Whether you’re heading back to work or need an extra hand now and then, finding someone you can trust to take care of your kid can seem pretty daunting. To help you get things rolling on your child care search, here’s a breakdown of some of the most common types of child care, and how to decide which one is right for you.
1. Relative Care
This child care option is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. If you’ve got a family member who’s willing to lend you a hand once in a while, this is probably one of the most cost-effective options out there. (Although, this can also be a nightmare, so let’s press on.)
2. Child Care Swaps
If you have a trusting relationship with a fellow parent, child care swapping can be a great way to snag a few hours of kid-free time when you need to get shit done or just want a break.
Typically, this looks like taking turns adding each other’s kids to the mix of your own chaos crew, so as long as you’re okay with a little extra noise, it’s a nice option.
3. Babysitters
I probably don’t need to go into too much detail on how this one works. You name the time and place, put out some good snacks and a TV remote, and pay them when the night is done.
If you don’t have a friendly neighborhood teen that you feel comfortable bringing in for the job, places like Care.com can be a good source for reliable care. It’s also a good place to find out what the going rate is in your area.
4. Daycare Centers
Daycare centers provide care for children from infancy to school age during the day. Some care centers offer flexible schedules and extended hours, including early morning and late evening availability.
Typically, children in these centers will be grouped together based on their age to make sure that they’re best equipped to provide developmentally appropriate care and meet the child-to-caregiver ratio requirements. (You don’t want a Lord of the Flies situation.) It’s pretty common to see infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age groupings.
Most daycares are required to be licensed, meaning they’ve met mandated standards for health and safety, staff-to-child ratios, emergency preparedness, staff qualifications and insurance and provide developmentally appropriate programming. Subsidies are often available for many families to make the cost of daycare more affordable as well.
Daycares can vary a lot depending on where you go, but here are some of the main types of programs you’ll probably come across:
Traditional: These places usually have a pretty structured day with meals, naps, free play, and some group activities mixed in.
Montessori: This one’s all about letting kids learn at their own pace, with a lot of hands-on activities and mixed-age classrooms where they can explore and figure things out themselves.
Reggio Emilia: Here, kids get to express themselves in all kinds of creative ways— including through art, music, words, or movement.
Waldorf: This one focuses on rhythms and routines, with a lot of imaginative play, storytelling, and time spent outdoors connecting with nature.
Nature-Based/Forest Schools: They focus on outdoor play and learning from nature, so kids spend a lot of time exploring and discovering.
Faith-Based: These programs mix in religious stories, songs, and teachings along with the usual learning and social development.
5. In-Home Daycare
In-home daycare is sometimes referred to as a “dayhome”, and is essentially daycare in someone’s personal home instead of a commercial space.
Dayhomes tend to have less children and are often run by just one person. While in-home daycares have regulations they must follow, they’re sometimes less stringent than the rules set out for daycare centers.
6. Nanny
A nanny is a caregiver who looks after children in the family’s home.
If you don’t need a nanny full time, another consideration is a nanny share. This involves a few families pooling their moolah together to hire one nanny who takes care of multiple kids at a time.
This might be an option if you’ve got friends or family members who have kids that your kids like to spend their time with, and who share a similar view of what childcare expectations should look like.
You’ll have to make some decisions around where the nanny and children will spend their days (are you rotating between homes, or is one family volunteering their house as tribute all the time?)
7. Au Pair
An au pair is essentially a live-in nanny who helps to take care of things like school pickup, meal prep, light housework and general child care in exchange for room, board, and a weekly stipend (i.e. a regular payment not dependent on the number of hours worked).
Au pairs are usually young folks coming abroad for the opportunity to explore a different part of the world and, sometimes, to learn your home language. If you’re open to the idea of having someone live in your home and become like another member of your family, this is a pretty great option.
8. Preschool Programs
For kids in the 3-5 year age range, preschool is a great option to have your child dip their cute little toes into the world of school programs, socialization, motor skill and language development.
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There are different options available in terms of structure and cost. Half-day programs run for a few hours in the morning or afternoon, and full days look more like a typical school day. Some preschools also offer before and/or after care for an additional fee.
9. Early Head Start
This federal program in the US is offered to pregnant women, infants, toddlers up to three years old, and families who meet low-income eligibility requirements.
The free or low-cost program focuses on early childhood development, including motor skills, social skills, and cognitive and emotional skills.
Kids are also given access to healthy meals, as well as health check ups, immunizations and more, while families are supported with parenting skill classes, social services, mental health, disability services and more.
Questions to Ask
Once you’ve decided what type of childcare you’re looking for, it’s helpful to have an arsenal of questions ready to fire at potential caregivers. Considerations that are going to be important, no matter which option you end up going with include:
- Age range: What age range of children does this provider offer care for? Are they strictly in the infant care biz, or do they have space for school-age children?
- Hours: What does the care provider’s daily care schedule look like? When can you drop your kids off? What time do they need to be picked up? What is the policy if you’re late picking up your kids?
- Availability: Is the provider available for full days or are they part time? Is care available Monday to Friday? Are they available in the evenings, on weekends, over holidays or during summer breaks?
- Safety: What kind of safety training does the provider and/or their employees have? Are staff members trained in CPR and First Aid? Do they have general First Aid, or have they been trained specifically for babies and children? What safety requirements have been put in place to prevent injuries or accidents (for example: baby gates, furniture being secured to walls, latches on cupboards and doors, etc.)
- Cost: What is the cost of daily, weekly, or monthly care? Is there a special rate for siblings? Are there subsidies available to help with the cost? Are there a minimum number of hours that your child must attend in order to be eligible for the subsidy?
- Programming: What would a typical day look like for your child with this particular care provider? Are there a variety of activities they’ll be engaged in during the day? How is the day structured? Is there a strict structure and routine, or is the schedule more flexible?
- Meals and Snacks: Are meals and snacks provided, or do you need to prepare them ahead of time for your child? If they’re prepared, what does the menu look like?
- Nap Time: Are children given a specific time to nap during the day? Do you need to provide naptime gear (ex. a Pack and Play, sleep mat, blanket, etc.) or is it provided? If your kid is past the napping stage, what do they do during that time? Will the provider honor your naptime wishes, or are they strict with their naptime policy?
- Licensing: Is the provider licensed or unlicensed? If you’re getting care from a grandparent or family friend, licensing isn’t really an issue, but if you’re looking at a more formal child care center or daycare, a license can give you peace of mind knowing that they’ve met the standards for health, safety, and education.
- Ratios: How many other kids will the provider be looking after at the same time as yours? Will they get one-on-one attention, and how much?
- Communication: What is the provider’s policy on communication? Will you get updates on the regular comings and goings of your child’s day, as well as other important stuff like what they ate, diaper changes/bathrooming tidbits, how they played, if they slept, etc.?
- Referrals: Who can you talk to to hear more about the kind of care you can expect your kid to receive from them? Does your child get individual attention?
Childcare in a Nutshell
Deciding what kind of child care provider you want to hire depends mainly on what kind of care you’re looking for.
If you just need someone occasionally, more flexible options like a babysitter, relative care, or childcare swaps are probably enough to do the trick.
If you’re looking for more regular care, you’ll want to look into options like daycare, dayhomes, or preschool.
If you want someone who’s going to become a part of your family, nannies and au pairs are another great option for childcare.
What kind of childcare does your family use? Do you have some pros and cons to share? I’d love to hear them in the comments!
Also check out: Packing Baby for Daycare (Free Printable Checklist)
