If both parents WOTH, what is your childcare this school year?

[elektra]

If both parents WOTH, what is your childcare this school year? Annie's post got me curious how everyone is handling it this year.

Gonna try a poll.

This year I am going to try an afterschool sitter. We tried last year towards the end of the year, and the girl did not work out. I put the kids back into aftercare even though I am not happy with the quality there anymore.
I think I have found someone who will work as an afterschool sitter though! She is 21 and was just married and I think she wants to start having kids of her own and be a housewife, (eventually a SAHM) and do sitting to supplement their income.

We have done onsite aftercare, but with my job travel and the kids activities, my dad had to drive them all around and it's too much for just him. DH and I can't get home til 5:45 or later each evening so we need coverage

[twowhat?]

We use a daycare aftercare. It's better quality than the YMCA afterschool care on-site at the school. There are a number of daycare options around that offer this - they bus the kids from their school to the daycare facility.

We actually switched to a different daycare this year because we were starting to get unhappy with the care at the daycare we used last year. Most of the daycare facilities here are open until 6pm or 6:30pm, and some even have early morning hours for parents who need to drop kids off before school starts.

The biggest "issue" with the daycare aftercare is I feel like kids will age out of it around 3rd grade-ish.

[AnnieW625]

Dd1 will be in aftercare most afternoons, but she might also be picked up early a few days by a friend's mom so she can go to ballet. She might also play volleyball so practice and games will be after school. Dd1 has to do her homework at daycare before she can do any other activity like crafts or outside play.

Dd2 will be in aftercare everyday unless she has Daisy Scouts and then if she decides to play baseball in the spring then she may have practice in the afternoon.

Our after care is $220 a month total for both kids so there is really no other alternative that is that affordable. Lots of people at our school use a sitter, but honestly we don't do a lot of activities that are after school by choice to keep daycare expenses down. Dd1's godparents can pick up as well if needed and will most likely be covering the half days when there is no aftercare.

Daycare at public schools is $5.50 per hour per child so that would be $660 a month for two kids who go to daycare 15 hours a week, which doesn't have any extra curricular activities included. If we lived in one of the top schools in our district then we probably would've chosen public school, and then used onsite daycare.

[carolinacool]

We use school aftercare. I really didn't have many complaints last year, but he was just a kindergartner. They helped with homework, and I do wish they were a little more attentive with that. But I wasn't bothered enough to pull him and pay more money elsewhere (We pay $46 a week).

His aftercare teacher told me that generally kids seem to transition to the Y's aftercare around second grade, especially boys. There's a little more for them to do there, particularly if they are sporty, which DS is. I'm not sure how much the Y is, but I don't think it's much more than the school. (They're both at the same intersection).

[westwoodmom04]

We have a part time nanny. She does do full time coverage on holidays,snow days, and some vacations. Arrives at 2 otherwise and do laundry, light cleaning, and takes care of dog. Drives a lot, kids need to be picked up at their separate schools (private with no bus service) and she often needs to take them to sports practices. She is older, close to 50, with grown kids of her own.

[StantonHyde]

Kids are in onsite after care 1-2, max 3 days a week. They get a snack and do their homework and play. The math may not be all right, but it is done. Usually, between DH and I, we can get them 3 days a week after school and bring them home. I work 20 hours a week and DH is an ER MD so he works all sorts of odd hours. (e.g. he might work a 5pm-1 am shift, so he can get the kids by around 3:30 and run home and then leave for work by 4)

When one of them has an activity on a day I know we can't be there, I have hired a college/HS student to drive them to the activity and then I pick up.

On site after care is $3-6 an hour, so it is really cheap!

[boolady]

After-school babysitter/part-time nanny, whatever you want to call her. :) In K, 1, and 2, DD went to the aftercare program, but we decided to switch to a sitter last year. Best decision ever, despite the increased cost. She will take DD to dance and sports when needed, can get her a meal before a later practice or game, and it is helpful to have DD home to start on homework in more peaceful surroundings than the aftercare program was able to provide. It has resulted in a lot less rushing around, getting changed in the car, etc., for all of us. She handles half-days and weather-related early dismissals and handled one full vacation day last year; I elected to take some of the full days off with DD and spend the day with her, and she went with my dad on one or two other occasions. Same sitter as last year, she is a treasure-- in her mid-50s, has raised her own kids, and was a classroom aide for many years. She lives 5 minutes away, and just wants to work a few hours a day to keep busy because her husband still works FT.

