guarantee the criminal background checks and certifications.

4. You can speak with a larger pool of parents as to what they think of the school, teachers, etc.

5. You can walk in and watch the various lessons being taught for all age groups. (This is good, to learn each teacher's style)

6. If they mess up and cause my child harm, I can sue and will win.

These are just some of the reasons I prefer a center. Its just better and my daughter likes being around a lot of kids.

Hi there,
I had daycare with education incorportated into the program. That along with safety was very important to me for the daycare to have. A ciriculum (spelling?) of specific times tied to that activity. Ex.) Art, share time, lunch, nap, recess, projects with numbers and letters...etc. It is also very important that I could stop in at any given time and see my daughter. The daycare my daughter went to had a locked outside door with an open door policy. Meaning you could come and see the child anytime you wanted but the outer door was locked for safety. It was a small building with different colored rooms and a lot of decorations with crafts that the kids made. All important for the child...to see their hard work posted everywhere. When my daughter started kindegarden I put her in a private school with uniforms and the priority was still education and safety. You asked why I chose this...it really wasn't a choice. Situations change. My mom and dad would watch her when they could, I still had to pay the daycare but that was ok with me. I didn't make her go to daycare if she had a family member available to watch her. Some people would disagree with that but I didn't care about the money. Only that she was happy, healthy and safe. Good Luck it is a big decision. My daughter is now 12 and I look back with no regrets on that decision. Keep us posted.

For the first three years, I had my son in a private in home day care, and he loved it. He was with a small group of children of various ages, and his sitter loved him to pieces. He'd even spend the night sometimes if her daughter wanted my son there. He was like a part of their family. I liked it because I got to know her and her family well and I trusted them. The problems of course, are that he had zero interaction with kids his own age. Most of the kids were older and one or two babies. The older kids loved him, but they would teach him some WEIRD things... like the word "tight" lol.. I still remember my lil two year old telling me that Blue's Clues was tight. He did learn how to handle a baby tho, which is good cuz I can bring him around my sisters baby or my friends babies and he doesnt try to slap them or anythign like that. Now, he is in a big center, with TONS of kids his age. As far as I can tell, he likes it better. I think the fact that there is a set "schedule" of events for the day (breakfast, class, lunch, naptime, playtime etc)has actually helped with his hyperactivity. He goes to bed so much easier than ever before and his behavior problems have died down. I like that they give me an "owie report" if he falls so I don't wonder where that scrape came from. He's learning to interact more with kids his age, so he's not walking around talking like a 12 year old in a 4 year old body. He also better understands his limitations because he can compare himself with kids his age, rather than always being sad that he can't do what the big kids do. So, both have their positives and negatives, you just have to decide what you want. I think the best transistion for your little one would be a small prive day care at first, then gradually up to a larger center. If you put him in the center at first it might be overwhelming for him, and he might have problems realizing that he can't have the teachers attention 100% of the time, like he can with you or your sister. Just my two cents

Thanks for all your comments. You make great points. Saraphin your probably right about the transition. He is so use to 100% of the attention, I think he might FREAK out if I suddenly put him in a center.

Though I have been visiting centers and I do like the resources they have. I had him at a friends house who has a 12mo old. She said it was too hard for her to watch both boys. So my sister is filling in for me again. She just had a baby of her own (2 weeks old) and she wanted some time alone with her baby (a few months) but I am having such a hard time wiht this decision that she said she would cover for me. Its good because my son is learning he can't be the center of the attention.

Anyhow...I am still researching and trying to decide what to do.

I don't know how old your son is, but you will know the right place for him when it comes along. I had my son with a private sitter until he was 1 year old because I wanted him to have alot of one-on-one attention I didn't think he would get at a day care center. When he was a year old, I put him in a day care so he would learn to interact with other kids his own age and know that everything couldn't always be about him. They teach them how to share and get them ready for Kindergarten. The teachers say they can always tell the difference between the kids who have been in day care and the ones that haven't. The ones that have are way ahead in what they know and they understand that when it is time for the teacher to teach, they need to be sitting down and listening.

I talked to alot of people before making such a big decision. The private sitter I had came highly recommended from at least 4 different parents. The day care was well known and I had many of the parents that had their kids there tell me that it was the best place for them.

I also visited, both alone and with my son. He is the one that has to be there. If he doesn't feel comfortable enough, it will be that much harder to leave him. The teachers in the place I finally decided on were certified with the state and had a real interest in the kids. I also got a report every week to know how he was doing in all areas. I was also impressed by the director of the center knowing every child by name since there were almost 450 kids there.

Hope this helps a little! Hang in there. You'll make the right decision!

-Jennifer

I'm looking for some info/opinions from parents. I am a stranger to this site, as I am married without children. However, being a son of a single parent, I know a little of the struggles. I was thinking of trying to find enough parents in my community that have difficulty paying for childcare, and organize a trade-off. The idea is that each parent would have a little more personal time, and in exchange would help another parent do the same. So my open question to the board is this: Would you be willing to have a few extra kids in your home for a few hours a day in exchange for a few hours each day to do what you need/want, free of charge? I don't know if this would work on a larger scale, such as on an 8-hour shift.

Hi Martin J D,
Welcome to SFV. What a great idea. For me, it's not applicable as I am non-custodial but an excellant question that even I'm curious about. And I'm sure a new thread with the same question in say "open discussions" would get tremendous response. That's a hot issue on this site and I can see many replies to your question.
Just a thought.

Choosing your baby’s childcare arrangement is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. A day care business can be quite a lucrative one, and quite a personally rewarding one as well. Helping parents find the affordable and high quality http://www.daycaresurvey.com child care, their need can provide a great deal of satisfaction, but it is important to create a detailed and complete day care business plan before seeking funding for that new business venture.