Seeking your childcare provider experiences

[TLee4]

I'm in a "gathering data" phase and hoping to get some good info here. If you have experience to share but don't want to post stuff (like financials) feel free to PM me.

My current situation is that my kids are 2 1/2, and 18 mos. I am hoping to have one more child, maybe in 15 mos or so. I have been very blessed with my childcare situation so far. For Joey's first year, he was with grandmas (my mom and my MIL) exclusively. When John-Paul came along so fast, that was a little much for the grandmas, so now they each do one day/week and I have two other sitters who come to our home for the other 3 days. (Both are great..I have been so lucky). But if/when we have three kids, I think our whole situation will need to change. I'm not going to assume that we will have family assistance at that point. The cost of care for three kids is a bit daunting, but I'm trying to figure it out. Even with the cost of daycare, being a SAHM will not be financially feasible for me.

SO, what I am wondering is if anyone here has had a live-in or live-out nanny, and what your experiences were and what the cost is. When I search online I find a lot of nanny placement agencies which cost the big bucks for their (placement) services.

Thanks for anything you can share...
Terri

[melis_d]

Terri,

We did have a live-out nanny when we lived in Boston and did a nanny share for our son and a friends daughter. That meant that our nanny took care of two kids (starting from when they were ~4 months old until 2.5 years old). We had a great experience with her care and enjoyed having the ease of in-home care -- now that DS goes to daycare, I know just how much easier it is to have someone come to your home.

We found our nanny through Craig's List, which was time consuming but otherwise free. We also used one of the on-line services (something like $100 to use the service) and found many of the same people were listed on Craig's list for free. What we didn't get from using Craig's List was the pre-screening that a nanny service will do, so we ended up having a few no-shows for interviews, one slightly strange person who I wouldn't have invited to my house to interview if I hadn't been out of it from lack of sleep with a newborn, etc. In any case, we found a nanny with 20+ years of experience and if Craig's List is active in your area, it might work for you as well (I promise, I'm not affiliated with that site in any way).

The cost of a nanny varies a lot by area and also by whether you are planning to pay legally or under the table. We had to pay a competitive hourly rate in Boston and to guarantee 50 hours a week. This was split between two families. That hourly rate was the take home pay that our nanny needed to make, so we had to add another % on top of that for taxes. It's totally up to you to weigh the pros and cons of how you want to compensate -- but you need to be clear about that when you are interviewing people. Some families in Boston also provided health insurance or a transportation allowance. This depends on what is competitive in your area.

My understanding from friends is that a nanny is more expensive for one child and less expensive than daycare for two or more.

Overall, we had a great experience with our nanny and she remains a part of our family today (although we now live hundreds of miles apart). If you'd like more info, feel free to PM me.

Melissa

[ktg0930]

Hi Terri,

A friend of mine in the DC area has an au pair and this au pair will finish up her placement (??) in the spring. They have lined up another au pair. If you are interested in learning more about her experiences, let me know and I can ask her if she'd be willing to share her e-mail address with you.

Kathy

[Couperine]

I was good friends with a nanny through a playgroup where I used to live. She was salaried for ~$20k, and she took care of a baby and elementary age child. She had gone to a nanny school and had great qualifications - she planned regular activities for both children, and the employer paid for all outside classes and activities. She would wash the children's clothes and bedding as well as maintain cleanliness in their rooms and play area with their age appropriate help, and she prepared 2 meals a day for the children with healthy snacks as well. Her stash in the diaper bag was amazing.

I'd definitely look into it for 3 kids; I was impressed by how professional she was in the job without it seeming like a "job". My son goes to Montessori school for half days, and I did a quick estimate and if I was sending three children full-time at what I pay for him, it would indeed be better price-wise to employ someone at the salary my friend had.

[Kerri]

This may or may not help. I know my sister uses preschool and MMO to supplement her child care. At her church they have extended care both before and after school. Her kids go to someone's house the other days. You can have one or two kids at one of these programs, and maybe Grandma can watch who is left. What is offered by these programs really is regional, here MMO and preschool is for 3 hours. Period. I got James's acceptance letter to preschool yesterday, so if you are going to look into this, do it quickly!

[TLee4]

Thanks for all of your feedback (and keep it coming!)

Melissa, I actually found one of our (GREAT) sitters through Craigslist. She's been a godsend. I wouldn't hesitate to try that again once I know more about what I want and can expect to pay. She is a young mom and is graduating from college in Dec, so I have a feeling she will be onto bigger things by the time I have a 3rd baby. (My other sitter is 78 years old, believe it or not. She comes one day/week. She does all of our laundry of her own accord. Prior to having some surgery last week, she had never missed a day or been late, in the 15 mos we've had her).

Kathy, I would love to hear about your friend's experiences.

Terri