This article gives information about:
What are your childcare options
Preparing your child for care
What ifs of childcare
What are your Childcare Options?
Selecting the right childcare to suit your children and lifestyle can seem like a daunting hurdle. Through exploring the available options and talking to other parents, you can settle on an arrangement that can benefit both yourself and your family.
In New Zealand, we have a least three childcare options available to under-fives. These are: In-Home Care; care by a family member; or professional childcare centres. For school-age children the options vary again.
There are four things you need to determine as you begin to consider your childcare options ? when, where, how and what.
When do you need the care? (part time, full time or odd hours)
Where is the most convenient location ? close to home, work or somewhere in between?
How much can you afford on childcare and how much time does your child need to be in care?
What is the best option for your child and their needs?
In-home care
In-Home Care involves hiring a nanny or arranging an Au Pair. This option has considerable advantages if you can afford it.
Your children will have familiar surroundings, they receive a high level of personalised care and you don?t have to organise them, pack bags or fight your way through morning traffic to drop them somewhere. In addition, if your child is sick or hasn?t slept well the night before, they can be cared for in their own home.
The cost can vary for In-Home Care from $400-$500 per week for a full-time, experienced nanny to $150-$300 per week for a live-in Au Pair, depending on the ages and number of your children.
A live-in carer is an excellent option for parents who may work shifts or over a weekend, when nannies are not available. However, not every family has a spare room to accommodate an Au Pair.
Speaking with other parents who use In-Home Care may be a way of assessing whether this is right for you and your children. If you are going to use an agency, ask for references from previous clients.
Family Care
Family Care involves leaving the children with a relative or utilising Barnardos, an organisation who will place your child with a person caring for children in their home. This arrangement can be less expensive than other options, while still maintaining the home situation and small group sizes.
Keep in mind that Family Care providers may not have any formal training, there may not be backup if your child is ill, and you often have to provide packed lunches. If considering Family Care, ask to speak with parents who use the same person. It is also advisable to pop in unannounced during the first month to check your children are not watching endless videos.
Childcare centres
Childcare centres are becoming more and more popular in New Zealand. They have the advantage of allowing your children to interact with others and are regulated by the Education Ministry.
All staff are trained in early childhood education and they provide continuous care, Monday to Friday. However, you may still need to pack lunchboxes and bags and cannot bring your child in when he or she is ill.
Possible disadvantages may be age restrictions and limits to pick up and drop off times. Turnover of staff can be high in this industry, so be sure to ask about this when you are touring the facility. There may be waiting lists for some centres, so book well in advance of your return to work.
Preparing your child for care
You have interviewed endless nannies and toured every childcare centre within a 20-kilometre radius of your home or work. You have spoken to everyone you have even the slightest acquaintance with to pick their brains on childcare. Finally you have selected the option that is best for you, but before you pack your briefcase for your first day back at work there is one more hurdle ? you have to prepare your child.
Following a few basic steps can help to ready your child and yourself for the changing care arrangements.
If they are going to a new childcare centre, always go for visits before you start work. Spend a little time each day, slowly increasing the length of time you stay there.
Always use the caregivers? names and introduce your child each time. Stay with him/her while they slowly integrate themselves with the other children. Point out where the toilets are (and help them use it), show where their bag will go and where to put their lunchbox.
Also show them what the other children are doing and talk about what you see, from the paintings on the wall to the playground activities. By greeting other parents and children as you arrive and depart, you will give your child the message that "Mummy is happy here, I can be too."
If childcare is going to be the first significant time apart from your child, try to introduce the idea several weeks before the event. It will be unhelpful to your child if you are clingy and panicked about this transition. Ask a relative or friend to have your child for a part of the day and show them that Mummy or Daddy always comes back.
You can also use bedtime stories to help some children become familiar with the idea, by integrating the trip to childcare each morning, or by naming the new caregiver. Choosing a special bag and lunchbox can be a terrific outing for a small child in preparation for the new routine.
You can also prime family and friends about the change of care and perhaps organise to take Grandma or Grandad for a centre tour. How about painting a special calendar showing your child when they are starting at the childcare centre?
If you are facing a change of caregiver in the home, you can make this a smooth transition by asking them to come in for an hour to begin with and slowly extend the time over the next week to ten days.
What Ifs of childcare
In addition to preparing your child, you will need to prepare yourself for any hitches that may crop up ? the "What ifs" of childcare. Have a contingency plan in place for the following, What If:
I am running late to pick my child up from care?
My child is ill?
The childcare centre is closed for an extended Christmas/New Year break, or during school holidays?
My nanny leaves on short notice, is on holiday or ill?
I decide to leave work, change jobs?
I decide to extend my hours of work?
Having a strategy for some of these common problems will ensure that the stress is kept to a minimum and you can easily turn to Plan B.
Celebrate the first day in new childcare arrangements by having a special meal that evening. Don?t forget to pat yourself on the back as well ? this is an important occasion for everyone!
Stephanie Temm is the mother of three children, including a set of twins.
She is Managing Director of NZ Au Pairs Ltd,
an International Au Pair recruitment company.
This article was first published in Kiwi Parent Issue 181 April/May 2001
This article is one of many informative articles to be found on the
Parents Centre website.
