Let's talk about daycare, it's totally not too early for that.

tealowl · November 2013

Sooo...I've already had to call one local center because waiting lists for infant care around here are months long. You basically need to get on a list before you even ovulate.

I called another center earlier this year with my past pregnancy, and it was $900/month. I'm thinking this place isn't much less. It's an income based center, so low income pays a little, moderate income pays a portion and higher incomes pay full fee. If they include S/O's income, we are full fee.

We cannot afford daycare. Plan and simple. It will not happen. Even if I CD and BF.

Whyyyyy is daycare so expensive? These centers pay their workers minimum wage, I know that for a fact. I bring all the baby supplies to you. Plus lots of places around here don't do hourly/drop in care, or even part time.

I'm just going to leave my baby at home and teach my dogs to babysit and Skype me during the day.

tealowl · November 2013

It seems our only options are: find a babysitter that charges ALOT less, or find multiple friends/babysitters and rotate them. I know my Mom will help too.

S/O makes less than me, so theres always him becoming a SAHD, which he would totally be down for.

ksuRN09 · November 2013

I'm not sure where you live but what about daycares run by people out of their homes? I'm from a really small town and that's the only type of daycare we have. I'm going with a lady my aunt has used since my cousin was 6 weeks old (she's 12 now). She only charges like $75/week. Maybe you'd be able to afford something like that if it's common in your area?

yurmom · November 2013

First of all, you're right it's never to early to look for childcare...those wait lists are CRAZY. Do not procrastinate on this ladies!! Second, what about an in home provider? Usually they're less expensive.

TigerLily12345 · November 2013

It's not too early here either. One of our top centers said their waiting list is 12-18 months long.

For FT infant daycare it is $1600 month (one center & one in-home- both have same price)

We are going to see if we can work something out so we only pay for care 2-3 days/week. Right now everything is on the table- nanny, center, in-home, family.

DH owns his own firm and would like to stay home with baby 1 day/week. I would like to be home 1-2 days/week.

But we are preparing for FT care if that's what happens. It is crazy expensive.

flmomof4 · November 2013

Infant care in the center DD attends is over $1500 a month. And that's subsidized because I work for the government. In 2011 when I was looking for her most full time infant programs were $2200+. I assume it's closer to $2400-2500 now. DD plus new baby would be over $2600 at our current center. I'm hoping I can find a nanny for less. No family here, so that's not an option. Daycare sucks.

Parzia74 · November 2013

daycare is exepensive. I pay $1000 for 4 days a week for my daughter. BUT, when you break it down, it truly isnt all that bad.

She's in daycare from 830-530 everyday. that's 9 hours a day, 4 days a week.

So she's in daycare a total of say 144 hours a month. (sometimes more depending on how many weeks /where the 1st falls on, etc).

Anyhow, at 144 hours a month for $1000, i'm only paying them $6.94 an hour to watch and teach my daughter. That's a bargain when you look at it that way.

I love her daycare (Goddard) and i think it's worth every penny.

tealowl · November 2013

ksuRN09 said:

I'm not sure where you live but what about daycares run by people out of their homes? I'm from a really small town and that's the only type of daycare we have. I'm going with a lady my aunt has used since my cousin was 6 weeks old (she's 12 now). She only charges like $75/week. Maybe you'd be able to afford something like that if it's common in your area?

There are lots of home cares around here, most of them charge the same as centers. There's a few that are cheaper, so I just have to network and find them, but that'll have to be closer to my EDD.

ksuRN09 · November 2013

tealowl said:

ksuRN09 said:

I'm not sure where you live but what about daycares run by people out of their homes? I'm from a really small town and that's the only type of daycare we have. I'm going with a lady my aunt has used since my cousin was 6 weeks old (she's 12 now). She only charges like $75/week. Maybe you'd be able to afford something like that if it's common in your area?

There are lots of home cares around here, most of them charge the same as centers. There's a few that are cheaper, so I just have to network and find them, but that'll have to be closer to my EDD.