[Ms B]

The Biscuit's preschool is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. We drop off around 8 a.m. (earlier if things are on schedule, ha!) and pick up between 5:40 and 6:00 p.m.

Once he starts kindy next year, we plan to use the on-site aftercare three days a week and have a sitter pick up and take him to swimming plus one other activity two days a week so that we can have more free time on the weekends. The aftercare program also covers half-days and some of the break days, but while he is in kindy we may let him spend full days off at our old daycare because they are licensed through age 6 and he still has a lot of fun there.

[smiles33]

On-site school district after-care. Not ideal for a number of reasons, including the fact that they're really only there to monitor kids as they do arts and crafts or play on the playground. DD1 no longer asks for help with homework as the staff consistently get it wrong--which means DH or I check her homework carefully every night. Yet it's cheap and they're only there for 3 hours 2 days' week. The other 3 days, they are in after-care about 2 hours as my parents and MIL each go pick them up once/week and DH doesn't work on one weekday. If I could find someone I trusted to drive my kids to activities, they'd have more options but as it is now, I pick them up and drive them to 2/week martial arts class.

[ged]

on-site school district after care as well. would prefer a better option, but have none. i'm a single mother to two, working full-time.we live with my parents, but they are not the "take care of their grandkids" type. i therefore cannot put them in after school activities either, but we do (barely) squeeze in soccer in the evenings.

[egoldber]

I work out of the home and DH works from home, but travels a lot. We use an off-site after care. They are great and offer a lot of activities, so it works well for us.

[marymoo86]

On-site aftercare. Blessed with a very good quality program.

[ellies mom]

We generally only need childcare on Sunday and Monday, Tuesday after school. DD1 will be 13 in a couple of months and DD2 is 8.5 so they will be watching themselves. On the rare times I will be traveling for work, I'll get one of my young coworkers to get them off to school.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[niccig]

On site after care. We pay $22/day and that's the price regardless how long the child is there - it also includes morning care, which we don't use. It's much simpler having DS at his school, and they staff all minimum days and most of the other days school isn't open. There's one day a year where I have to take the day off as they aren't open. Off-site child care that picks up is much more expensive. The quality of the care is fine - I really don't have high standards other than he gets a snack, told to do homework (he doesn't always get it all finished), he gets some playtime, and does he enjoy it. I've always checked the homework, as it's not staffed by teachers. I like the director, the other staff are fine. There aren't any activities, the director has themes and they work on projects, she gets the animal zoo to come visit and they have parties for end of a trimester. DS is 11 and most of his sport practices are later in the evening, so I can get him to them after I pick up.

I work similar school schedule to DS minus a few weeks, so he'll do camp those weeks (Spring Break, about 3 weeks over the summer)

[Simon]

I am only working part-time this fall so I am hoping I can be there for pick up, or have the school bus bring the kids to me. Then I can skip the aftercare question. I have not been happy with on-site care in the past, but we just changed districts and this one might be better. My youngest is at a child care center that offers aftercare, so that is my back-up plan if I can't arrange my hours to be home or use the bus drop-off.

[Cam&Clay]

DS2 and I have the same bell schedule at two different schools that are 20 minutes apart. We have a sitter who lives a few houses down from his school, so he's there in the mornings for breakfast and then walks to school. He goes there after school as well. He is there for less than an hour before and after. I pay $25 a day, but this is a HCOL area.

[hillview]

We've always done a nanny or sitter. This year ds2 is going to after school care. DS1 will get picked up after sports after school.

[khalloc]

I work 30 hours a week so I am able to be home when the bus stops off at 3:45.

[Kindra178]

After school nanny. The boys have too many activities that start too early to do aftercare.


Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=87652)

[klwa]

Our daycare also has before & after school care, so DS & DD1 go to the same place DD2 goes. They get on & off the bus there.

