How to plan for backup child care?

[RedSuedeShoes]

I might have a job soon (waiting to hear their decision after 2nd interview). I think I've found someone for regular care for my 4 y.o. but am thinking I'll need to have something else in mind for sick kid care as she has her own young kids. And really, I may need this when her kids are sick, too. No family in town, friends/neighbors all have their own kids and busy schedules...where should I look? Care.com? Sittercity.com? I asked on FB for recs for a local agency but haven't gotten any responses yet.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i found a local agency. for me, care.com was a bust. i tried to use it once when dd was sick and a girl said she would do it and then totally flaked out. also, a good fraction of people on there won't babysit sick kids, so that decreases the pool (mY kids are in daycare, so the only reason i'd need a backup would be if they were sick).

the best thing is just google nanny agencies in your area and call them. there was one in mine that does nanny placement as well as emergency backup coverage. they have someone answering their phones 24/7, which is AWESOME (e.g. for cases where your kid wakes up puking at 3am, but you have a meeting or something important the next day). i used it once when dd had a fever for like 4 days striaght and dh and i were busy at work and getting tired of tag-teaming.we called, and a nanny just showed up at our door the next morning. it was really nice. the fee was $25 per time plus hourly rate for nanny, and to be a member it was something like $120 per year.

Also, in one local town a hospital has a program called coughs & cuddles or something to that effect, that charges per hour and where they will take care of sick kiddos. i've never used it but i've keep it in my mind.

it depends on where you live. my area is not as progressive as most so these things are harder to find, but they do exist. when i lived in Boston, most companies friends worked for provided backup childcare through an agency, and it was subsidized by them, because they assume both parents work. that is not as common here though.

eta: in your case, i would just find drop-in daycare centers and get them registered through that and have that as one option...that would probably be cheaper/easier. i did that to have backup childcare for my interview, as dh was traveling that week. i just wanted to have backup in case nanny got sick or whatever.

[BabyBearsMom]

Congratulations on the pending job! When my kids are sick, DH or I stay home with them. If they aren't really sick but have to stay home for policy reasons (i.e. need to be fever or diarrhea free for 24 hours to go back to our daycare), I will sometimes have my mom or DH's mom stay with them, but that is rare. I had my mom stay with DD2 once a few weeks ago when she had a low grade fever (101.6), I ended up coming home mid-day because her fever spiked to 104.6. After that, I just don't think I will be asking a grandma to stay with a sick kiddo. I also think it would be hard to leave my kids with someone they don't know well when they are sick. They are usually extra clingy when sick and not easy to hand off to DH let alone a different sitter.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

When my kids are sick, DH or I stay home with them.

Yes, we do this too..typically DH stays at home with them, or we do shifts (e.g. one goes in 7-1pm and the other works from 1-8pm or something, and we do work in the evenings or during naps). however, my kids tend to get sick when DH is OOT, and he is usually gone for a week at a time. We have no family in town, like OP so it's all on me.

If DH is traveling but kids get sick, For the first day, i typically stay at home with them and fortunately that is usually enough for them to get better. But if it isn't then we will get a sitter from the nanny agency. Like the OP, i started working after being a SAHM for a while so i dind't have many vacation/sick days available. I get that most kids are cranky/clingy when they are sick and it's best to stay home with them but then i also see the mom's perspective who just started working and doesn't want to be missing tons of days in the beginning.

[BabyBearsMom]

Yes, we do this too..typically DH stays at home with them, or we do shifts (e.g. one goes in 7-1pm and the other works from 1-8pm or something, and we do work in the evenings or during naps). however, my kids tend to get sick when DH is OOT, and he is usually gone for a week at a time. We have no family in town, like OP so it's all on me.

If DH is traveling but kids get sick, For the first day, i typically stay at home with them and fortunately that is usually enough for them to get better. But if it isn't then we will get a sitter from the nanny agency. Like the OP, i started working after being a SAHM for a while so i dind't have many vacation/sick days available. I get that most kids are cranky/clingy when they are sick and it's best to stay home with them but then i also see the mom's perspective who just started working and doesn't want to be missing tons of days in the beginning.

I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to come off as critical. I meant to be commiserating as this is something I struggle with. While I have always WOH, I am new at my job (only been here 6 months), so I completely get the not having much sick time.