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It's your first baby: congratulations. Oh, and good
luck finding child care. Of all the issues surrounding having a
baby, child care can be the most emotionally and financially difficult.
Many parents feel torn between love for their baby and their need
for a paycheck.
While a lot of the conventional
wisdom about pregnancy and childbirth is laughable, one bit is absolutely
true: you can't start looking for good child care too early.
And don't kid yourself -- top-notch child care is
expensive and can put a torpedo in the best-laid post-childbirth
budget plans. But this isn't an area where it makes sense to skimp.
"Think about how much time and energy and money
you put into buying a new car," says Julie Powers, co-author
of "Not
Just a Babysitter: Making Childcare Work For You."
"You put hundreds of dollars into car payments.
Finding quality child care deserves at least as much time, attention
and money."
Overview of options
There are several different options when it comes to outside child
care:
Hiring a nanny. Nannies
are a highly sought after and extremely expensive option. Nannies
can be found through referral services, word of mouth and ads. Referral
services are expensive, but they conduct background checks and screening
interviews, which lessen the chance that your nanny will turn out
to have a criminal record or not be able to speak much English.
Au pair. Au pairs are
young people between the ages of 18 and 26 who come to the United
States for a year, or at the most two years, live with a family
and provide child care and light housekeeping related to the children.
Some costs involved in hiring an au pair are set by the State Department,
while other costs cover airfare, training and screening.
"Au pairs are good for many different types of
families," says Susan Robinson, vice president of communications
for Cultural
Care Au Pair, an accredited au pair agency in Boston, Mass.
"Our families run the gamut from dual-income working families
to at-home moms who want an extra hand in the house and someone
to take care of the younger kids. We also have parents that have
school-age kids."
Robinson notes that if a particular au pair and a
family are having problems, a local coordinator is available to
help work out the situation. If worse comes to worse, you can request
a new match.
Teenage baby sitter. More
an option for care in the summer and after-school, teenage baby
sitters aren't as plentiful as they used to be, especially in major
urban areas. If you're looking for regular care, it's best to start
looking early and to offer at least somewhat of a premium over prevailing
wages.
Relatives. A grandmother,
sister or other relative may be available to care for your child
either in your home or theirs. "With a young baby, the most
desirable situation is having someone come into your home, and with
nannies being so expensive, a relative can be ideal," says
Powers. Make sure to discuss issues such as pay, discipline and
expectations about hours and availability in advance.
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