been mia - daycare question inside...

huggybugboy wrote: Hi everyone! I've been so busy lately, and havent been able to get on here much. Dh and I are seriously considering a big move to Sacramento. We have weighed the goods and bads of it and we think it would be really good for us opportunity-wise. We can both get good jobs there, Josh has a phone interview next week, and make a lot more money than we are able to here. My only big concern is child care. Right now, we're spoiled. My mom watches Miles for free. I'm scared to death to put him in child care, but its gotta be done if this is what we are doing. How much do you spend on child care (full time), per month? I have a friend in sac who says she pays $600/month I almost blew my top. We spend almost that much on rent!!! Just trying to be a little more realistic about this whole thing. Thanks.

Oh and keep us in your prayers for this whole thing. We dont want to go if its not right.

mummy2girls replied: hi.. welcome back!!!!!!!!

for daycare centre it was 575-650 fulltime. for a dayhome fulltime its 400-500 fulltime!

i have some advice in lookuing for a good daycare! ASK tons of questions!

1... their routine... foods they serve... ask where they sleep, ask for thier first aid certificates... thier level 1 certificates and and other training they have... how many teachers per kids

also do alot of drop in visits..surprise them. You can really catch what they truely are like when they dont suspect you coming.. I have done this and caught one teacher yelling at jenna because she was crying as she was in the sand,. This after i told them she is scared of sand. When you go to look at the centres dont book for appointments to see them just pop in. Because i belive that if they know you are coming they will prepare so they look perfessional and such. I have dropped in a couple before to see them and have seen the kids out of control. Just be careful in your choices, dont just pick the first one you see... any other question just let me know...

good luck in finding something!

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: Okay, I live in Idaho, not a big city. And I know that everything in CA is more expensive, housing, daycare, food, etc. That might also be worth looking at, you will be making more, but how much will you be spending on rent, utilities, food, etc.
However to answer your question, to have Logan in fulltime daycare at our center would be $375/month. But remember, I live in Idaho, things are less expensive here by a long shot.

huggybugboy replied: Thanks gals, that info is helpful. I just can't believe how expensive it is! I still think it would be a good move for us though. Or maybe I'm just ready to get out of this hokey poke town.

luvmykids replied: I know many parents fear daycare, and with good reason, it's hard to entrust your child to someone else! But I have had only great experiences, when you check them out just do whatever it takes to put your mind at ease.

In our area it can range from $400-800 a month depending on if you choose a dayhome or a daycare center. Most daycare centers are actually more expensive than someone doing it from there home.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

TeagansMom609 replied: Its over $1,000.00 per month, per child here. Right now my kids go two days at the cheapest place around (which there is a waiting list to get into) and it cost $600 a month for 2 days a week. So thats $300 per child for two days a week. VERY expensive here.

CantWait replied: I spend $540, if Anthony were to be at daycare when he turns 3, it would go down a little, but not much.

amynicole21 replied: It's going to be different everywhere, but we pay $247/week for two kids (not each, for both together) Babies are about $130 per week. And we DO pay more on daycare than on our mortgage

huggybugboy replied: I guess, when you think about it, it's your child. We should be willing to spend whatever for a good person to watch them. But whew! This is a hard thing to think about.

What do you think is better, day care or out of someones home??

mummy2girls replied:
Everyone has different oppinions on which is best.. i guess it depends on the experience. For me i refuse to put jenna in a centre. She has been in 5 different daycare centres and all were horrible. BUT there are some good ones you just have to find them... So personally i like dayhomes. She is in one right now and i absolutely LOVE her provider. Plus i feel its more homey, and because there are less kids Jenna gets alot more attention than in a centre, and she actually has gotten alot less colds, and illnesses.
If you chose a dayhome just be sure its liscensed. Make sure if its not a dayhome through an agency that you have them show you teh liscense. if they dont show you thenm dont put your child in it. When its through an agnecy they are liscensed and then approved for safety and such!

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: That totally depends. If you do choose a home, make sure they are certified by the state, have their CPR and first aid licenses and make sure they are inspected. I loved having Logan in a home environment when he was little, but now that he's older, I like the center. He loves the interaction with the other kids. Our home care provider only watched Logan and her son. Casey would be in kindergarten now and I wonder how Logan would have done. Just do your homework. And I am so glad I don't live in one of those places where childcare runs more than your mortgage. Sheesh!! Our's is less than a third of our mortgage. $200/month for part-time isn't bad.

MommyToAshley replied: I don't have much advice since we don't send Ashley to daycare. But, I wanted to say hello since it's been so long since I've "seen" you around. Good luck with the move and daycare situation. Keep us posted!

TheOaf66 replied: daycare is $$$$$, it is rough so a lot of times you have to weigh the "i am making more money but does it compensate for daycare charges?" We got spoiled b/c my wife is in the bus and now runs a center from our house so we have always gotten discounted daycare which was still pricey before she opened her own place. Good luck.

huggybugboy replied:
Exactly!! If we do move, I don't think I will be getting a job right away, just probably a sub job. So I don't know if I will be working enough to make it worth it. I kinda joked about opening a daycare center. I've got the qualifications. But I dont think I have the patience to do it out of my own home. Plus, we'd be living in an apartment.

CantWait replied: From my experience. I've had Robbie and Anthony in really GREAT daycares, and they've been less costly. I've had horrible experience with the last dayhome that the kids were in, so I'm not sure if I would send them to someone eles's home again.