I'm going to be looking for child care for DD, since we've decided I'm going back to work. I've only had min. wage teenage jobs before this...so I don't even know how much of a difference this will make, getting a job....but, we really need more income while hubbys in school for about the next 6 months (YESS!!!...almost over!) ...Well anyway, I am just wondering how on earth does child care work?? It seems almost IMPOSSIBLE! How are you supposed to magically get a job and find a GOOD child care facility with an open spot? For those of you who work, how did you all do it??? Any tips?
We are very low income right now since DH was laid off and now only has a part time job, so I tihnk the state might pay for child care. I think they pay for it while you looking for a job too. This seems so incredibly overwhelming but all signs are pointing to this being something I have to do for the family, for now. :?
I got a call a few months ago from a place I put DD on the waiting list, but its been too long and shes back on the waiting list now :( This sucks....lol

I'll be praying for you. It's hard to find a good babysitter and a good job at the same time but I know if it's God's will for you to go back to work then it will all work out. I was lucky that when I worked my MIL was able to keep my DS. I haven't worked since I had DD. If I had to go back to work I don't know who I would get to keep the kids when school is out. My MIL is not working fulltime outside the home.

Best of luck!

Stephanie :D

My mom worked for 15 years as a state daycare monitor, here are the tips she told me.....
-first, anytime you can find a reliable home daycare through your church with good references...you are BETTER!! Better environment, less kids for exposure, safer, more relaxed setting for the kids not to be stressed, and other people you trust keeping their eyes on the environment too! Make sure homes are safety proofed and ask how much they're cleaned and the number of kids and schedule, etc....be nosy, it's okay! They understand!

-make sure it's state liscensed if it's a big daycare
-check their state reviews to see if they have major citations through the health agency
-ask about child/teacher ratio
-teacher credentials
-learning and teaching too, or just playtime
-discipline system
-what monitoring system is in place to keep an eye on teachers/staff
-make sure they all have thorough background checks
-ask about cleanliness and cleaning schedules
-accreditited places are best because they're monitored by local and national authorities
-if you have a little one under 1 yr, ask how long they are left in cribs, bouncers, swings, playpens alone....this can go on for hours some places! Wayyyyyy too much! Ask how often kids are changed and where they refrigerate pre-made bottles and how they sanitize after changes and feedings
-make sure you can drop in ANY time unannounced to visit your child! This keeps teachers and staff honest and towing the line and lets you know they're not hiding anything! This is a MUST! Don't trust your child to anyone who won't let you do this!
-Make sure their is some sort of sign/in and sign/out policy to monitor who drops off and picks up kids so they can't just be taken
-meet the teacher of your classroom, each teacher varies and establishing a good relationship up front with the teacher endeers the kid to them and makes them want to please you more and they know you'll be watching closely so they'll usually try harder!
Good luck!

Hey, Gracie- I don't know what state you're in but here in NH to get assistance with child care, you apply at the local Dept. of Health and Human Services...

As far as finding a daycare to suit your family, Easter Seals (if they have that where you live) usually keeps a running list of family daycares, daycare centers and local in home providers. If there is no Easter Seals, the DHHS should know where the child care resource/referral agency is- sometimes it is also run by the local VNA)

In my experience, when I worked out of the home, I greatly preferred a private provider and surprisingly enough, they are often cheaper than the big places- some don't accept the assistance so be sure to ask... As far as the bigger places go, I had my son in a small daycare that was somewhat divided by age and ended up moving him to a very large daycare that was very organized (the child:teacher ratios are the same for all licensed facilities, and slightly different for in home care)

Anyway, if you need any help looking for the right sources in your area, let me know.

Home vs. Center both have their pro's and con's. In home centers the ratio is usually lower and can be a more relaxed atmosphere. However you will want to ask what a typical day is like. Some places will just let the kids watch tv all day and not have any real schedule. Also, since it is in the home, is the provider doing her laundry, cleaning and not interacting with the kids? Just something to keep in mind. Not all of them are like that although. There are some good ones that keep to schedules, etc. Also, there will be multi-age grouping in home cares. Here in CA you can find licensed in home day cares that are listed with government agencies such as Dept. of Human Services since most of them get some sort of government assistance for food.
Then you have your private day care centers and corporate owned and run day cares (ie: Kindercare). In either case, the questions that breezykc2 brought up are excellent. In addition to that you may want to talk to other parents and get their input. Also, ask about teacher turn around. That is a good indicator if the center is good or not. When going out and looking at sites, don't give them a heads up. Just show up. If they require you to make an appt. then somethings up. And you'll want to tour in both morning and afternoon to see how each part of the day flows. You can also check out Christian centers if their are any in your area. Some churches will have one at their facility. Good luck in your search.

Hey Gracie. I also don't know what state you are in, but I work for a Social Services office in VA and we do provide day care assistance. It is based on your income and it sounds like you could get a big portion or maybe all your expense paid for. The way it is ran here in VA is that we have providers that are licensed through the state and can only keep 6 children per adult in facility. Most of ours are home-based providers meaning that they run a day care from their home. The one that my ds is in has 2 adults and 12 children. That's at full capacity. Some are only part-time or before and after school kids. Anyway, we do surprise inspections as well as the state health inspector so it is ususally always clean. I would suggest checking into this w/your local Social Services office and also through your church. Make surprise visits at different times of the day if you can to see what you child is doing and how they are interacting w/your child. It was the hardest thing I had to do. My oldest ds stayed w/my aunt while I worked, but due to health issues she was unable to keep this one. I will be praying for you that God will show you His path and he will provide a wonderful caring environment for your baby! Keep strong in faith.