Oh wow! That's crazy! I can't believe how expensive childcare is. I hope you find something reasonable.

jenandtim828 · November 2013

For this reason, and to stay home with us, my mom started her own daycare out of our home. She charged way less than daycares and made a ton of money-all cash! Sometimes I consider doing the same! Good luck with whatever you decide. I'm hoping to not have to worry about daycare until at least 6 months-a year. How long will you get off?

nursecramer · November 2013

I was running late or just-on-time all this week, or I would've asked M's center director about getting on the list. It was a little over a year's wait before we got him into his current center. It's about $1300/month here. But I feel so much more comfortable with the level of care there-- they offer a really great menu (whole grains, avoid processed foods), and instead of an in-home where there are maybe three or four kids of all different ages, M interacts with kids his age and does developmentally appropriate activities all day. It's worth it to me.

It's also really close to my work, and for infants, I can remotely monitor LO's day-- so if I expect her to be waking up from nap hungry, I can take a lunch break and go nurse her instead of pumping. I was able to do that a few times per week with M, and it helped assuage my working mom guilt.

abrazz · November 2013

We can't even go part-time here. No matter what we have to pay full time rates and it is a ton cheaper here than most of you guys pay or will pay. If your S/O can stay home that might be good. I made and make more than DH. And there was a point in TN that we thought about DH being a SAHD. By next fall both older kids can go to pre-school a couple mornings a week (which is a ton cheaper). I am seriously considering going part-time (if work will let me) and only working the days that DH isn't working. He will be out of school and on 12 hour shifts. He will probably be working nights though so I don't know how that will work out. What I do know is we cannot afford three kids in daycare. Even on a nurses wage we can't live if we are paying that much for daycare. I looked into the Nanny thing and we have none around here. I feel for you. My mom physically cannot handle my kids. We live with my parents and my mom has stayed at home since I was born. I think we wore her out, or at least my little brother did, and she is over it. She loves them but she can't watch them all day. They are the only family we have here. It's hard to figure things out with daycare. It will all work out though. It's just so stressful finding an affordable place that it is safe and really cares for your child without putting you in the homeless shelter.

hart43011 · November 2013

We have Goddard and another day care a mile from our house and both are $1500 a month! That's another mortgage payment. I'm crossing my fingers my MIL will keep LO since she does nothing anyway.

MrsWallick · November 2013

Just wanted to butt in a little here. My job is doing quality assurance for all the daycares, home daycares and preschools in my county. Feel free to PM me to pick my brain about anything daycare related. I can't help with the financial aspect obviously but if you have any questions or want to know what to look for/ ask, I'd be happy to help anybody out

mlebates · November 2013

I quit my job when I was pregnant with DD, because I would be working to pay for daycare. We just couldn't afford it.

RichLab · November 2013

their insurance, supposedly, is what makes it so high. I worked at the YMCA in Orlando and honestly, it was horrible! here in Az it seems like there are a lot of SAHM who take in one or two more kids to care for, and I know it is not a legal day care, but sometimes it is a better option, especially if you know them well. My husband works for the YMCA here and it is so much better so we will have our kid there in the mornings and then at my mom's house in the afternoons. If your parents can take the baby at some time during the day, it helps out a lot too.

reils500 · November 2013

It

quinncat said:
Around here home care is quite a bit cheaper than daycare. Ds goes to a center, but only 2 days a week and we pay $38/day. An in home daycare I interviewed charged $25/day. It really does suck with how expensive childcare is. Can't wait to pay for 2 infants and a toddler.

Oh my goodness I want to move to your area! DS is in the toddler room at a center, it is $84 a day. And he goes to the "cheapest" center! Home care costs essentially the same.

allardr · November 2013

If you do need cheaper at home daycares are an option. I've worked at them, they have their plus & minus. But they are cheaper. Mine was $27/day for infant, food included once they eat table food.

Having worked in both I much prefer a center though, they usually have rooms grouped by age. It's nice when LO is only one of 3-4 infants in their own safe room with one staff.

Thankfully we work our schedule. I sub on DH's mon/tues "weekend" and I'm SAHM other days. So maybe even if you can't do one of you home all the time you could do PT so less day care. Of if you know someone else with a young kid you could do a trade off even like you watch both a few days and she watches both a few.