[daisysmom]

DD's going into 4th. Generally, we do some carpooling to swim team 3 days a week, and then there is an after school Girls on the Run program for 2 times a week. Otherwise, carpool home and I try to meet her there within an hour of her getting home if not sooner. This summer we had highschool age sitters for driving but DD was home alone for an hour on either side a lot and she was fine.

[wendibird22]

I voted sitter. She watches our kids and a few others before and after school at her house. My kids' bus pick up is 8:45am and drop off is 3:15pm. Both DH and I have to be to work by 8am and neither of us can leave until after 4:15pm. When DD1 goes to middle school next year bus pick up is somewhere around 7:15am so she'll be able to get the bus at our house. The sitter also helps us with half days when there are parent-teacher conferences. She's $100/week for both kids which is significantly cheaper than before/after care at area daycares. The school does not offer a program.

[theriviera]

I still have one at home so we have a nanny. I have 3 more years before I need to figure out what to do about afterschool. My guess is we will still have our nanny.

[legaleagle]

We do onsite aftercare (3rd & 1st) 4 days a week (I don't work Fridays). It's open until 6:30 but we pick them up earlier most days (basically just if we're running late for some reason). It's $780 a month but that also covers school half days, professional days, 3-4 days out of winter & spring break and even minor snow days, so basically whenever the actual school building is open. They have before care starting at 6:30 but we don't need that and it would be extra.

Adding - we're in DC metro so very HCOL area.

[vonfirmath]

We do onsite aftercare (3rd & 1st) 4 days a week (I don't work Fridays). It's open until 6:30 but we pick them up earlier most days (basically just if we're running late for some reason). It's $780 a month but that also covers school half days, professional days, 3-4 days out of winter & spring break and even minor snow days, so basically whenever the actual school building is open. They have before care starting at 6:30 but we don't need that and it would be extra.

Adding - we're in DC metro so very HCOL area.

Is that $780/month per kid? We have very similar aftercare for $245/mo per kid. (no multiple child discounts) Single day professional dev days and half days are included. Winter and Spring Break is extra.

[legaleagle]

Is that $780/month per kid? We have very similar aftercare for $245/mo per kid. (no multiple child discounts) Single day professional dev days and half days are included. Winter and Spring Break is extra.

No, that's for both, with the multiple child & multiple days discounts.

[catsnkid]

We do before and aftercare. DS gets to school about an hour, has a snack and can play. He goes 3 days a week afterschool. They do crafts, toys, games and gym or outside play. For this I pay about 250 a month, half of it is for the before care. If he went everyday afterschool it would be about 350ish. My mother picks him up twice a week. The kids range from K-4th grade.

[vonfirmath]

No, that's for both, with the multiple child & multiple days discounts.

There is one rate for our aftercare. No discount if you do not use it everyday. And it looks like it is actually $280/mo/child (It is auto-paid, to avoid having to go to the office every month). $245 must have been a few years ago. *wry*

[legaleagle]

Sneaky price increases! Yes, it's nice that they only charge by the days you actually use and give the discounts for multiple days, with higher discounts the more days. The base rate is $193/day/month apparently. This company runs the aftercare at several dozen schools in our huge county system though it's never full at our small school. Not sure if you have to commit to full week if it's at one of the schools with a waiting list. They also do discounts for e-checks rather than credit cards and for paying the full year in advance.

[MontrealMum]

DS goes to on-site aftercare. We have been incredibly lucky with the program that is available as well as the price (it averages around $130 a month). In addition to homework program they also offer on-site classes in various sports, art, etc. Because I also work in a school I am easily able to get him before they close at 6. I'm also lucky that I have a very close mom friend in the neighborhood who I can trade off with for in-a-pinch pickups or short babysitting. Though things may change for us this year now that he's older and more interested in off-site weekday activities. So, I'll be watching this thread for ideas as to how to juggle that.

[Minnifer]

Single parent here, and am out of the house for work from 7a-7p every weekday, so have always needed a nanny. This year I will be trying an au pair for the first time b/c DS will be in full day K and I can no longer afford nanny. Contemplated trying to find AM and PM sitters but it was too complicated and still expensive. Kind of dreading having a live in person but keeping my fingers crossed.