day care or babysitter?

Question

i am pregnant with my first. im not due until the end of may but i have been researching daycare and babysitters. i have to work full time. daycare in my area for a newborn (starting at 6weeks old) is $180 per week--which is $720 per month. whats reasonable rate for a babysitter full time m-f for the same age? which is better daycare or babysitter? where can i find a good babysitter? you as a parent what did you choose? by the way i dont have any family members or friends that would be available to babysit for me while i work.

Answer 1

I went to the county website and they referred me to the County Child Care Licensing Board and they provided me with a list of licensed child care providers in the area...and then I spent weeks interviewing them and going from house to house to find someone that we liked.



I ended up going with an In Home based daycare that charges $150 a week..incidentally the Kindercare around the corner charges $274 per week...so there's a pretty wide range depending on what you're looking for.



I would make sure that they were licensed (the licensing board has certain requirements, like CPR classes, they can't have criminal records, the get inspected by a state agency periodically).



I would make sure that the house was clean and safe.



I would ask about pets.



I would ask about what the hours were, what the late fee was for late pick up, what the sick policy was, what her vacation policy is, if there have ever been any complaints filed against her.



God I hated interviewing...it's not fun.



Good Luck!

Answer 2

When my children were little and I worked outside of the home I was paying $4/hr. at a daycare center and I wasn't real comfortable w/the care they were receiving. I checked into home daycares and was quoted between $125 and $150 a week (and that was about 6 yrs. ago!) After doing so much research I ended up staying home w/them because my net income would of been like $1.50/hr! Now I do occasional babysitting for people in my neighborhood if they are between centers or having problems like someone is sick. When I do I only charge them a few dollars to make up for food and stuff, but mostly I'm just doing it as a favor. With your little new born if you could find a trustworthy reliable sitter I personally think you'd be better off. If there is a college in your area looking for a college student who is taking classes in Education would be a good option, I see that quite often where I live. The going rates for sitters seem to be between $5 and $10/hr. here (I live in MN). You should pay a little less if you are bringing the child to someone elses house and a little more if they are coming to yours. If you have a Craigslist in your area its a great place to look, you can read peoples ads and contact them for more info if you think they'd be a good fit w/you. If you do decide to go the sitter route give lots of thought to getting and checking references and possibly even doing a background check. If you have to go w/a daycare in my experience the home run ones seem to have more personalized care then the centers. Sometimes the price will include your formula and diapers, which helps out. Oh one more thought on sitters~ a couple of my friends have older "grandma" type sitters who are excellent and charge them less, that might be something to look into. Its good your starting the search now so you have plenty of time and don't end up stressed about it. I hope everything works out and congrats on your little one to be!

Answer 3

Wow 300 dollars a month just by removing him for one day a week?? Her prices must be outrageous! Day care centers are usually more expensive. Anyways. If he is the only child she watches, there could possibly attatchement issues, too. It's very easy to get attatched to little ones, especially when you've been really involved through their signifigant growth changes. I know I'm always sad to see kids go, if I've had them for a long time and been a big part of their life. It's not fair for her to be guilt tripping you though, for sure. Don't try telling her all the new things he's learned/interested in. That might insult her, she may feel you're implying she wasn't doing enough. Tell her you've noticed positive changes in his social interaction and have come to the conclusion that he will thrive best in a setting with other children. Give her a positive date when he will be leaving, and stick to it. Give her ample time to either find a new child to care for, or a different line of work. Also tell her finances have become a little tighter and it is just not possible to stick with her right now. If there is a chance that it is because she really enjoys having your son around and they've bonded, you could ask if she'd want to take him one afternoon every few weeks, or promise to invite her to special occasions for him (B-day, etc) and stop by for visits. At the same time, if that is the case, she should want what is best for your sons development, and be understanding about the daycare. I still see the kids I nannied for, regularly, even though I haven't nannied them in 4.5 years. Although I was with the family much longer, and we all became quite close. I'm auntie now. Good luck!! And stick to your guns, guilt trip or not you need to do whats best for your family.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, the stats are completely unmatching to what I think is best...You are going to pay more for a decent sitter in your home Monday thru Friday. Expect to pay about $250 a week for that (sometimes more). The thing is that you are going to be giving your child a much better edge. I believe in home care until the child is about 18 months or 2. Then I can see how being in a center is not a bad thing. They get socialization and learn things at that point. But before, they need the love, the one-on-one attention, and the comfort of that one person being home with them (best even if they come to your house). Centers tend to rely on the 'do what they need' agenda...and babies are so much more involved than that. They need things that the centers can not stop and give them. I would look at the local college to see if there are any child ed majors that might be interested. Ask at local churches. Ask other parents if they know anyone. And then CHECK REFERENCES! That is really important. And make sure you really feel comfortable with them, talk about parenting techniques, beliefs, policies (sickness, vacation, pay schedule, holidays). Good luck, this is a decision that is always tough to make.

Answer 5

I'm a babysitter in Louisiana and a reasonable charge here is $10/hr..I use to work at daycare centers which charged $110 a wk for one child..thing is....now that I got a perspective of both, I'd rather a sitter watch my child, instead of my child constantly getting sick at nurseries, and because the student ratio can sometimes be off whhich means ur child gets less attention, an d not watched as carefully...

I dont have children yet, I'm 19 ttc though, and honestly I'd send my child to a sitter...I think its the better way to go

Answer 6

I have found that it depends on what works best for you. the pros with daycare is that you know that they can watch you kid even if the teacher gets sick, where as with home daycare, which I used to do, you have to get alternate care if provider is ill or child of theirs is ill or has something that could be spread. Yet I have found that at home daycare is more personal and fewer kids so they get more time and attention than at daycare. Just make sure to ask questions and don't ever feel as if you ask too many cause the one you don't ask is the one we tend to regret or learn the hard way. If you can make unannounced visits just for reassurance.

Answer 7

Honestly, you just have to go with who you are comfortable with. Before I had my first, I interviewed (meaning I showed up unexpected at many places, in home care and day cares) so many people. I finally went with a day care that had a small child/sitter ratio and it is in a church. It was the people that i fell in love with, not necessarily the church, or even the building. You just have to trust the people you are going to leave them with and like I said, show up unexpected, many times, before you decide. That is the only real way to see how things are when no one else is there. I know it is a hard decision, and after a few months, I actually quit and just stay home now! GOOD LUCK!

Answer 8

if i were you i would stick with a daycare, it is someone certified that is used to raising and caring for children. now if you were to hire a babysitter you should consider checking into their backround because i have heard a lot of stories in the paper lately about babysitters and child abuse. seems daycare is safer.