Lola825 · November 2013

What about hiring someone to come to your home? I was in sittercity.com and care.com before we bought the business. I nannied two kids at one house full time. I'm not sure if it would be cheaper but it's worth looking into! Plus, the kids are home!!

bunkgirl · November 2013

DS goes to a licensed in-home daycare and it is AMAZING! She is a retired nurse and provides incredibly healthy meals and wonderful activities. She only takes 4 kiddos at one time and I am PRAYING that she will have room for this LO after my maternity leave ends.

BettyBoop86 · November 2013

We need to get our name on the list for the daycare we will be using too...I'll probably be calling on Monday for next january...I don't want the baby in daycare before that....probably a nanny or always working weekends before that.

tealowl · November 2013

What about my dogs if I did in home care? Would they let my dogs out? I can see them being annoying the whole time.

$75/week would be our max right now, maybe a bit more. S/O is doing paying double on his car loan and just got a raise, so that's more than $200/mo right there. We both get more raises next year, and a loan I have for a new furnace is done in May, and that's $120/mo there.

So that would end up going to care right there.

BettyBoop86 · November 2013

The place we will be using is about $1200/month It might be better if I went part time and was home more

bzbear2 · November 2013

Wow, aren't there any subsidies available? Our daycare here costs 450/month for full time care + 64 for food costs. So basically a bit over 500. But of course that is subsidized, heavily. This is actually considered expensive as the "state" daycares are about 250/month. And people complain about the daycare situation here! (it IS really hard to find a place)

AmericanInOz · November 2013

FT daycare here would cost around $2000 a month
dd is only in 3 days a week, and up to a capped amount half is paid by the gov't
but it's a GREAT balance for us - she's in school & loves playing with her friends 3 days a week and I'm happy to get out and work a few days too

I also had to put her down for a few places while I was pregnant even though she didn't start until she was 1 because the waiting lists here are massive too

biglewzer · November 2013

bunny0711 said:

Ha! Pretty sure my dogs aren't going to be too happy about the baby.

I work from home (so lucky) so I think I'm going to find a babysitter for 3 days a week from, like, 10am to 4pm. DH will also work from home one day a week so I think we can cover childcare that day on our own. And then my MIL will watch the other day. At least for the first year or so this is the plan, then I'll look for a daycare for more socialization.

Will your company allow you to work from home with a baby in the house? Mine will not, because, well, I wouldn't be working if I was caring for a baby full time.

I use an unlicensed IHDC and it costs me $45 per day or $1,125 per month (per child). My daughter will be 3 and starting preschool this fall, so the costs for her will go down slightly.

Good times!

allardr · November 2013

In home care like sittercity will take care of your dog too. I was on sittercity to find babysitting before and they had dogs. There is a little list of things and one says whether or not that particular sitter is "Ok with pets"...when I sat I didn't have to do anything for their dogs they had a dog door. But when we hired someone for DD she let our dogs out.

*though I feel this route will be very expensive, they are more sitters not nannys meaning like $10/hr.

JKGordon · November 2013

We're leaning toward having DH take his 2 days off during the week, T/Th and then doing PT care M/W/F at a well known corporate owned daycare. They have cameras, healthy menus, infant curriculum, etc. 3 days over 5 days will save us $160 a month.

slh812 · November 2013

I am a director at the Goddard School in Denver and I agree it is the best as far as preschool goes for young children.

futuremrsgorski · November 2013

You are very wise to start looking now. We were originally going to use the daycare near my husband's work, but after being on a waitlist since we were seven weeks pregnant and not getting in until a week before I had to return to work, we realized it was not going to work. Luckily for us, we knew a wonderful lady that was starting her own daycare out of her home.

Now we pay 1200 a month for an at home daycare. The lady is so wonderful, kind, and caring. I honestly don't feel guilty about working as I know my son is having a great time being around other children and is so excited to see me when I pick him up. I think daycare costs so much for children under two because of the 2:1 child to adult ratio. Keep in mind that daycare facilities have a large overhead cost to own and maintain the building, keep their licence up to date, pay their workers, and since it is a business, they need to make money too in order to cover unexpected costs.

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Let's talk about daycare, it's totally not too early for that.

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