day care??

We want to put our 5 wk old in day care, but they told us that even if we don't bring him in some days we would still be getting charged for it, so we have to put him in family child care. My question is what type of questions do I ask when I interview these people?? I kind of have trust issues especially with people who are going to be taking care of my baby, and how much should they get pain hourly?? This is my first baby, and I've never dealt with babysitters or anything before.. Any advice would be helpful..

Public Comments

1. After I had my daughter,my mom was nice enough to re locate and help me.But b4 she was able to come I worked at night and her dad worked in the day time,we was to scared because she could'nt talk yet to tell us if something was wrong.I was nervous to.So me and Alexus dad just swithched our schedules around,he was there with her at nights and I was there with her in the day time until my mom came.Goodluck!It's really a tough decision to make when they are so small and helpless.


2. Ask for references, and check them out! Look for someone who is CPR certified for infants. Ask them situational questions, i.e. What will you do if my baby starts crying?. Also, don't forget to do a complete criminal background check on anyone you may want to hire. As for the wages, that really depends on where you live, but it's not cheap, no matter what. Usually more expensive then traditional daycares.


3. Don't rush but maybe you should have found a daycare provider before you had the baby. There is alot to look for.

   You don not want to jump into anything. If you take your child to a center with alot of other children you are more likely to have your child get sick and be in the doctors. If you take your child to a home daycare you are not as likely to have them sick but you really need to know you can trust they will do best for the baby.

   Ask questions like how many snacks, how often do they play outdoors, do you take them anywhere, if so where, what kind of lunches do you provide,how do you discipline, I know alot of these questions don't obtain to a baby but that baby will grow very fast. Good Luck, also you'll have to call alot of people to find out prices. Ever area in America charges diffrent. I charge $85. and I am in Indiana



4. Ask for a list of ALL the people they have worked for, not just a list of people as references. If there are gaps in their employment, find out why. You can uncover any bad situations that may have occoured by digging deeper. And if they can't give you solid answers for gaps in their employment history, there was likely a problem.


5. My mother is a daycare provider. Most people ask her about where the children will be playing, where they'll be sleeping, what they'll have access to... stuff like that.

   I can't tell by your message if it's a center or a home-based thing. If it's home-based, definately check and see if they have a license. Also, some daycare providers try to go over their limit childwise, so you may want to find out how many children will be there normally.

   My mom always has a reference sheet with the names and numbers of previous and present families that have had their kids come to daycare. If you receive one of those, I'd suggest calling the people on there- and not just one or two, because some people have completely different ideas about what is "right" and what is "wrong."

   That's all the advice I have, I think... I hope it helped you at least a little.



6. I've always thought daycares were a rip-off. Like you said, you have to pay them even if your child isn't there. Wow, I wish I could find a job and get paid for doing nothing.

   My suggestion to you is this: Stay home with the baby as much as you can... financially, emotionally, and physically able. If you have to go to work, as is the case in many situations with the cost of living these days, then find a trustworthy friend or relative and offer to pay them for babysitting your precious one.

   But, if you are financially stable, stay home and raise the baby yourself. I know I feel blessed because I didn't miss even one of my son's "firsts"... first words, first time crawling, first walking steps, first time he said "I love you".... if you take the baby to a daycare, you will likely miss alot of those. And you can never get those memories back.

   As for what type of questions to ask, first go to Children's Services and find out if there have been any violations against the facility. That should give you some kind of heads up about the daycare. I don't blame you for not trusting people... you see alot of scary stuff about child abuse and neglect in daycares these days.

   Good luck!



7. I used to do in-home daycare. I had some incompatible parents. I'd ask these questions:

   What is your method of discipline? Are you willing to discipline the same way hubby and I do so my baby has consistency? (Make sure you are descriptive with the way you plan to discipline. For example, what will you do when your baby bites you, hits you, or pulls your hair? Make sure you are willing to allow another person to share your "type" of discipline. If not, you'll need to figure a way for you to afford to be a stay-at-home-mom.)

   How much do you charge? Is that per week? What about per hour, say, if I have to work overtime? What if I'm late, will I get charged fees? When do you expect payment? Weekly, monthly? Upfront or after services rendered?

   Do you have medical release forms? If not, can you get or make one?

   Do you go places during the day with the kids you watch? If so, do you keep a cell phone for emergency contact? Do you keep car seats handy, or will I need to leave mine with you on those days?

   How many kids will you be watching? What are their ages? (You won't want your sitter watching more than two newborns within two months of each other's b-days, and no more than -say- six kids total, including her own, unless she has several kids who are only before and after school... you know, K-5th graders, who are more help with the babies than anything.)

   Do you have a back-up babysitter in case of vacation, illness, or lice in your family? If not, do you have any recommendations on where I can get a back-up sitter of my own?

   What are your religious viewpoints? (Make sure they do not offend you or are opposed to what you and hubby believe, say if you are Orthodox Jew and she is Christian, etc.)

