I am going back to work in January part time. I will be job-sharing a co-worker's maternity leave from Jan-Mar 2 days a week, with the option of picking up other shifts when available. I will know my schedule 6 weeks out. After that I will just be picking up available shifts, no guaranteed days.
We have a spot reserved at a nice daycare center. $59/day and we have to pay for 2 days a week whether or not we use them. We have to have set days every week, they cannot change. So I would have to pick the days that shifts are most likely to be available and hope I would need to get 4 shifts a month to break even on daycare. 9 infants in the room, 3 teachers. Not allowed to do cloth diapers so would have to buy diapers/wipes for daycare.
We toured an in home daycare that is just around the corner from us tonight. She would also require we pay for 2 days a week whether or not we need them. $50/day. She would allow cloth diapers. She has 3 kids in her care now. 2 y/o girl and 8 month old boy/girl twins (those will be their ages in January). Her niece comes in once a day to take the 2 y/o outside to play and put her down for a nap. Niece is a daycare worker at a center, has background check and CPR/first aid, etc. In home provider would allow a flexible schedule, I would not have to be locked into set days. She is looking to add another older child as a playmate for the 2 y/o. She wants no more than 5 kids in her care.
her home was clean and tidy. Toys and play space in the front room, pack n plays and changing table in the adjacent dining room. Kitchen adjacent to that. So the kids are within sight/sound of provider all the time, same as the center would be. She has a big backyard with swings and outdoor toys for when the kids are big enough for them. I got a list of references to call although I'm not really sure what to ask them.
sorry so long, what would you choose? Anything else I should ask the in home provider or ask her references? We would probably lose our deposit at the center but that would be fine.
We asked our dayhome references why they had left (most of them were past parents) and if they had any concerns about her. We chose a dayhome, so obviously I'm comfortable with that. I like the mix of ages vs. a one age room, and I admit I also like the lower rate.
I wish I could find another in home to compare it to. The other one I found with the flexibility had a ton of little ones and I just didn't feel comfortable with that many babies.
I am not a mom and not qualified to weigh in, but I would prefer the staff-to-kid ratio at the center. Caring for two kids and three babies under a year by yourself (for the most part) sounds very challenging! But if you had a good feeling at the house and the flexibility is there, I could see how it might be the better option.
yeah I would probably compare personality/qualifications of the provider, as well as things like the daycare space. Since she has babies it's all pretty much baby toys now, no centers or anything. There was a play kitchen and art area for the older toddler and the toddler naps upstairs away from the babies.
She's been doing in home care and nannying for over 10 years, so I know she's able to handle multiple kids at once. They don't do outings or anything like that. No transportation or walking to the park. Just her house and the backyard once they are big enough.
Also exposure to fewer germs at the in home, as it would just be the germs the other family brings in, not the germs of 50+ different children at the center (which also has a preschool).
I think my ideal would be an in home with lots of space and centers and activities like a center can provide. But she'd just be going 2-3 days a week. We would go to moms groups and the park and meet up with friends on the days I don't work, so she'd get plenty of that plus socialization at daycare.
IMO, a well organized environment with centers and activities is important.
To a three year old.
Worrying about that for an infant is premature. You want someone that seems like she loves to snuggle. In any venue you choose. I like that with a home, I'm guaranteed to keep that person. Turnover would be a major concern for me at a center (here, they pay shit and tend to have a lot of turnover).
Post by whitemerlot on Nov 1, 2012 19:18:12 GMT -5
I think it's a nice benefit to her while she is so little to be in a home based center and not exposed to as much. You will have plenty of time the other 3 days to go to the zoo and park and anywhere else you want to with her.
yeah and I could move her elsewhere later on if I want to. I'm hoping that a permanent job share position will come available in the next year or so. But for now the hospital is in the midst of being sold so things are very unsure. I'm just glad they need me so I can continue to make some money! I am really looking forward to getting some adult interaction again, and having a cafeteria to buy lunch in I hate making my own lunch.
I know part time care can be tricky - i have it with my 3 boys (i'm a job share and work 2-3 days/week).
I'm not a fan of in-home daycare situations for many reasons - accountability being number one and most general ---- but another huge issue i have is the mix of kids of different ages and high ratio of kids to care givers.
