Kids aren’t cheap. There’s clothing and shoes to buy every few months, groceries, and pediatrician visits. If you’re like me, you scrimp and save wherever you can. I’ve clipped coupons, bought things second-hand, and accepted hand-me-downs from friends and family. Being cheap (or “frugal”) is fine for clothes and toys, but when their care and safety is involved, no parent wants to compromise quality for affordability.
So what is a working parent to do when it’s time to find childcare?
Day care facilities allow socialization and can sometimes be an affordable option, but will your child get lost in the shuffle?
And a nanny would be nice, but how much will your child get to interact with other kids? And is it affordable?
Child care costs are on the rise and it’s harder and harder for parents to find affordable options for high-quality care. Thankfully, with Care.com, parents don’t have to settle for less to find affordable child care.
Care.com will be offering a Nanny Share program, which allows parents in metro areas like Chicago to pair up to share the combined cost of a nanny for both families.
Put an end to the days of driving across town to a crowded parking lot to drop your child off at a day care center. With a nanny share, your nanny comes right to your house (or to a house near you) to provide child care.
Sometimes you have to sacrifice quality for convenience and affordability, but not with a nanny share. In fact, with nanny share, kids get the best of both worlds – they get the socialization of a day care, but the individual care and attention of a nanny. Meanwhile, parents know their child is receiving care in a comfortable and familiar environment.*
Every family (and child) is unique and has their own needs, and a nanny share can accommodate these in a way that a day care – or even sometimes a traditional nanny situation – often can not. Families, working together with the nanny, can arrange a child care situation that works for everyone. That may mean that the nanny is caring for different children on different days, or caring for both families’ children together each day. With two families working together, there can be increased flexibility, making it easier to find child care coverage on holidays or days when the nanny is sick.
Care.com’s upcoming Nanny Share matching tool can help families match up to find a shared nanny that will help give you peace of mind that your child is getting individual attention and a chance to socialize with other children, while making life a little simpler and more affordable for your family.
Care.com’s Nanny Share matching tool will be coming soon, but you can visit this page to get a sneak peek and informative tools about a nanny share for your family.
* Please note that in a nanny share situation, each family is an employer and is responsible for checking and following applicable laws concerning pay, taxes, and benefits.
