gigi

Childcare Conundrum

DEAR GIGI,

We are expecting our first child in September. My husband and I are lucky enough to each get three months of parental leave from our jobs. Once my maternity leave is up, my husband will then take his leave so we can ensure our child has full-time care for the first six months. After that, we are stumped on what we should do. There are so many options out there. Daycare facilities, in-home daycare, at-home nannies — it’s all so overwhelming! How do we choose what is best for our family?

DEAR CAC,

First and foremost, congratulations on your expanding family!

Secondly, there is no wrong answer here. What’s best for some families won’t work for others. The important thing to do is identify and prioritize your needs and decide on a budget. Check with your employer to see if there’s a childcare reimbursement plan in place to help offset the cost. Some families feel it is important to have their child at home with a nanny full-time to insure one-on-one care and support. Others feel it is important to have their child interact with other children to encourage developmental growth. Others find a happy medium between the two with part-time nanny care and part-time daycare. The choice is up to you and what fits your needs.

Whatever you decide there should be lots of research involved, and that research should start now. Many daycares, both in-home and facilities, have waiting lists and if you wait too long your options can become limited. Make sure whatever type of care you choose is provided by folks who have your child’s best interest at heart. Research a daycare’s policies, insurance and accreditations; check a nanny’s education, contract requirements, references and driving/criminal backgrounds, etc. Arm yourselves with as much knowledge as you can and you can’t go wrong.

And the best part: Nothing is permanent! If you choose full-time daycare and find you don’t like it, you can switch to either part-time daycare and part-time nanny care, or go with full-time nanny care entirely. Creating a system of care can be challenging, but with a bit of research you can find the best fit your family.

You’ve got this!

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