As a mom to 1+ twins I can say that having 2 babies and one older child- that are all my own - was NOT easy... keeping the twins safe from my older son was not easy early on (and sometimes even now is not easy!).... older kids can hurt a baby in so many ways - I never wanted my babies in a care situation with older kids other than their own brother - and even then, I only trusted my sister to care for all 3 of them those first couple years.
But- it's about what YOU are comfortable with - we all have our issues/priorities, etc.
as for cost - i made no money the past 3 years- it all went to daycare... i worked to have benefits, and to maintain my career.... and now it's paying off- our kids are older, in a new school, and we have minimal care costs now - so consider the long run, too... it's not just about right now and the costs now.... and also about your sanity (sounds like you enjoy working - as I do, too).
I went with an in-home primarily because of cost. We literally could not afford a center at $325 a week and our in-home, with teacher hours, is only $225. I lucked out though, I love my providers.
Questions I asked references: 1. Why they left? 2. Any negatives they have had with the center? 3. Specific positive experiences? 4. Their thoughts on the age mixing. 5. How the providers dealt with feeding (did they seem comfy with pumped milk, home made solids, etc) 6. One thing they could change about the daycare/daycare providers.
In my state, I'm pretty sure in homes can't have more than 2 children under 2 unless there is more than one full time worker. I'd make sure that's not the case.
Otherwise, it sounds like the center is a better fit.
I just wonder where the three babies go when she is cooking for the others, taking them to the potty, going to the bathroom herself, cleaning up one of the babies due to blowout, etc
I think 3 under 1 is doable if it is actually 6 with 2 providers. You know what I mean?
yeah at this point everyone is in diapers, but I imagine the toddler will start potty training in the next year. It is an open floor plan, so kitchen, living, dining are all open and that's where all time is spent.
Post by fortmyersbride on Nov 1, 2012 20:50:31 GMT -5
I vote home DC as long as you think she's experienced enough and comfortable with the number of kids. We had a very good experience with an in-home in DS's first year.
I have no idea if my hospital is even hiring, but I did just find out that they have on-site DC from 6a-8p that you can sign up for on a day-to-day basis. My coworkers say it's awesome, we're sticking with the nanny though since I have to be at work before 6. But, in the event that you are looking at other hospitals, there's a plug for my new home
ooh thanks fortmyers! It would be amazing if they re-opened the daycare at our hospital now that we are owned by someone else, but I highly doubt it would happen. The building just sits there now, no one bought it
Post by fortmyersbride on Nov 1, 2012 21:31:24 GMT -5
Oh that sucks that they shut it down
This is the first hospital I've worked at that has a DC with a good reputation and longer hrs. Still not open quite early enough for us, but apparently they are very flexible.
Sorry about all the uncertainty with the hospital buy out.
IMO, a well organized environment with centers and activities is important.
To a three year old.
Worrying about that for an infant is premature. You want someone that seems like she loves to snuggle. In any venue you choose. I like that with a home, I'm guaranteed to keep that person. Turnover would be a major concern for me at a center (here, they pay shit and tend to have a lot of turnover).
I agree with all of this. Just speaking in general terms I would prefer an in-home to a center for a young baby.
I got a list of about 7 more in home daycares today from a local agency that does some of the legwork if you give them parameters. Going to make some more calls and see if we can tour a couple.
I got a list of about 7 more in home daycares today from a local agency that does some of the legwork if you give them parameters. Going to make some more calls and see if we can tour a couple.
This sounds good.
FWIW, we love, love, love our in-home daycare. Our provider has become a part of our family and I know that I can call on her in an emergency. My kids thrived in an environment with different ages.
The biggest thing is to trust your gut. We walked out of some homes thinking we wouldn't leave our kid there. There was nothing specific wrong, just a feeling. When we met our current provider, I wanted to sign the contract within 15 minutes because I felt so comfortable with her.
I prefer centers, pretty much always. Can you find another center that is more flexible?
we did a huge search while I was pregnant for a center with flexibility, this was the only one that had it, but they have since changed their policy. Other families in healthcare jobs have left as a result and moved to in-home providers as they can no longer their their needs met there.
only way to get flexibility at a center would be to pay for all 5 days, and then use what I need. I would be spending 3x what I make on daycare in that situation though.