Child care is one of the greatest ironies in American society, in that many cannot afford the best child care services, but also cannot afford to stop work to care for their children themselves. Navigating this issue is a challenge for many parents, not to mention the emotional stress involved in wanting to choose the best child care option for their children. For a start, understanding what is available can help them to find the most suitable option.
What Child Care Options Are Available?
There are quite a few options for parents to consider depending on the family’s resources and needs. These include:
- Day care centres or in-home day cares
- Nannies and babysitters
- Family and close friends
- Flexible work arrangements for parents
Day care centres are what comes to mind for many when it comes to searching for child care services. These centres provide full-day or half-day care for groups of children, often including holistic activities or lessons that enhance their development. These centres are staffed with a team of trained and certified professionals and are often well-structured and regulated.
Some day care services operate in a residential unit instead of commercial areas. The concept is similar, but these services tend to be less regulated. They aim to offer a more “homely” setting for children, since they will be spending a lot of time there.
Nannies and babysitters are individuals hired to take care of children. Nannies typically work full time for one family and are responsible for anything at all related to the children: homework help, laundry, planning outings, fetching them from place to place etc. Think Mary Poppins – just without the magic.
On the other hand, babysitters usually work on an on-call basis for multiple families, taking on much lower responsibilities. They offer services like simple childminding, making sure the child is safe, and following simple instructions from parents. Parents often engage students or retirees to babysit, as babysitting does not require any kind of training or license.
Of course, the option that most people opt for if they can, is to get the help of family members or close friends to care for their children while they’re away at work. In fact, about 3 in 4 mothers who work full-time in the U.S. rely on this option. This is not only easy on the wallet, but also helps foster relationships with people the child is close to.
Lastly, while it might sound tough, earning a stable income and taking care of children yourself does not need to be mutually exclusive. Some employers allow for flexible working arrangements, such as working from home or not having fixed office hours. This is an option that is becoming more feasible with employers adapting to the pandemic.
Budget and Schedule
It is no secret that the costs of child care services in America are tremendous, often taking up a large chunk of expenses. Thus, the cost of each type of child care and the budget available is a top priority when considering the options.
The average cost of hiring a nanny is the highest on this list, due to their personalized and full time care. Next up would be day care services, even though they would probably be a good choice for most families where both parents hold a full time job.
For those fortunate enough to have a family member available to help, this is definitely the most affordable option. Hiring a babysitter to watch over the kids for small pockets of time is also easy on the pocket, at the same time offering more flexible timings as compared to day cares.
Special Needs and Parenting Styles
Some children, like infants or children with disabilities, might require special care beyond those provided by typical child care services. Also, young children intermingling in day care centres often lead to notoriously high rates of kids falling sick, no matter how clean or hygienic the centre is. Thus, those with children already suffering from health issues might reconsider placing them there.
Another factor to take note of is the parenting style and philosophy parents choose to adopt. For example, those who want to adopt the attachment style of parenting might strongly prefer having flexible working schedules so that they can stay together with their child. Some feel that honing social skills from a young age is more important and might prefer having their child immersed in a group setting. When choosing a day care or caretaker, parents can check if they operate in line with their views regarding early education, discipline, soothing and feeding, and so on.
Conclusion
When it comes to child care, there is no right choice or best choice. It all depends on the individual family. Research has shown that children who are cared for at home versus those who attend child care centres turn out the same in terms of their development. Rather than the type of child care received, other factors such as interaction between parents and children, the environment at home, and good parenting techniques can have a much bigger influence on a child’s development.