   Do you have visitors during the day? If so, who? Are they friends or relatives?

   I hope these help. Oh, and I'd say anything over around $22 a day (midwest) is too high. Coastal states are usually higher.

   Of course, if you and hubby can afford for you to stay home, that is the absolute best for your baby. Nobody can care for her the way you can, even the best sitter. Ultimately, you'll have to decide if the money and prestige of a job are worth that.

   Blessings!



8. If at all possible, I would have the person come to your home rather than putting your newborn baby into a homecare situation, and invest in the "nanny cams" and put them in key areas of your home so that you can really know what is going on when you aren't there. But, whether you have someone come to your home, or you place your child in the care of someone at their home, you need to know if the person has taken a state certified babysitting course and if he or she has a current first aide certification. Then you need to ask for references from at least three people, and make sure that you call these people and talk to them about their own experiences with this person. Then you need to do a walk-threw of the persons home(if your child will be going to their home) and look for cleanliness, safety etc. Tell the person that you would like to spend some time with him/her on a day that they will be taking care of the children that she currently has in her care, make sure that this day is not set up, but a day that you just happen to be able to surprise him/her, and watch the persons interaction with the children. More importantly, watch how the children that they have in their care interact with him/her.

   Find out how many children he/she already has in their care, if they have more than three children, then their attention is already being stretched to the point where you don't want to add another child to the mix, especially your child. If possible, ask your family and friends if they know someone from personal experience, it's always best if you know someone who has used that person.

   Once you decide to put your child into their care, make sure that you show up unexpectedly from time to time, you will find out more when he/she is not expecting you to be there, anyone can clean their home, be on their best behavior if they know someone is coming to see them. And, if you ever suspect that there is something that's not right, go with your gut feeling and your heart when it comes to your child, nothing is more important than the physical and emotional care and safety of your child. Right now your child is an infant, but as he/she gets older, the sitter will be the person who is teaching him/her as they grow, ask questions about the persons own values, beliefs in discipline, faith(anything that is important to you and your child).

   I remember when it came time for me to place my first child in the care of someone while I worked, it was heart-wrenching to me, but I did my homework and was diligent in always making certain that she was in the best of care. I will pray that God will guide you in this choice and bring you a woman who's heart for your child is like yours.

   God bless you!



9. People who run a daycare are taking care of YOUR child...How much is that worth to you. To me, Daycare providers don't get paid enough. And just like anyone who is available to work over forty hours a week deserves to get paid for the weeks that they are available to watch your child. Even if you don't show up everyday. That is your choice. It is a contract that you are entering into with the daycare provider. Pay them Otherwise they would go out of business. Then who will watch your child. Daycare owners are under strick state government guidelines and have to be certified and have background checks if you have concerns call them ( the State dept of human services). Ask for references and talk to the other parents of children at this daycare. When it comes down to it no one wants to go back to work...You want to stay with your child , Protect your child. Just go with your gut. I paid 240 a week for my two children. And it's worth every penny.


10. I will ask my mom and get back to you she is a good person to answer this question she is a mom and works for a day care as the head group teacher. She has been doing this for at least 20 years so I will see what she says and tell you.


11. One thing to consider is with home daycare is they typically get 2 weeks paid vacation a year. This means you will have to take a week of vacation when they do or find alternate care and still pay your primary caregiver.

    Before I quit to stay home I had Haley in home daycare. She was my angel. Go with your gut...after you check references.



12. This is a very hard decision & should not be made quickly. I have always had trust issues with people I don't know taking care of my kids too. For as long as possible I had friends & family take care of my children for me but I know that is not always possible. I have had a bad experience with one in-home daycare that I was using, and that made me even more nervous & distrusting when I had to find another one. I took my time, called all the prospects on the phone first & told them what my schedule would be, how old the children were, etc. & paid attention to their reactions & comments over the phone. Then I asked if I could go to their house & meet them & again paided attention to their reactions & comments. Make sure you go with your instincts, if some thing doesn't feel right then it probably isn't. For example- I went to meet one lady & when she let me in her house she just sat back down on the sofa, didn't show me around or really even talk to me much at all. I didn't stay there for very long, immediately moved on to the next prospective daycare. Then I called another & went through the same routine. This lady let me in, showed me around her entire house, even the parts of the house that the kids would never be in. She gave me all the paperwork that would need to be filled out if I chose her. One paper was a whole page long & was just about her, what other careers she has had, why she does daycare, about her children that she raised, etc. One was her discipline strategies & her expectations. She told me without me asking that I could run a criminal background check on her & any of her children if I wanted. She showed me she had nothing to hide & made me feel very comfortable. This is the daycare that I ended up choosing, I started my kids there when my youngest was 2 months old, ( she is now 1 year old). Take your time & go with your gut feelings.


13. ask your friends who they get to babysit or family just maybe you have someone you know that would babysit for you look to family and friends first then if they are no help look elso where