Many families cannot afford the luxury of having stay at home parent to take care of their children. If you need childcare while you work, your options are enrolling your children in day care or hiring a nanny. When deciding which of these options is best suited for your family’s needs, here are factors that you should consider.
Level of Care and Attention
At a day care center, your child will be enrolled in a class with other children. While the exact numbers vary between states, there will usually be 5 to 10 children assigned to each teacher at a day care center. Many times, two teachers work together to take care of a class of up to 20 children. As your child grows, they will move to a new class with different teachers. While these teachers will take care of your children, they will have little time to provide individualized attention.
With a nanny, your children will always receive individual attention and care. Because this is a long-term arrangement, you will develop a trusting relationship with your nanny. Your nanny will be part of your family, becoming like an additional aunt or grandmother figure in your child’s life.
Cost
The average cost of day care in the United States is $972 per month. However, these monthly day care costs can vary anywhere from $300 a month up to $1,564 a month. While many day care centers will offer a small discount for multiple children, your costs will be much greater if you have two children or more.
The average cost of hiring a nanny in the United States ranges anywhere from $900 to $2400 a month. The exact cost will depend on multiple factors, including the education and experience of the nanny, the area you live in, and the size of your family. While most nannies do charge more for taking care of multiple children, this charge is typically not proportionally as high as it would be at a day care. One option for families who are interested in hiring a nanny, but need to reduce the cost is to look into sharing a nanny with a nearby family.
Deciding whether to enroll your children in day care or to hire a personal nanny takes consideration for the needs and lifestyle of your family. However, most families find that they benefit from a long-term, trusting relationship with a nanny.
If you decide hiring a nanny is best for your family, Crunch Care is here to help. We do all of the leg work during the placement process so you can rest assured the nanny in your home is trustworthy and an overall perfect fit! Call us today to start the search process: 877-553-4231.