Chaz Moms and Moms-to-Be Chat (everyone welcome)

[Greenmagick]

Cost of child care is usually relevant to cost of living.

A good safe place who will treat your child right is priceless but, yes, I cant imagine its easy to be able to pay so much.

[Taqroy]

MM - if you are still planning on going back to school I would look at on campus daycare. Often (especially for single mothers) you can get free or greatly reduced prices.

The really nice place we looked at here was $280/week. Which is not really financially feasible for us. Luckily we can use the air force daycare (provided we get in off the waiting list) for $130/week.

[milos_mommy]

Originally Posted by Taqroy

MM - if you are still planning on going back to school I would look at on campus daycare. Often (especially for single mothers) you can get free or greatly reduced prices.

Those ARE the prices for on-campus day care . I can get "tuition assistance" for the daycare, but I'm still surprised it costs that much, especially for part time.

[sillysally]

You may start talking (if you have not already) to other newish moms in your area to see about good in home options. There are good ones out there, and honestly most people I know with small kids who are not SAHMs use in home daycare.

[Taqroy]

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

Those ARE the prices for on-campus day care . I can get "tuition assistance" for the daycare, but I'm still surprised it costs that much, especially for part time.

Holy cow! That's pretty extreme. And I'm really surprised - I worked at the daycare in college and there were a lot of moms there that either didn't pay or paid almost nothing. Maybe it was subsidized somehow?

[milos_mommy]

In-home daycares are pretty uncommon, here. None of the moms I know use them, their kids all go to either something like tutor-time, another daycare center, or stay with family.

In fact, I've never even seen an in-home daycare here where the owner spoke fluent english...it seems to only be a popular option with the spanish-speaking community.

There have been a number of horror stories happening in in-home day cares in this area...sexual abuse, shaken-baby syndrome, kids choking to death, etc....and these people were licensed with no criminal records and good references. I don't know if that has anything to do with their lack of popularity.

[Greenmagick]

ANother option is finding a SAHM who needs to make a bit extra and can watch your child as well. Not sure the going rate for that but I know some around here who do it for not too much. Especially if you trade, offering to watch their child sometimes when you are available it could be an affordable option..

[milos_mommy]

Originally Posted by Taqroy

Holy cow! That's pretty extreme. And I'm really surprised - I worked at the daycare in college and there were a lot of moms there that either didn't pay or paid almost nothing. Maybe it was subsidized somehow?

The college day cares here also cater to non-student families...anyone can sign up and pay for the day care there...mainly employees of the universities/affiliated hospitals use it, but anyone can. I'm assuming those high costs are what go to the "tuition assistance" for student/low-income moms?

[sillysally]

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

In-home daycares are pretty uncommon, here. None of the moms I know use them, their kids all go to either something like tutor-time, another daycare center, or stay with family.

In fact, I've never even seen an in-home daycare here where the owner spoke fluent english...it seems to only be a popular option with the spanish-speaking community.

There have been a number of horror stories happening in in-home day cares in this area...sexual abuse, shaken-baby syndrome, kids choking to death, etc....and these people were licensed with no criminal records and good references. I don't know if that has anything to do with their lack of popularity.

That's interesting! We live a block away from one and DH has had a couple of co-workers whose wives had an in home daycare (here if it's over 5 or 6 outside kids you have to get licensed).

[Greenmagick]

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

In-home daycares are pretty uncommon, here. None of the moms I know use them, their kids all go to either something like tutor-time, another daycare center, or stay with family.

In fact, I've never even seen an in-home daycare here where the owner spoke fluent english...it seems to only be a popular option with the spanish-speaking community.

There have been a number of horror stories happening in in-home day cares in this area...sexual abuse, shaken-baby syndrome, kids choking to death, etc....and these people were licensed with no criminal records and good references. I don't know if that has anything to do with their lack of popularity.

Thats crazy. Yeah, here the horror stories usually come from the centers.

My mom was a in home day care provider for years because she had to be. With a chronically ill child its not like she could work out of the home. I knew a lot of others as well.

Oh using one where the daycare provider speaks a different language primarily, great way to get a bilingual child There are immersion schools even for that.