Provider type advice?
January 5th, 2009
Anie, one of the women from my weekly Durham Mom’s Night Out group, is due with her first baby right about now, and is already thinking about daycare for her daughter — and rightly so.
She is only able to take four months off from work.
So that means she needs care for an almost-newborn baby, and really soon. Here are the questions her and her husband are debating:
- Do they start looking for care now, or wait until it’s closer to the time they need it?
- The pros and cons of home, centre and nanny care for such a young baby
- Will a newborn be more expensive to car for? If so, how much?
Any advice for her?
I’ve sent her the links from the resource page for parents on the site, which includes great links on questions to ask potential childcare providers, and how to decide what is right for your family.
Personally, I think she should start looking ASAP, as finding care for a baby so young may prove to be difficult when a year or older is far more common. I’d think a nanny would be the best bet, at least for the first few months until the baby is older. Which raises the question of a live-in or live-out person.
Anie’s going to be checking in her for your tips and suggestions, so please leave a comment below for her.
Thanks for sharing your expertise!
I realized after I posted that I should have... 
January 5th, 2009 at 10:11 am
[...] you click here to pop over to the Durham Region Daycare blog, where I’ve done a post with her questions, and [...]
January 5th, 2009 at 10:37 am
I’d start the search now. Most places either a) don’t have space now, but might when you need them and can put you on a waiting list or b) have space now but would be willing to hold a spot for you if you put a deposit.
If you can afford it, I’d go the nanny route – one on one for such a youngster is best, in my opinion because at that age, they are so demanding – might not have the same ratio in a centre. Also start looking now if you go the nanny route, it takes time, especially if they come from overseas, to get them to you. Use a credited agency – Carly has a couple of them posted here.
If you choose traditional daycare, depending on the place, I might be more inclined to go with a centre vs. home care (I’m a home care advocate normally), simply because in a centre they tend to have more than one provider – so your baby might get more attention.
Usually the younger they are, the more they cost in daycare, rates tend to change at 18 mos.
It’s a decision that ony you can make – when you interview the provider(s) go with your gut. If it doesn’t feel right, move on. Try to interview without the baby the first time – if you like them, bring the baby back for a second interview and see how they connect. It’s different with a newborn, but the premise is the same.
Hope that helps, Anie
Good luck!
January 5th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I think a nanny would be the best bet. Way too young for organized daycare.
My hairdresser had to go back to her salon when her son was only 2.5 weeks old. Her mom took him for the first four weeks, meaning he was just 7 weeks when placed at a home daycare. She is still very happy with the home daycare, but there are older kids that go there and sometimes I wonder what type of care the little one is getting.
Best of luck Anie!
January 5th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Our daycare center in Oshawa – Waterview Childcare center takes infants 3 months old and onwards. They charge the same rate for a 3 month old as they do for my 13 month old. I believe the rate for infants go from 3 months old to 18 months old. I would start looking now. Most daycare center’s that will take a newborn, will have waiting lists and it would be better to start looking before you are dealing with the newborn, lack of sleep, etc.
December 10th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I would start looking now for sure! I would go the Nanny route as well, just because the baby will be so young, but it all depends on what your personal wants and needs are. I think having a Nanny would be the least stressful and most reassuring option. If you can have a live-in I would so that if there is a night that you can’t get up with the baby, or a night when you want to go to bed early, etc. you can. Just knowing that your baby is at home being cared for with a great amount of attention would be enough for me – you will be able to better focus on your career and your own health as well.