As needed daycare? Update in post #12 & #13

[MoJo]

I've been offered a nice little job. Normal hours are Saturday mornings, when DH can watch the girls, and I could even walk to work. It will be just enough money to mean that we don't have to rely on eBay sales to pay our monthly bills. However, training is going to be during the week, and I will also be asked to fill in for occasional vacations and illnesses during the week. Our closest family member is three hours away, she still works full time, and Ha is still breastfed.

All of my local friends would use their own local families. I certainly can't afford to put the girls in typical ongoing daycare when I will be working so little (and for so little). But I'm guessing that if I can find a safe place, it's OK if it costs all I make during the training and "as needed" times just to keep the Saturday income.

I've put in a call to one in-home daycare that came highly recommended, but it's been over 24 hours and she hasn't returned my call. . . and I didn't explain the nature of my need in the message.

Oh. . . and training starts in one week. . . so I don't have much time at all. But I don't even know the days/hours of the training.

WWYD?

[DrSally]

I've been looking for "drop in" daycare during the day too--here's what's worked for me: network to find other SAHM's who have kids and want to make some extra $$. I have 2 moms I can call--one found through the mom of a teenager I use for evenings (she asked around at her church), another found through CL. Also, look on CL for daycare openings and starte calling each and every one in your area. Many do not want drop in/as needed, and only want full time people to have guaranteed income. Some may take as needed if they have the spots open, but priority goes to getting a full time person. So, look for daycares with openings and see if they'd be willing to do the week for you. I did this exact thing today and found 2 that were willing to do this. Many just immediately said they wanted full timers only. On CL you may also find part time nanny's looking for additional work.

This comes from someone who never even had a babysitter until last summer. It takes calling and networking. You will find someone and make this work!

Oh, BTW, I don't have any family that I can rely on for care too, so I know where you're coming from.

[egoldber]

My regular daycare is closed for the Jewish holidays, so for the occasional need, I have found a home daycare that takes kids on a "drop in" basis. I think a fair number of home daycare provider may do this, although it might be harder with in infant.

So I would just keep calling until you find someone.

[DrSally]

Yep, it may be harder with an infant, b/c they have certain limits to how many infants they can take. ITA with the keep calling advice.

[elephantmeg]

try looking at craigslist, ask around, facebook it...

[BabyMine]

Our Bright Horizons has drop in for $12/hr.

[kozachka]

Someone on this board has suggested Kids Park, which is a chain of drop off childcare centers in our area. It's close to two malls, so perfect for when I want to meet with friends who live in the area. They charge $9 per hour or a maximum of $40 or $45 per day and they e-mail 10% off coupons once a month but there is a limit in number of hours per week so might not work for you. I've also used an in-mall child care (Bright Horizons?) when I had a job interview.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

like PP mentioned, in our area there's a small local chain of drop-off childcare centers that take kids at a drop-in basis..it's something like $7 per hour ($9 for infants). it's by drop-in basis but with infants i think you have to make 24 hrs reservations in advance, or something to that effect. i have never used it though i've heard many great things about it, and i'm sure i will likely use it in the future (our nanny is only part-time and works for other families too, and isn't always available). maybe there's something like that in your area? i found out about our local center through brochures at doctors offices, but i'm sure you can find something like that if u search online (the center i found had a website).

[vonfirmath]

We have a drop-in childcare place called Clubhouse for Kids that takes kids 18 months and older

This is what I use for backup care for childcare.

I also just found a lady advertising on Craigslist that takes drop-in children when she has a space available.

[MoJo]

I facebooked it right before I put it on here. So far no answers.

I only know one SAHM locally; she homeschools so she doesn't want to do it. She's the one who recommended her neighbor, who hasn't returned my call. My other mom friends all use their moms for full time childcare. My mom isn't here, and she still works full time. Same with MIL. Same with both of our sisters.

There is definitely no childcare provider at our mall. There was one in our village, but it closed before we had kids.

If I can't do better than $10/hour/child, I think I'm just going to have to say no thanks, because I can't pay more than I'm making for the 5 1/2 vacation weeks per year plus any sick time just to be able to work the Saturdays. When I worked at a preschool, it didn't cost that much, but it was a VERY rural area and 12 years ago.

And after I wrote here and tried to go to bed, my biggest worry was that the inconsistency was going to be very bad for my girls, especially the youngest, who is FAR more attached to me than her sister ever was.

I'll pull out the CL and the phone book when it's late enough to start calling so I can at least get rates. The person making the offer knows that the childcare is my sticking point. And the person who's leaving the position is doing so mostly because she can't be available "as needed" either.

[Gena]

In my area, the daycare center at the local university takes drop-ins (preregistration is required). I used them a couple of times when DH was still a SAHD and had to go put of town for a few days. It worked very well for us. So maybe check with any colleges or universities in the area.

[MoJo]

After spending the morning on the phone, I found one place that would work, for $40-$46 per child per day. Because it's 20-30 minutes away, I'd be driving up to an hour before and after work . . . for a job that's walking distance from home. And I'd be paying a little more than I'd be earning, not including the gas & car issues, every week day I had to work. It clearly doesn't make any sense to do that for a conservative estimate of 37 days per year, when I'd only get 50 Saturday mornings (when I could work very easily because DH would watch the girls & I would walk to work).

But I also found two different places in the town where I currently work that charge $30/child/day. One is an in-home day care with excellent recommendations; the other is a pre-school that I've always imagined using, again with excellent recommendations. The in-home day care is only about 5 minutes from my office, and the preschool is actually right across the street.

I'm now in negotiations to increase my hours at my current job, and I think long-run, this will be the best for everyone. DH gets out of the stress of the scheduling and child care; the girls get a chance to know others & a lot more consistency than the as-needed position; I get to work the job I already know and love (that pays quite a bit more than the one I was pursuing). And I can work a better schedule that will meet my office's needs much more. If I can get two full days, I'd make as much as a whole month of Saturdays, even after child care costs are factored in. Oh, and I could be the "as-needed" person in my office, too, at least some times. . .
without any consequences if I say, "no, sorry, not available."

So thanks for all of the input and good wishes! I definitely feel like all of this is moving in a good direction.

[MoJo]

I visited the in-home daycare yesterday for several hours, and it really could not have gone better. Tomorrow will be the first time I leave the girls there and go to work. I'm only going to be able to work one day per week for now, but this will likely open the door to more work in the future.

And I'm going to get to have lunch with my girls, which I can never do when they're at home and I'm at work. Nursing beats pumping every time in my book!

[DrSally]

Sounds great!