childcare

Hi all! We are expecting a new (first!) baby in August and are looking to start our childcare search now to ease the stress.

Start date would be November/December, depending on when exactly the baby comes and how long a maternity leave we can swing.

Important factors (besides being highly recommended) would be cost, location, and hours. We live in Commack and work in Westbury (me) and Plainview (husband) so the sitter would need to be somewhere in between our home and work. We work 9-5:30 (both) and would drop off and pick up 1/2 hour before and after. Going over finances, I am looking for something no more than $200-$250/week.

Does this exist? Any suggestions are worth looking into! Please comment here or message me if you have a lead!

Please help first time parents trying not to go broke!

childcare

I don't think you are going to be able to find those kinds of hours for that little money. At almost 50 hours a week and that price it's less than $4.50 an hour.

childcare

Thanks. I have some wiggle room with price and/or hours, but this is my wish list :) I was thinking an in-home day care with more than my child may be the most cost effective?

childcare

I would look to see where else you can cut your budget day care is an average of $1000-$1200 a month for in home. and in some places more. In home is definitely cheaper than a center a coworker of mine uses a place in deer park Ivy League I believe and I think pays $85/ day but goes part time. My cousin uses a center and pays $1650 a month which I heard was a little on the higher end but she uses full day open to close 3 days a week!

Message edited 3/9/2015 10:27:10 PM.

childcare

Yes, I think in home daycare will be your option. The large daycare centers will be around $350-$400//week, so in home daycares should be close to what you're looking for.

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I would be scared to leave my daughter with someone who I wasn't paying a fair wage. I would also be nervous about anyone who was willing to accept such a low paying job. You are talking about $4-5 per hour. Who could live on that?

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In an inhome center, no one would be "living" on that...there would be several other children paying a similar rate that the provider would be living off of.

I stay home with my kids because I can't afford childcare for three...the cost is obscene. I don't think we need to make the OP feel bad or make her worry for the safety of her child.

Eta - I pay a mothers helper $18/hour to help with my kids three times a week. I know someone else who pays $10. I asked how she pulled that off and she said the woman was a former daycare worker who was thrilled to make $10/hour off the books because it was more than she took home at daycare. Point is, there could be lowercost solutions. However, there is a point where working is just not financially feasible, as it was for me. I would have been working just to earn someone else's salary to watch my kids.

Message edited 3/9/2015 11:32:33 PM.

childcare

$50 for an in home daycare is ABSOLUTELY doable. This isn't a nanny situation we are talking about. I would go on the Office of Family and Children website and search for providers that way. Many home daycares come up, as well as centers, and ALL of their violations if they have any.

When my daughter was an infant, I paid $245 for full time care, at a center (The Learning Experience). That was many years ago, and I'm sure the prices have went up, but check them out. They were the cheapest of the bunch at that time, and still may be, and they have nice, bright centers.

childcare

When my son was in daycare I was paying $30 a day for in home daycare. That includes lunch/snacks and I could drop him off as early as 6am and as late as 630pm. Unfortunately she went out of business and this was 5 years ago. Definitely look for private daycare!

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That is definitely a reasonable budget for an in home daycare. In central Florida, the going rate is 20-25/day.

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My SIL uses an at home daycare and pays $5 an hour, so it's definitely doable.

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For a licensed daycare its going to be super hard to find those prices... you might be better off with a regular babysitter. I also looked for when I have to go back to work and the cheapest I found was around $300/week for certified in home daycare.

ETA I will add I found a licensed home daycare that wanted $240/week which I thought was super odd that it was so low, and I looked at the "reviews" on her FB page and it appeared to be from her friends and family, so I did not even go look at it because it was shady to me.

Message edited 3/10/2015 9:43:21 AM.

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childcare

I wouldn't discount a licensed center so quickly -- I found them to be cheaper than most in-home providers (but with that being said, they are still more expensive than you are wanting to pay). Most in-home sitters I found here on LI wanted anywhere from $9-$12/hour. I need 10 hours a day, which even on the low end of $9/hour put me at $90/day, and $450 a week Monday thru Friday. I found a great center with rave reviews in my neighborhood that is about $125 cheaper than that a week for full time daycare (10 hours a day, M-F). I was fortunate to lock in during a special New Year/New Baby promotion they were having. The registration fee was waived and I will receive 15% off the weekly price for my child's entire enrollment at the facility. I also liked the idea of a facility better, but that is of course a personal decision!

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childcare

When DD was going full time, we paid $250 a week - 8:30-5:30 at an in home LICENSED daycare. It is definitely possible to find one. I looked on the OCFS website, checked for violations, and the ones with no (or frivolous) violations were the ones I added to my list to visit. Most were very nice and clean. There was one that DH and I went to that I couldn't believe was licensed with no violations. No A/C in 85 degree + weather, cat and dog hair EVERYWHERE, and just very grimy.

We are very happy with the in home daycare we chose. Now that DD goes 4 days a week, we pay $200.

ETA: Large centers and babysitters/nannies are most expensive.

Message edited 3/10/2015 11:41:10 AM.

childcare

Thank you for all of your suggestions and optimism!

If any one has an actual facility or in home center or person they would recommend, please PM me! :)

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Most In home daycare a charge between 45-60 a day so $50 is very doable. Remember you want to look for someone who is licensed. Look early because in home daycares will have less space for infants due to ratios. Start by calling child care council or Suffolk and Nassau to get a list of providers with openings. Good luck

childcare

It's totally doable. I pay that for an infant in a licensed in home day care, and the care she receives is superb. I'm not in LI though, but don't lose hope!

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$250 I think might work for in house daycare. I remember mostly paying between those prices. Though, know infants re more so it may have been closer to $300 up until 2 yrs old.