HOW TO FIND QUALITY DAYCARE YOU CAN AFFORD
Are you looking for some advice on locating a reasonably priced quality daycare in your area? Or are you just looking to save as much as possible while paying for daycare? I have some tips and advice on how I have successfully done this with my newborn daughter.
A few weeks ago I had my first child born on June 21st, 2019. Her name is Jasmine. The baby is doing very well and growing quickly and I am also doing well. I am currently on maternity leave and during this time and the months leading up to my leave I have been working diligently to find quality childcare that will not break our budget. Finding quality reasonable-priced childcare in Toledo Ohio has been a challenge which I'm sure is similar everywhere. In my opinion, this is a very important expense and not one to be taken lightly. Childcare is expensive but out of all the expenses you have it is one of the most important. Making sure that you have not only reasonable childcare but also quality childcare is extremely important. The last thing you should ever skimp on in your budget is the cost of childcare. I believe strongly that you should never allow less than satisfactory caregivers to care for your child and you should always do plenty of homework and searching before selecting a childcare center or individual to care for your child.
During this period of searching, I have located and visited multiple facilities. One of the best pieces of advice I received from a friend was to START EARLY when searching for daycare facilities and visit many different ones. Her advice was spot on and helped us to land a few different daycare opportunities that we otherwise would not have had. Upon our visits, I was informed that the waiting lists are extensive at the daycare locations that we selected and that they would add us to the waitlists and hopefully have something to offer by the time my maternity leave was up. That's a scary thought to be ready to return to work without daycare lined up or to have to find something at the last minute when none of our choices have available openings.
Finding quality daycare you can afford
Start early touring facilities - Ask plenty of questions and check the violations at each location before your visit. To do this click on the link and select your state then choose to get childcare resources and on the next page, select the link under inspection reports. This will bring you to the list of facilities and their violations if there are any.
Make a list - Start lists for yourself of the daycare's you have contacted and ones you still have to contact. Visit as many as you feel is necessary before you settle on the final facilities you are interested in pursuing. Start before the baby arrives if at all possible. This helps to decrease the stress of having to
Employer discounts - Keep in mind that some employers offer discounts for childcare or even childcare flexible spending accounts. Make sure that you check with your or your spouse's current employers to be certain you have taken advantage of any of these things that might help you save money.
Do Ymca daycare's offer member childcare discounts - If you are a member of the YMCA you can qualify for a discount at many YMCA childcare locations. Inquire when you visit on members-only childcare discounts available at your local Ymca childcare facility.
Church daycares are often cheaper - Many church daycares are often cheaper than other daycare options. You do not want to sacrifice quality care for what is just a cheaper care option. However many church daycare's are quality care but also see themselves as outreach ministries within the community and offer far cheaper rates as a result.
Ask if they offer a discount for family vacations - Inquire whether the daycare charges a full-time rate if you take multiple days off or take a family vacation. Many do charge full-time rates no matter what but we did discover that our local YMCA childcare does not charge full-time in these situations. You can get part-time rates on weeks that you take off two days that week and if you take a vacation you can get that week without paying if they are notified two weeks in advance.
Are food and or formula included in the cost of daycare? - Ask if food or formula for your children each day at the daycare. Not all daycare facilities offer this included in their rates. We did find that once again our YMCA childcare does feed children two meals a day including the formula for babies who are formula-fed. We also found a few others that offer this in addition which really can help a lot. This can be a huge saving for parents because these costs can add up.
How can you save even more? - What else can you look for to help save you money on daycare. Location matters a lot because transportation costs to and from can easily add up every day. Do you have a family member or friend who you could trust to watch your child? If so this could be a valuable asset if they are willing and able to watch the child every day. I caution you though to make sure that you treat it as a paid job for them.
How does a childcare and dependent care FSA save you money? - Does your job or your spouse's job offer a childcare Flexible spending account? My company does offer a childcare spending account and this post shares more about one. I can save significantly every year through my childcare FSA. There are two options for reimbursement of funds with my childcare FSA that is to pay the facility directly or be reimbursed after I pay them. Another easy way I save a little more is by paying with a cashback credit card to make my payments. Just be careful that when you are reimbursed from the FSA you immediately pay off the card so that you do accrue any interest which would defeat the extra savings. Check out my post here on how the childcare FSA works.
My Final thoughts
Finding affordable quality daycare is a difficult task that can be a very stressful experience for new parents. I hope some of the advice I offer here can help in your search and selection of your child's daycare. If you have any additional tips, resources, or advice that you would like to share with my readers I welcome your comments below or your email to savingjoyfully@outlook.com
