How to Find a Good Babysitter or Childcare
Licensed Childminding, Babysitters and Childcare Co-ops
Aug 12, 2009
Every parent, no matter how much she loves her children, needs a break now and then. However, finding the perfect person to look after children can be a challenge. Drop-in childminding services, a shared nanny and childcare co-ops are all good places to look to find a good babysitter.
Licensed Childcare
A licensed daycare facility is a good place to start looking for regular, predictable childcare hours. Daycares can provide full-time childcare for the parent who is going back to work, or part-time care for a parent who is at home and simply needs a break or works part-time. Some community centers offer licensed childcare on a drop-in basis, perfect for doctor's appointments or occasional meetings. Phone the community center or daycare provider ahead of time to confirm that they have a space available. Licensed daycares can be a fairly expensive childcare option, and in popular neighborhoods they often have long waiting lists.
Home Daycares, Nannies and Babysitters
Other options for childcare are unlicensed home daycares, nanny shares and babysitters. The best way to find these types of childcare providers is by word of mouth. Also try searching for nannies on Craigslist, nanny agencies or other classified listings. Before hiring a new childcare provider, be sure to conduct an interview and always check references. Nanny sharing, home daycares and teenage babysitters are more economical childcare options, but they're more likely to change as individual people move and change jobs.
Childcare Co-ops
A childcare co-op is an arrangement between parents to provide babysitting services for each other's children in exchange for babysitting hours. This can be as simple as an agreement between two friends to watch each other's children one morning a week, or as complex as a multi-family organization with a spreadsheet and secretary to keep track of everyone's hours. A good way to set up a childcare co-op with several families is to use tokens such as poker chips to represent hours of childcare. Everyone gets a set number of tokens to start with and they are traded for hours of childcare provided. Cooperative childcare arrangements are free, as long as members are willing to invest some time and energy to care for other children at times.
Parenting is a tough job, and sometimes the best resource a parent needs in order to do a good job is time away to rest and recharge. A good babysitter or daycare worker can be another positive adult role model for a child and provides a parent with time to focus on other aspects of life.
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