Care About Your Childcare

Sometimes its financial, sometimes mental, but no matter the reason it's still a hard time in any parents life to have to return to work after having a baby. You worry that no one can take care of your child quite like you can, and it's true, So, what's the next best option for you and your baby? Here are a few possibilities to make you feel comfortable while you're at work.

• Daycare center or nursery school: Look for a center that has met your state's governmental standards, and whose hours meet your working needs. Fees (before subsidies if available) tend to be higher because the staff are professionally trained. Also these spots do tend to be full-time only.

• Licensed family-based care: A small group in a licensed child care provider's home, possibly a wide range of ages. These caregivers are supervised through an agency for early childhood education and care, and when they're ill or on vacation, the agency takes responsibility for an alternate plan to care for your child. Often not qualifying for a subsidy but they can be found closer to home most times.

• Unlicensed family-based care: A very common choice, usually because it's less expensive than licensed care. These services are not required to meet government standards, are not inspected, and are less likely to have staff that are formally trained in early child development. However their hours may be more flexible. Make sure you do some checking before using one of these providers.

• Nanny: This can seem like the ideal choice, offering your infant or toddler more one-on-one time in the environment that's most comfortable for them. You may not have any back-up if your nanny is sick or on vacation, however, and it can obviously be very expensive; sharing an in-home caregiver with another family may be a possibility, to keep costs down. The downside is your child/ren will not have the interaction with other children that a daycare center would provide.

No matter what direction you choose for your childcare needs, do not settle. For both your sake and you childs you want this to be a long term childcare solution. Rotating through providers is stressful on everyone involved. Take your time, do you research and find out what works for you and your family.

By Jodi Sonoda

Jodi has been blogging for over 3 years, and is excited to currently be blogging with educationjobsite.com for Nexxt. She is attached to the internet at the hip and enjoys the constant connection. She spends most of her offline time playing dolls and reading picture books with her two year old.