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Does anybody have any tips of finding affordable childcare?
I send my little one to a daycare while I'm away at work, but its taking more and more of my take-home pay away that we are having to scale back on basics, like groceries.
I talked to my employer and got my scedule changed a bit so I have only 3 traditonal 9-5 hours, and work evening hours on the days so family can keep an eye on him for free, but it isn't enough and I cannot change my scedule anymore
I've heard that in-home daycares save you money, but I'm skeptical the quality of care won't be sufficent. Are these places regulated? How much do I save versus a traditonal day care center?
If anybody has any tips or new ideas, they would be greatly apperciated!!!
-jayne
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Child care providers have to obtain a licence from their state. You didn't say where you were, PlainJayne and they vary depending on the state you live in. You can use this interactive map to find out what the rules are for your state and the official contact point for checking if a childcare provider has a licence.
It's from the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education.
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Jayne, I'm reading things back to front. I posted this then saw your intro post saying you're in Florida. This is the page that relates to that state. :)
http://nrckids.org/STATES/FL/florida.htm
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I think when it comes to inhome day care, there are some that will just place a classified ad and hope a parent takes them on and they don't get caught. I would ask any provider to give you proof they are licensed. They should have a license number.
This page gives statistics on how your own state defines a licensed family child care home in Florida, staff to child ratios required and so on. It's near the bottom of the page.
nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/display.cfm
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PlainJayne, you can also see if you qualify for financial assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services. Click on the Show Details for these links.
Financial Assistance
Find information on child support, paying for child care, aid for children with disabilities, Head Start, temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), paying for home heating and cooling, HHS Poverty Guidelines, and eligibility for federal government benefits.
Child Support
* Child Support Enforcement (Administration for Children & Families)
* National Electronic Child Support Resource System (Administration for Children & Families)Paying for Child Care
Finding Help Paying for Child Care (Administration for Children & Families)Benefits for Children with Disabilities
Benefits for Children with Disabilities en español (Social Security Administration)Head Start (Provides educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to economically disadvantaged children)
Head Start Locator (Administration for Children and Families)Statistics on Families
America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being (ChildStats.gov)
Find statistics on family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education and health.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
* How Do I Apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families? (Administration for Children & Families)
* States Informational Links (Administration for Children & Families)Help to Pay for Home Heating and Cooling
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) en español (Administration for Children & Families)Low Cost Health Care
Find a Health Center (Health Resources and Services Administration)Eldercare
Eldercare Locator (Administration on Aging)Adoption Information
Adoption Resources (Child Welfare Information Gateway)HHS Poverty Guidelines
2009 HHS Poverty GuidelinesAll Federal Government Benefits
Take Questionnaire: Check your eligibility for federal government benefits (GovBenefits.gov)
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I agree that you want to make sure that those running the daycare a liscensed and don't be afraid to ask for referances - like others moms numbers to call that have used the service for an extended period of time - all daycare services are not created equal - and some people open daycares and treat the children as only a source of income - and take little effort to make sure it is a healthy, safe and learning enviorment. Here, in Michigan - they are liscensed for up to 6 children for smaller in-home care, and 12 or more require a certain ammount of square footage per child, and additional paid assistance, and most require CRP certification as well. I'd also agree that you should see if you qualify for at least partial assistance - it'tough enough to work - knowing that much of your income is spent on childcare and making it difficult for even basic needs such as food. Another option (don't know if it applies to your state) is that in Michigan - if you find that you qualify for help from the state - you can actually have a relative handle your childcare needs in their home and the state pays them - this helps you get someone you trust to watch the munchkins, and sometimes offers more flexibility for times that maybe you had to work later than expected or had errands to run after work and not have to comply with a strict scedule of some daycares. It works here because the state would rather see moms work than to have to ask themselves - what's the point of working longer hours just to give the income to a daycare service and have less time with your kids.
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Good information you shared there, mybridgecard! Welcome to billeater.com. :)
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PlainJayne, sorry I missed your post. You should be able to get a list of registered child care providers from your state's child welfare office if I remember right. Try the tools at Child Care Aware with your zip code.
The best way for a person to have happy thoughts is to count his blessings and not his cash. ~Author Unknown