| Nanny Care:
This type of childcare is when a nanny comes into your home to provide full time care for your child.
- THE PROS: professional nannies usually have extensive experience, a background in early childhood education and familiarity with working in the in-home environment. Nanny care is usually the most flexible childcare option.
- THE CONS: your caregiver works unsupervised and nanny care can be very pricey.
- THE COST: on average $30,000 per year and up
Baby Sitter:
The type of childcare is when a caregiver comes into your home or takes your child into theirs for short periods of time. The schedule is usually random and the caregiver is not an employee of the parents.
- THE PROS: can be flexible and great if you don’t want to commit to a long term arrangement.
- THE CONS: your child is likely to be kept safe but not engaged in educational and social opportunities.
- THE COST: on average $10 per hour and up
Au Pair:
This type of childcare is when a foreign exchange student comes into your home through the US Department of State program called the Au Pair program.
- THE PROS: your family gets to know someone of a different culture
- THE CONS: au pairs do not have to be trained extensively in childcare and the program is not designed to offer parents a replacement for full time childcare.
- THE COST: on average $13,000 a year
Family Day Care:
This type of childcare is when a child is sent into a home based childcare program.
- THE PROS: family day care offers a homey feel and usually has fewer children enrolled than a center based facility.
- THE CONS: if the provider or their children are sick there isn’t usually any back up.
- THE COST: on average $6300 per year for babies and toddlers, $5700 per year for preschoolers
Center-Based Daycare:
This type of childcare is when a child is enrolled in a program that is operated out of a center, rather than a home.
- THE PROS: lots of staff, lots of back up care, trained and licensed providers
- THE CONS: often follow public school calendar, hard to provide individualized care plan and strict scheduling and hours of operation
- THE COST: on average $8100 and up per year
Preschool:
This type of childcare is when your 2 to 5 year old is enrolled in a daycare program with an academic focus.
- THE PROS: your child begins his introduction to education, reliable care, licensed and trained providers
- THE CONS: strict schedules, drop off and pick up times and many require children to be potty trained
- THE COST: on average $6400 a year and up
What about Early Childhood Education?
Every parent wants to raise a smart kid and fortunately with all we know about early childhood growth and development educating your young child has never been easier.
When you provide natural opportunities for your child to learn through play your child soaks up concepts, language, and information.
By providing different types of stimuli to your young child each day, you can jump start your young child’s education. Reading to your child every day, playing with toys like blocks, playing interactive games and using flashcards are just a few ways you can boost your child’s brain cells and help them develop a love of learning through play. |
