Child Care Options for Working Parents
Having a child is one of the most exciting times in a parent’s life. Having to decide whether or not to go back to work, and the child care situation that goes along with that decision, can be one of the most stressful. Current financial situations, you and your partner’s career, and a multitude of other personal circumstances come into play when making this decision and it is important that parents choose the best option for their specific needs.
If you are a parent deciding to return to work, you may be overwhelmed in trying to make the best decision and really understanding your options. Can you work from home? Can you work part time? Does your office offer child care? Who can you hire and where do you find them?
The first option many parents may consider is changing their work schedules. Maybe your type of work allows you to telecommute part or full time. Working from would allow you to continue to spend quality time with your child while you continue building your career. A second and similar option, if your employer allows, would be to consider shifting your schedule. You may be able to work longer hours less days a week or work opposite hours with your partner. These options could limit or eliminate the need to hire outside help.
If working from home or working different hours is not a feasible option or just not the right option for you, here are some options for working parents to consider.
1. Day care center: Day care centers are licensed and regulated child care facilities. They must meet a variety of government and safety regulations and are normally staffed by professionally trained caregivers. A downside to these facilities is they are often very costly and ran only during normal 9–5 hours, meaning alternative care will need to be found if your schedule does not fall within standard hours. However, if you are lucky enough to work for a company, or in a building, with a child care center, you will have the convenience of no extra commute and being close by if any emergency was to happen. Even though day care centers are regulated, you should be sure to check the history of the day care center and ask for references. Speak with parents to see what sort of care their child has received.
2. Family day care / home center: Similar to a standard day care center, these are child care facilities ran out of a caregiver’s home. Often times these centers are official family day cares, meaning they have met certain state regulations, but parents should be sure you verify these things. An advantage to a home center is that the child still gets to spend their days in a home setting.
3. Head Start / Early Head Start: Head Start Programs are often similar to a day care center in setting, but are offered to low income children and provide early education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services. To participate in these programs families must meet a low income threshold.
4. Nanny: Nannies are a type of professional babysitter who work for a family. A Nanny’s duties can include taking the child on outings, preparing food, helping with homework, and any other child care related duties. Depending on the arrangement, your nanny may even be willing to help with some house work. Although there are some nanny placement services, nanny arrangements are normally informal and made between the nanny and the parent. It is the parent’s responsibility to handle screening, background checks, and checking references.
5. Au pair: Similar to the nanny option, a working parent may consider hiring an au pair. An au pair is a caregiver, between the ages of 18 and 26, enrolled in college, from a different country who will live with a family for up to two years. Although the au pair may take care of your child for up to 45 hours a week, they are to be treated as part of the family. Au pairs receive work/education visas from the US State Department. An au pair may cost $12,000-$17,000 per year and you would be opening up your home to someone who you have never met before. Your au pair will, however, have gone through extensive background checks and training, and you will have access to a local counselor for your au pair and your family. Also, as the au pair is coming from a forging country this could be a great cultural experience for both your family and the au pair.
6. Family, friends, neighbors: Leaving your child with family, friends or a close neighbor, may eliminate some of the stress of leaving your child in the care of someone else. These options will often be people your child has already formed close bonds to, are people you already trust, and just one more plus, may be a less expensive child care option. If your child is of school age, you may consider hiring a teenage relative or neighbor to take care of the child between the time they leave school and you arrive home from work.
No matter which option matches your needs best, your child’s well-being and safety is most important. Be sure that you are leaving your child in the safest environment possible and verify the qualifications of anyone or any service you chose. Hawaii’s Better Business Bureau offers many resources, whether it be verifying a day care center or checking past users’ reviews of their experience with a nanny placement website. Be sure you do your research before deciding on your child care option.
