Daycare the options

Petro Pretorius [23 August 2008] - Obviously the best of any option is for one of the parents to stay home and to look after the child but in today's day and age it is only an option to a select few. You thus need to look for other alternatives.

So now you are a working parent and thus starts the daunting task of finding a person to look after your child when you are at work.

As the needs of a child up to the age of 3 is very different to older children we need to focus on them firstly. All the childcare "manuals" and books presses the idea of having your child with one (read the same) care-giver up to the age of 3. This adds to the stress of finding the right one as soon as possible. What are the options and what set them apart?

In-your-house options:
These are options available to you in terms of child care within your home. These include nannies and au pairs.

It should however be noted that in my opinion it is ludicrous to leave your child with someone and at the same time expect her to do all the household chores at the same time. If you think it can be done try it over a weekend and then we talk again. I can tell you that somewhere something is going to go amiss, and as these small people can't tell us what they have done the whole day they most probable end up in front of the TV with some mindless (or not), program or DVD doing the child minding.

Nannies:
This is a person that should be caring loving and attentive to your child. As this person will be able to provide one-to-one interaction with your child they will be stimulated and both parties will be enriched by the experience.

If you manage to find that perfect nanny then hold onto her but get a domestic help in to do the housework, your child will thank you for it for the rest of your life. Remember that nannies should have first aid training as well as access to all emergency numbers. These nannies time are split 50/50 between baby and the house, with the child's needs always at the forefront. They work between 40-50 hours a week.

Au Pairs:
Au Pairs are qualified and/or experienced in the role of providing and promoting a safe, loving and stimulating environment. She/he is responsible for childcare duties other duties can be included which will be family based such as meals or shopping. Au Pairs work 45 hours a week as part of their normal duties with other hours being seen as overtime.

Childminders:
These fall in-between the nannies and the au pairs. A basic split of their time between childcare (80%) and light housework (20%). They work between 30 & 45 hours per week, with additional hours being seen as overtime.

Out-of-house options:
Daymothers:
I have written much about this subject. This similar to the above options should be a loving caring person with your child's best interest at heart. They should offer a loving, caring home environment which simulates your home and provide security to your child within which to blossom. Some day mothers work from 6:30 – 18:00 weekdays, there are usually outlined fines for late collection.

These should also be first aid trained and should if she is caring for children without additional help only have 6 children.

Crèches:
They provide a full-day care service to children aged between 3months-7years of age. They mainly provide day care and stimulation. They are usually open throughout the year and are open from 7:00 -17:00 weekdays. Staff do not have to be qualified, though they would usually have undertaken some training.

Nursery Schools:
These schools provide for the education of children over the age of 2 years but who are not yet of school-going age. The primary task of nursery schools are to provide pre-school education. They follow the same timetable of ordinary primary schools (8:00-12:30) and must have qualified staff.

Educare centres:
These integrate education, health and welfare services for pre-school children. They encompass characteristics of both crèches and nursery schools.

Ultimately it does not matter which of these choices you make as long as both you and your child are comfortable. Also remember to trust your gut, if you feel it is not kosher then it most probable is not.

Sources:
Women24 - Article: THE DAYCARE DEBATE - http://www.women24.com/Women24v2/ContentDisplay/w24v2_ArticleCapture/0,,1133,00.htmlretrieved 14 March 2008

Mary Poppins Au Pair College – Employers - http://www.marypoppins.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=33retrieved 14 March 2008

City of Cape Town - Policy_-_Early_Childhood_Development_Centres.PDF downloadable from: http://www.capetown.gov.za/clusters/health.asp?IDPathString=1123-1373-1422&clusid=257&catparent=1422#Top retrieved 14 March 2008

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