Finding the Right Childcare for your Family- Tips for Finding Childcare

I’ve been a mother for the past 5 years. During that time I’ve been a stay-at-home-mom, part-time-work-outside-the-home-mom, and part-time-work-at-home-mom. Each type of mom came with challenges, the hardest being trying to find childcare.

Leticia (aka Tech Savvy Mama) re-entered the workforce as a part time work outside the home mom this fall when she returned to work as a Technology Magnet Coordinator for her local school system. She uses her background in early childhood education and classroom technology integration to advise parents about the best technology, websites, and issues facing kids as they go online through her Tech Savvy Mama website. Leticia also writes about fun and educational things for families in the DC Metro Area as the City Editor for Being Savvy Washington DC and muses about parenting on DC Metro Moms. You can contact Leticia at techsavvymama {at} g mail {dot} com.

When my oldest was 18 months old, I ran into my boss who offered me the fabulous opportunity to come back to work on a part time basis. I thought I was ready to go back to work. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks that I had to find someone to care for my little girl. Not just someone. Someone who was licensed, caring, wonderful, nurturing, engaging…Basically just like me but perhaps a little more like Mary Poppins.

Whether you are a SAHM, PTWM, or a FTWM, a time may come where you have to find your Mary Poppins. I was not ready to leave my little girl in someone else’s hands. Nor was I ready for the daunting search for child care providers. Luckily I found some wonderful resources that I feel compelled to share because they helped in my search for my Mary Poppins.

A local moms or parenting listserv- Local listservs can be a treasure trove of information. They connect parents with the sole purpose of sharing resources like the best place to take your child for a haircut, recommendations for babysitters, and feedback about day care providers. The moms Yahoo listserv that I subscribe to for my area also functions as a classified page where parents share the names of their nanny who is looking for work and home daycare providers with openings. To get started, do a search on Yahoo or BigTent to see if there is a group in your area.

Clubs for parents- MOMS Club,Mocha Moms, mothers of multiples, and groups for dads are ways that parents can form a personal connection through the common interest of parenting. Get to know the parents in your club and pick their brains when it is time to look for childcare. Chances are that someone will know of a provider in your area with an opening and a word of mouth referral is worth its weight in gold.

Daycarematch.com- This new online resource was founded by Melissa Newby and her husband out of frustration. She struggled to find childcare for her son and thought there had to be a better way. So she came up with a better way that enables parents to find child care openings and listings or a babysitter and nanny too. Sample childcare listings include photos, education, experience, hours, cost, and more to facilitate the daycare search. Daycarematch.com includes listings for all 50 states and Canada. Parents can search for providers for free.

Sittercity- Sometimes you don’t need full time childcare but need a couple hours where you can count on some extra hands. Sittercity is America's largest and most trusted online sitter network that makes it fast, safe and simple to find a fabulous sitter. Sittercity puts local sitters at your fingertips by using four-step screening process and detailed sitter profiles that feature background checks, reviews from other parents, references, distance from you, availability schedules, photos, training and certifications, and more. You can also use Sittercity to find nannies, pet care, senior care, tutors, and housesitters.

You may be a SAHM, PTWM, or a WM but at any moment your situation may change. So file this information away in the back of your mind and revisit it when you find yourself needing your Mary Poppins.