Planning ahead for Fall 2024 Infant Childcare!

C

cooldude12344

New member
I’m due in June 2024 and only expecting have a MAX of 12 weeks of leave at my job (I know, I can’t complain for being the US, although our childcare system is a joke, but I digress), and need to start planning for childcare options for when I got back to work.

I WFH but work in a very demanding industry (and have some hella ADHD), so I don’t anticipate being able to reliably juggle FT childcare and working FT, so I’d looove any feedback new and experienced parents would be able to share.

Childcare center vs in-home nannying?
What questions should I ask when vetting someone/somewhere?
Any hard lessons learned?
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

A huge thanks in advance for whatever guidance y’all can provide!! Y’all are awesome.
 
@cooldude12344 I'm just going to toss this out there, I am due early Jan. We got on our daycare wait list when I was 10w pregnant, so in early June 2023. Their first opening is Aug 2024. We are hoping something comes up sooner but don't put this off, you need to get on wait lists now! If we don't get in off the wait list, we will have to do a nanny between my maternity leave ending and Aug 2024, which is going to be so expensive 😭
 
@daisy24 YES!! Exactly this. We’ve been told by some parents in the local Reddit groups that we have some flexibility with waitlists due to our location (outside of the major DFW suburbs so it’s growing fast and new places are still popping up) but I’d rather not wait until the last few months to start looking. TY!
 
@daisy24 I called a place once that told me they had an 18 month wait for a 3 month old. So I basically would have had to have been on the list 3 months before I got pregnant. Make it make sense
 
@cooldude12344 We just went through this! LO is starting daycare at a center in a few weeks, but I spent months going back and forth with a facility vs. nanny or private sitter. I got on a few wait lists JIC when I was 5 months. At 8 months we thought we landed on a private sitter. Cost wasn't an issue but they were going to charge about $30k/year and they wanted paid under the table (red flag). We ended up deciding it wasn't a fit and switched to a medium sized facility for the flexibility. Even going to the nicest one in our area is only $15k/year.

When interviewing nannies and sitters, I personally suggest...
- Asking about payment upfront. This is where we got hung up weeks into the process.
- I would also ask for a background check, infant CPR certification, first aid, etc.
- Ask questions about previous experiences, why they want to provide childcare, how many kids they have under their care, if they're certified/registered/etc. with your state (if applicable), and how they operate and manage their day.
- Be honest about what you need and what you're looking for.
- Tour the settings you're looking into right away, if getting care outside of your home.
- Ask for references and/or check on social media for mutual friends or reviews from previous families.

Good luck! It's a stressful process, but you'll feel a huge sense of relief once you find the fit for your family.
 
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