What is everyone doing for daycare if you aren't staying home?

TaraGoldenCO · August 2014

I have to go back to work after 6 weeks. My MIL is coming to stay with us one week to watch the baby and my mom might do the same but then the kiddo will have to be in daycare at 8 weeks.

I've found a daycare I LOVE next to our home but am on a wait list, and the price of a licensed public daycare is going to be very tough for us to meet each month. IF we get a spot my mom is going to watch our little girl two days a week and then we will send her to daycare 3 days a week, to save some money. (My mom, who is retired and willing to do daycare, lives about 20 miles a way, so this isn't the best solution).

I've also considered full time in-home daycare, but I think I'd be nervous unless there were two adults in a home and it was licensed and ran like a daycare. But I can't seem to find one and am just nervous about not using a professional setting for infant care.

I am torn though because in home care is so much cheaper, and could make a big difference on us making ends meet. But ultimately I think we will end up spending the extra money....

ConversationFear · August 2014

There is a daycare within walking distance from our house that we can afford. It was not my first choice of daycare, and I've had so many friends who have said, "You get what you pay for." But those same friends make 3x as much as DH and I combined. We can only pay for what we can afford and while we still can't really "afford" this one in the way we would like, it's the cheapest we are going to find that is secure, has a decent track record/reviews and is fully licensed.

I have tried looking for in-home babysitters or day-care, but everything is either full or more expensive than this daycare OR they are WAY out of our commute path, which isn't going to work either.

BlckRoses · August 2014

We are taking her to a center that's 5 minutes from our house. It's reasonably priced and we both really liked it when we went on the tour. The centers around here are the most affordable option, but are still fairly expensive. I wasn't 100% comfortable with an in home center because there doesn't seem to be as much regulation and if the provider is sick or on vacation we'd be out of luck.

FWIW, 20 miles isn't that far to have grandma watch her, at least not around here. DH works over 20 miles from home and his commute is pretty reasonable for the area.

saraeric · August 2014

We are using an in-home daycare. She only takes 3 at a time and only until they're 18mo-2yrs old so at that point we'll need to find somebody else. We met with several and really really connected with the one we chose. I feel totally comfortable sending him there. It's about $100/week cheaper to take him there than a daycare facility.

Peedy · August 2014

Ugh. We're paying $1,770 a month for only 4 days a week at a center. We visited a number of in home day cares... and they were all 1 women operations with 6 kids and I would have felt safe if baby was older, but didn't think that this was a safe place for an infant. Cost of living up here is ridiculous.

Weezy56 · August 2014

We are using a liscensed, in home daycare. My mom or dad will be picking LO up each day and we will pick him up from their house (daycare closes at 5 and I leave the office at 6).

Normally we wouldn't be comfortable with an in home daycare, but our DCP is a close, trusted, long time family friend of about 10 years and she lives just a few doors down from my parents. We will be paying $885 per month.

mb314 · August 2014

DS1 is at an un-licensed in-home daycare that is larger than most - she has like 15 kids, but has 2 full time employees, and other part time helpers. She will keep kids up until kindergarten and provides a curriculum for the older kids (she's a former teacher). DS2 will start there at about 3 to 4 months old.

I never ever thought I would be comfortable with a daycare like that, but after meeting my provider, seeing her home, and meeting the other parents, it was the right choice for us. (We had tour LOTS of facilities, and didn't like them). It doesn't bother me that she's not licensed because I trust her, and she meets the basic standards for ratios of adults to kids. DS has thrived there, and I like it much more than any facility I saw (even the most expensive "fancy" one).

So my advice is to not immediately disregard an in home place because it is unlicensed. Tour/visit/meet the providers and get a feel for what the setting is like. You don't really know until you visit.

LucilleAustero · August 2014

My parents will watch the bean 3 days a week and s/he will join big sis at an in-home daycare two days a week.

Not sure where you live, but NYS has links of their Family and Children's website, which is how I found licensed and insured in-home daycares. Check out your states resources.

Tinkerbell084 · August 2014

I do wish we had family closer, unfortunately, it's just not the case for us. However, DH & I work in the same organization - the facility has a daycare, which we have been on a waiting list for since what seems like the beginning of time. We can not comfortably afford the private day cares in our area ($1000+ a month just isn't workable for us). We're hoping to have a full-time slot at work by November, if not - they will accept 25 hr a week or less without a permanent slot. So we would have to make our schedules work so we need only 25 hrs of care or possibly combine with 1 day a week of local care until a slot opens up. It's exhausting to even think about.

TaraGoldenCO · August 2014

I'm touring a daycare tomorrow which will mean 20-30 extra minutes of driving for both my husband and I a day, but costs much less than the others, we would save around $600 a month.

It's a lot of extra driving, but financially much more within our budget. With the extra money, we can have a little breathing room (when emergencies arise) and maybe even starting saving a bit for our little's ones college. Fingers crossed that it'll work out and be a decent center!

kgrisham18 · August 2014

We will be bring LO to a licensed in-home daycare. It's conveniently located, the price is fair, and has good reviews. There are three women there who watch the kids (up to 12 kids). Also, once LO goes to pre-school, they will pick up any pre-schoolers and watch them for the other half of the day. One less thing to think about in a few years (assuming it works out).

ctaylor1006 · August 2014

My mom will be keeping him to start out. She kept both my others until they were 2 then we started them in daycare a few days a week.

TaraGoldenCO · August 2014

Well I went to the cheaper daycare. IT was in a shabby neighborhood, which I don't mind too much, but when I went in there was no one at the front desk (even though I had an appointment), no one came when I called and the overall building was in poor condition.

I suppose it's true that you get what you pay for...I was just hoping for something a bit more reasonable than $300 a week.

There is a list of in home licensed centers for my county, I've contacted the ones that have email, but not the ones just with a phone number, I suppose that's my next step.

mkw1013 · August 2014

My MIL will watch the baby once i return to work. My MIL lives close to my work and i currently commute to work so ill have to commute 35-45ish mins with the baby as well. Not ideal but we do what we have to do.

britab · August 2014

It took us a long time to find someone for our daughter. We ended up with an in-home provider that I found on Craigslist. She's licensed and affordable. I'm working part-time but M-F on a rotating schedule, so we have to pay for a full-time spot but she's half what a center would cost. She has gone for a week and so far things are good! I had no idea how hard finding care would be. It took over 6 months to find someone! We got down to only 3 weeks left until I went back.

rae76 · August 2014

With DS1 I used an in-home daycare and then a group daycare after he was 3. I much preferred the smaller numbers and personal attention in the in-home daycare.

With this one I'm using an in-home daycare as well. The cost around me is about the same either option you choose, but I like the smaller setting for infants and children under 3 who can't tell me what their day is like as well as an older child can.

526SadieSadie · August 2014

DD is with ILs two days a week, my mom once a week and goes to DC the remaining two days a week. I'm confident it will be the same with LO #2 but I'm thinking of quitting one of my jobs and going full time at the other one, so I will have Mondays off all the time.

happyhorse · August 2014

We're paying grandma $1,000/month once I return to work after a few weeks off with the baby.

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