Childcare is expensive, it can be costly and stressful and put a strain on your mental state as well as relationship. Don’t let it take you down! Here is a guide for support.
Types of Care
When evaluating what route is best for you, you’ll want to think about budget, schedule, length of time, age(s) and your main needs.
Nanny: A nanny is an individual who comes to your house and will watch your child(ren) in your home. This is a great option for people wanting 1-1 time or personalized experience.
Nanny-Share: this is where 2+ families share 1 nanny. Families can rotate the ‘host’ family of whose house they use or have it set up at one house. Usually each family splits the cost of the childcare or pays a set weekly amount for the care. This is a great cost-effective way to afford a nanny AND socialize your kid(s). Please note each family is expected to pay at least minimum wage for their city/state.
Daycare: A center you can drop your child(ren) off at, usually more in an institutional setting like a school. The set up is more like a classroom set up with providers watching multiple children at one time.
In-home daycare: Similar to a daycare, the exception is in-home means it will be at the providers residence.
Au Pair: Similar to a nanny but live in. This is a great option for families that have space to host an individual. An au pair is an educated young person (between the age of 18-26) who comes from another country and lives in your home providing up to 45 hours a week of child care. As a host family, you would be able to determine the schedule as it best fits your needs making it one of the most flexible options.
Budget
Figuring out your budget is a great place to start.
Here are some initial options based on budget
- Less than $10/hr : Look at in-home daycares or traditional daycares. Au Pair is a great affordable option if you have a guest room
- Au Pair is $1800/month so roughly $10/hr- this includes the fees for the agency
- $10-15/hr : In-home daycares, traditional daycares, nanny-shares
- $15-22/hr: Nanny Shares, possibly nanny.
- $25-35/hr: Nanny
**Please keep in mind, most full time nannies do want minimum of $25/hr if not more. This is why nanny shares are a great solution. Its a great cost-saving option AND is great for socializing little kiddos. Socialization at a young age is shown to have great benefits for mental, emotional and physical growth.
When to Start Searching
- Daycare: Some daycares have extensive wait lists. To avoid waiting months to years, get on the list ASAP.
- In-home Daycare: Usually suggestion is 2-3 months ahead. Some do fill up quickly but this is the new trend. There are more and more opening up regularly in Denver.
- Nanny: Usually searching 3-4 months before you need your first nanny gives you time to interview candidates, find the right fit and gives you the mental relief.
- Nanny Share: Suggestion is similar to the nanny above. If you are able to, its best to find the right nanny fit first, then find a family as having everything start at once can be a bit overwhelming for a lot of families. That being said, it still goes right from the start a lot of times so if you want to dive right in, its a great way to start up long term friendships and great to save some money!
- Au Pair: 9-12 weeks before start date is best for an au pair. Our amazing partner can also accommodate urgent requests for sooner however, the suggested timeline is 9-12 weeks.
Resources
Nanny /Nanny SHare
Piocare is a great resource for nannies & nanny share options. We help connect families with other families in the area as well as help find nannies to meet their need. We are a ‘choose your own fee’ organization so you would decide what to pay us for finding your fit. Check out our Reoccurring Services page to learn more.
Au pair
Piocare has a great connection to an amazing au pair program. We are happy to connect you. Please email us for questions: piocarellc@gmail.com.
Daycare/ in-home daycare
For Free Resources on daycares, in-home daycares and preschools, check out the great free resources the state offers!
Denver Early Childhood: The state has a childhood department dedicated to providing resources and support for families. Check out their main page to learn more about their services and programs.
The State of Colorado offers a free search tool to help you find and research licensed child care programs in your community. We show you each program’s quality rating, licensing history, and monitoring reports to help you make the best decision for your family. You can also contact the Colorado Shines Child Care Resource and Referral phone line at 877.338.2273 for free, personalized support with your child care search. Child care navigators are also available by email, and you can contact childcarereferrals@unitedwaydenver.org.
**There are different types of child care providers in Colorado through this program. These include licensed child care centers, licensed home-based child care programs, Head Start programs, and school-based preschools.
Going the in-home daycare or traditional daycare route? Here are things to ask, consider and review while deciding what is the right fit for you; Check out this list here.