Finding Childcare / Preparing To Deploy: Part III

In my previous posts, Preparing to Deploy: Part I and Part II, I discussed finding the right person to leave your child with while you deploy and finding a pediatrician. This post will discuss how to find the right childcare.

Up until I was deployed, my mom was my daughters babysitter. I was a full-time student, so during the semester, this typically didn’t amount to more than 20 hours per week. This part-time system wasn’t going to work when I deployed because my cousin, whom my daughter would be living with, worked full-time. This meant that Ellie would have to go to daycare or get a nanny. I weighed my options.

Childcare Options

There are many childcare options and which one you choose is likely completely based on your budget (The quality of childcare doesn’t have to be based on your income. There are government programs that provide vouchers and other forms of assistance so that your child can be safely cared for while you are at work. These programs are available to both civilians and members of the military.). There is the nanny, the commercial daycare, the at-home daycare, the occasional babysitter (either family member, friend, kid down the street, etc.), the list goes on. Until my daughter began daycare, I would have told you that a Nanny or au pair was the best option for my child, now I’m not so sure. Let’s explore these options together.

1. The Nanny and Au Pair

The Nanny and the au pair, in my mind, typically fall into the same category. Both will take care of your child at your home. With creations of programs, such as Nanny share, your child may be at the other parents house a few times a week, but for the most part your child get’s to stay at home.

The Pro’s:

1. the attention that your child receives isn’t being split between 8 other children
2. there are no additional food costs because your child will eat what you already have at home
3. you don’t have to worry about your child being exposed to foods that he or she are allergic to
4. your child can take naps in their own bed
5. you don’t have to worry about your child being the last one at school because you got stuck in the office
6. you don’t have wake up even earlier in order to take your child to daycare before going to work
7. your child isn’t exposed to an out of control germ center
8. the hours of availability are flexible
9. daily on call childcare services (au pair only)

The Con’s:

1. very little socialization with peers
2. a stranger is living in your home (au pair only), but that stranger eventually becomes like a family member
3. you have to hire a new person annually or bi-annually (au pair only)

There are two MAJOR differences between an au pair and Nanny. Cost to employ and living arrangements. Nanny’s set their own pay and their skills and qualifications drive their charge. An Au Pair’s pay is set by the government and is very low in comparison to other forms of daycare. If you have more than one child there is absolutely no question, an au pair is the most cost effective form of childcare. The only requirement on your part, which is the second thing that makes them different than a Nanny, is that you have an extra room in your home for them to live. You can read more about the au pair program here.

2. Commercial Daycare Center

This is my personal preference because commercial daycares best prepare children for socialization. I’ve seen parents teach their children as much as can be absorbed by a child at home, but all of the information in world can’t teach them to interact with their peers. This is a lesson best learned early because their ability to socialize and work with others will have a lifelong impact.

Pro’s:

1. extensive socialization
2. exposure to foods other than the one’s they eat at home, giving their palate more diversity
3. exposure school-like structure preparing them for actual school
4. receive age appropriate education
5. typically exposed to people of other races and cultures
6. the caregiver to child ratio is around 1:8 which means that your child will have the freedom to discover there own interests without an adult forcing anything on them

Con’s:

1. very expensive; some cost as much as in-state college tuition
2. children are exposed to a lot of germs (could be a pro or con)
3. you have to wake up extra early to make sure you can drop them off and still get to work on time
4. the hours of availability are set in stone

At-home daycare has all of the same pro’s as the commercial version except that the caregiver to child ratio is typical smaller. They only share one of the same con’s which is the germ exposure. At-home daycare is typically much cheaper, the hours tend to be much cheaper, and the location is usually in your neighborhood so the commute isn’t too bad.

3. Family Member

Having a family member care for your child is great. They usually don’t make you pay, which means that they’re services are unreliable! The family remember has all of the same pro’s and con’s as the nanny except that the child is usually at the relative home instead of yours and they have the additional perk of building familial relationships.

Final Decision

The limited amount of time that I spent in the new town precluded me from having the time to find a Nanny. I ended up going with a combination of daycare and family. A small town also comes with very limited daycare options. I literally went with the only daycare that called me back regarding an appointment. Luckily, it was also my number one choice as well as the number one choice of many mom’s in the town.

After some months away and the unreliability of family care, I switched to a combination of daycare and a Nanny with a dash of family care when neither are available. The choice is high dependent on your resources, enjoy the search! I tell you about how I chose my daughters new school in another post.