The Childcare Challenge

If you’re a ‘90s girl like me, you spent many hours reading and watching The Baby-Sitters Club. As a kid, I loved this group of enterprising girls showing off their business savvy before “girlboss” was a thing. But now as a mom, I wish I could call them up when I want a date night!

The Baby-Sitters Club might only exist in Stoneybrook, but here in Annapolis we are not without childcare options. Whether you just found out you’re expecting or you’ve got elementary schoolers, this round-up will help you get ready for going back to work, out to dinner, or away on vacation.

All Types of Childcare

There are so many directions you can go when looking for your child’s caregiver. You can find someone on your own or go through an agency. You can drop your little one off at a daycare center or have an au pair live in your home. So which option is right for you? Let’s look at the pros and cons of each.

Nanny

Definition: Someone who looks after your children full- or part-time. They can live in your house or not.
Pros: Professional, experienced, and you can establish exactly what you need from them. And they can provide sick day care for your child so you can continue to work.
Cons: Expensive, and you should be prepared to pay for time off and hours outside of actual childcare. If you want cleaning, meal prep, pet care, or other roles, you need to be clear, specific, and prepared to pay more. And you are on the hook for taxes.

Nanny Share

Definition: A nanny who works with two or more families that split the cost.
Pros: Costs less than a nanny who only works for you. Kids get to socialize.
Cons: Have to coordinate with other families, and may want to draw up a contract. One family will need to host in their home.

Au Pair

Definition: A caregiver from another country who will live in your home and look after your children.
Pros: Exposure to a different culture for your child. Less expensive than a nanny.
Cons: May have less experience and less training than a nanny. They are a temporary placement, not likely to be with your children over many years. And they must live with you.

Daycare Center

Definition: An incorporated childcare facility with many people on staff.
Pros: Strict licensing requirements. Classes are often separated by age. And no need to worry about paying nanny taxes.
Cons: They don’t always list their fees, so you have to visit or express interest before you get hit with the sticker shock. And given that Maryland has some of the highest daycare costs, that sticker is probably going to shock you. If you are interested, you might be on a waitlist for a very long time. Once your child is there, they will get sick a lot. Which means you will get sick a lot. Finally, turnover of staff can change your child’s experience.

Home Daycare

Definition: A daycare facility that someone operates out of their house.
Pros: Less expensive than a daycare center. You’re likely to find one close to your home or work, making it convenient.
Cons: Children are not always separated by age. Not always going to have as robust a curriculum or variety of activities as a daycare center.

Mother’s Helper

Definition: A pre-teen or teen who helps out alongside the hiring parents.
Pros: Less expensive. You have the opportunity to give a kid work experience while giving your child an older playmate and role model.
Cons: This is not meant to be a situation where you leave the helper alone with your child. And it’s not easy to find someone unless you know someone personally.

Nanny Placement Agency

Definition: A business that helps connect families to nannies.
Pros: They handle the screenings and background checks for you. They have a pool of candidates who match your specific needs. The turnaround time can be faster than finding someone on your own or being on a daycare’s waitlist. And many of them offer more than just childcare, including elder care, household managers, and even governesses!
Cons: You still need to pay the nanny their wage while paying the agency’s fees. You still need to manage taxes yourself. And they have guaranteed hours, so even if you only need a babysitter for two hours, they may require a minimum of four or five hours.

Knowledge is Power

I asked Vanessa Hill, owner of placement agency Chesapeake Nannies, for some advice to parents doing the childcare search. Here are some questions she suggests that parents ask a potential nanny:

Walk us through a typical working day from your last position.
Why do you want to be a nanny?
What do you enjoy most about working as a nanny?
What age groups do you have the most experience with?
What activities do you like to do with children?
How would you handle a tantrum or challenging behavior?
How would you respond if a child gets hurt or sick?
Are you comfortable driving children?

Overall, Hill said you should watch for, “connection and interaction between the nanny and children,” and make sure the nanny has “good communication, is professional and shows up on time during an interview, has similar values and parenting styles.”

Also, you should be prepared to offer a competitive package for the person who cares for your child. Hill suggests the following:

Guaranteed hours. Even if you only need a nanny for half a day or three to four days a week, paying their rate for the full day or week can be beneficial by not requiring the nanny to try to find other work to fill the time. Also, not cutting the amount you pay them when you get home early.
Competitive hourly rate. According to Care.com, the average starting hourly rate for a nanny in Maryland is $21.61 per hour, which is for one child.
Paid time off including holidays, sick days, and vacation days.
Benefits such as paying for their healthcare coverage or adding them to your plan, paying for continuing education, giving them bonuses, and more. For other ideas, see Care.com’s article on benefits.

Some other tips and tricks for your search:

Start early. Some daycares may have long waitlists, or the nanny search may take a while.
Consider using a placement agency. We list several below. While they have high fees that you wouldn’t pay if you found a nanny on your own, they take the guesswork out of the process. They also have a pool of experienced applicants who already have undergone background checks.
Trust but verify. The first thing you should do if you’re thinking about a home daycare is check to make sure they are certified. Go to the State of Maryland’s website called CheckCCMd.org to search the daycare and find out if their license is current.
Don’t forget payroll and taxes. If you hire a nanny, you are an employer and will need to manage payroll and taxes. Consider using a service such as Poppins Payroll (I used this and I had a really good experience with it), GTM Payroll Services, and Homework Solutions. Some placement agencies may have deals with certain payroll services that will offer a discount to customers.

Take a deep breath (and another…and another), because you’ve got this. Finding the right childcare can feel overwhelming, but with a little research and a lot of trust in your instincts, you’ll land on what’s best for your family. And if you’re ready to start your search, stay tuned. Later this week we’ll be sharing a roundup of childcare options right here in the Annapolis area.