Questions to Ask Yourself When Selecting Childcare

Everyone has different childcare needs.  Because of this, there is no one perfect childcare option for everyone, but with a little research, you can find the childcare option that's perfect for you.  Some of the things you may want to ask yourself when you start looking at the different options are:

Setting/Location
1.  Do I want someone to live-in?  If so, do I have room for that person to live in?
2.  Do I prefer Live-out but still at my house?
3.  Not in my home, but someone else's home?
4.  Formal daycare group-type setting?

Childcare Provider
1.  Do I have an age preference?
2.  Am I looking for a "big sister" feel, a "grandmother" feel, or am I open to any age?
3.  Do I need someone who is flexible?  Are my hours pretty consistent?
4.  Do I want someone who is caring only for my children?  Or do I want there to be a group of children and childcare providers?

Other Questions to Ask Yourself
1.  What price range am I looking to pay?
2.  Considering how many children I have, which childcare options best fit my needs?  Some providers only accept certain age ranges, a certain number of children, or charge a flat rate per child.
3.  Contingency plan--what happens if my child is sick?  Can this provider still care for them?  Do I have flexibility at work to take off or do I have a back up caretaker to help out?
4.  Do I need this caretaker to drive my children to activities, school, etc?

Is the Au Pair program right for you??  Here are some things you can consider that can help you make that decision:

1.  Do I have an extra room in my home to accommodate a live-in caretaker?
2.  Do I/my spouse feel comfortable having someone live-in?
3.  Am I looking strictly for hired help?  Or am I looking to invite someone in as an extended member of the family?
4.  Am I interested in offering my family a cultural exchange opportunity?
5.  Am I looking for someone who speaks a specific language?
6.  Do I need household help?  Light housekeeping?  Heavy housekeeping?
7.  Do I want to hire someone who has been pre-screened?
8.  For the number of children I have, how does the cost of having an au pair compare with other childcare options?
9.  Do I want my caretaker to be a young adult (ages 18-26)?