How to choose the best child care option

08 May How to choose the best child care option

It’s a tough decision to choose which type of child care is best for your child. Perhaps it is one of the most important decisions that have to be made as a father or mother. This complete guide on types of child care will answer all your questions. In-home babysitting, a day mother, or a daycare center?

Knowing each of these child care options in depth will allow you to make the right choice. The first thing you will have to decide is if you want your little one to be cared for at home or outside the family home. It is essential that the decision you make is always the one that best suits the needs of your family.

Childcare at home: hire a babysitter, a nanny, or an au pair?

In-home child care means that someone takes care of your child in the family home. You can work part-time or full-time, depending on the time needs of the family. The child will not have to move and her care of her will take place in an environment that is familiar and known to him.

Why do some families choose home child care?

There are several advantages that make home child care the best choice for some families:

• Schedule flexibility. When parents’ work schedule is not compatible with that of a nursery or nursery school, the time flexibility offered by child care at home is a great advantage over other options. It is a good solution to avoid conciliation difficulties.
• Safety of the baby by staying in the same environment. Some families prefer this option as staying in the family home can make the baby more secure. The parents consider that if the child stays at home, he will feel more protected.
• The cheapest option is if parents have several children. When parents have more than one child, home childcare can be cheaper than daycare or nursery school. A single service is paid for, regardless of the number of children, unlike other childcare options where payment is made per child.

Tips for caring for children at home

• Check the childcare provider’s references. It is essential to ask for a letter of recommendation, work life, and call families with whom the person who will be caring for our children has already worked. How choose the best nanny always goes through an exhaustive selection process.
• Ask for the degree. If the nanny or babysitter has studies related to child care, it is worth asking for the degree. Likewise, if she has taken a course that accredits her training, it is convenient to request the corresponding certificates or diplomas.
• Request the criminal record certificate. It can be requested at the Territorial Offices of the Ministry of Justice. This document provides information on the absence of records or the existence thereof. On the other hand, since March 2016, it is mandatory to work in the care of minors to have the Certificate of Crimes of a Sexual Nature that can be requested online.
• Communicate everything related to child care. It is essential to transfer to the nanny or babysitter the specific care that children need: type of food, discipline, sleep schedules, and daily routines that they have to carry out. In short, any important information to care for and educate your child in your absence.

Options for child care at home

Like a babysitter for hours, a babysitter will come to your home to take care of your children in your absence. Its service is usually used on weekends, nights in which you and your partner have planned an outing, or specific afternoons in which something unforeseen arises. You can consult a page of online babysitters, there are several in Spain. They are easy to use as most work through search filters.

You may also be interested in What To Know Before Buying A Baby Swing?