How To Choose Childcare That Works For Your Family

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There I was in the midst of labor with our second daughter scrambling around trying to find childcare for our toddler. See, the plans were set. Of course they were. I am a planner. As soon as I went into labor we would call my mother in law who would keep our oldest. When I felt the first contraction at 4am on a Saturday I thought to myself, “Well, this will work out great! Miss M will just be at grandma’s house all weekend.” When 8am rolled around and I called grandma I found out that would not be the case. Grandma had been throwing up all night!

This means in between contractions I was calling and texting people to make arrangements for Miss M. Which then continued through our hospital stay. Trying to connect one sitter with the next to arrange pick up. Trying to ensure that our now big sister was being well taken care of during this important family transition.

Previously, we had been using a nanny once a week, but she took on a family that provided her more working hours. The teenage girls we used for occasional care were busy on the weekend. And grandma was sick. We were running out of options. This is the exact scenario that got us thinking about choosing childcare that would work for our family moving forward.

When it comes to choosing childcare there are many options:

Full Time Day Care Centers- These are typically Monday through Friday during work hours. Most often are monitored by the state to ensure quality.

At Home Day Care Centers- This could be a good option if you want more personalized care with potential flexibility on days and hours.

Mother’s Day Out Programs- A lot of churches provide this kind of care. Often times it is two or three days a week with shorter hours.

Nanny Services- For care that you can control the most this is a good option. But you get to consider the price that comes along with it.

Hourly Childcare- The flexible hours are often what draws people to this care. It is drop in hourly care that also includes nights and weekend.

For us I am starting to consider maybe a combination of care. Somewhere that she could go regularly, say maybe twice a week, to have something to do besides being at home (AKA give mom a break!). But then also having something set up for hourly care in case we need it for last minute changes. That is why KidsPark is really intriguing to me!

KidsPark is an hourly childcare center that offers days, nights and weekends. They are even open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The thing that I like is that the teachers are all Early Childhood Education teachers. Seeing how that is my background that is a must have I look for. The always have games and art for the kids to do.

KidsPark also has traditional preschool with a curriculum that includes arts, math and science. The difference is you get to choose the schedule which could be one day a week or five days a week. You only pay for the times that you want care which helps you stay within your childcare budget.

A bonus thing about KidsPark is some locations even host parties! The hostesses take care of all the work, even doing games and activities. All you need to do is take pictures and have fun with your guests.

When considering how to choose childcare that works for your family think about these main things: What times do you need care? What is your budget? What are must haves for you?

Until Next Time- Truly Love,

Cassie

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.