A Guide for Parents: How to Navigate the Childcare Landscape

Today’s childcare landscape is more complex than ever before. Here are the top considerations for you to use when vetting and selecting the right childcare provider for your family.

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Finding the right childcare provider is already one of the most daunting tasks a parent faces. Add to that the current shortage of childcare workers and longer waitlists for daycare and after school care programs, and it has gotten more complex than ever before. That said, there are new and innovative services emerging that are shifting the childcare landscape and opening up new opportunities for parents to find flexible childcare, such as June Care.

In this blog, I break down the childcare options that exist and the key considerations to keep in mind when determining the type of childcare provider that’s right for your family. I also share the right questions to ask when vetting a potential childcare provider, in my interview guide.

After working 15 years in the childcare industry, I wanted to share in the hopes that these tips help parents everywhere find high quality childcare they can trust.

Types of Child Care

First, I’ll start by breaking down the different types of childcare offerings available so you can see which one of these appeals to your childcare needs, parenting style, schedule and budget.

Childcare / Daycare Center - Child care centers often group children by age and are generally operated out of commercial buildings. Centers are larger and enroll more children with a dedicated director and numerous staff members. Many centers offer designated drop off and pick up hours and do not offer after hours care. Childcare centers often accept a limited number of infants and waitlists are often used when enrollment is full. Long term contracts are often required.

Home Based Daycare - Providers care for small groups of children inside their home, offering a bit more personalized care than a childcare center. Often this type of home based care has one, or a few, caregivers and may offer more flexible hours. Contracts are sometimes required.

Nanny / Au Pair - Nannies can be anyone employed to care for a child in their own home, while au pairs are live-in caregivers who typically commit to a one-year stay. Often au pairs are young adults from overseas who join an American family to care for their children. They travel on a legal, one-year cultural exchange visa have the opportunity to extend their time in the U.S. for 6, 9 or 12 months. Nannies and au pairs offer low parent-to-child rations but can be more expensive than a childcare, and do not offer the benefit of socialization with other kids from outside the family.

June Care - A new option for parents, June Care connects families who need childcare with stay-at-home parents who can care for their kids. All host parents are fully vetted and background checked and have their own kid(s) present so kids can make new friends, like a playdate. Families can use June Care for ongoing part-time childcare, after school care or occasional baby-sitting, and there are no long term contracts or commitments required. June Care is a more personal and fun approach to childcare with low parent-to-child ratios and high flexibility for parents. Child care occurs in the host home typically but can be in the family’s home as well.

School Age Programs (Before and After Care) - School age programs can either be offered at your child’s school or at a local YMCA or Boy’s and Girl’s club and often provide childcare before and after school for working parents who cannot drop-off and pick-up at the standard school times. Some offer transportation to and from school if they are not located on campus. There are often wait lists required to get into these programs so it is best to look into them well in advance of start date.

Now that we’ve laid a foundation, here are the top considerations to keep in mind when choosing the right childcare provider.

Tip 1. Answer the following questions to determine your needs before beginning your childcare search.

Before you start to research childcare options, sit down and write out the answers to the questions below. This will help you narrow down the options and cut down the amount of time you need to spend researching options.

• Scheduling needs (fixed / flex ) - What are the typical hours you will need childcare each week? Is it full-time, part-time or occasional/flexible childcare that you need? Will you need care outside of a traditional daycare center schedule or would a daycare /after school care program accommodate your needs?

• Location (in home / out of home) - Do you work from home and need quiet, productive hours with your child(ren) out of the house? Or do you prefer having a care provider come to you?

• Cost - After looking at your monthly budget, how much would you be comfortable paying weekly/monthly for childcare?

• Philosophical & parenting preferences - Thinking about your family values and parenting style, what are the most important values for your care provider to have? How much input do you want to have on how they handle discipline, stick to your schedule, etc…

Tip 2. Make a list of your non-negotiables.

Parents (especially moms!) have a tendency to not want to spend time thinking about their non-negotiables when it comes to expectations and boundaries for their childcare providers. Why is this?  First of all, many of us have been raised to be accommodating and consider ourselves "easy going."  Additionally, if the care provider you’re interviewing has more experience, it can be uncomfortable to put yourself in the driver's seat.

No matter how easy going you might actually be, I am here to validate that there are some things you don't want to compromise on.. and that's OK!  I recommend creating a list of your non-negotiables and sharing them with your potential care provider in the first meeting.  Don't worry, it's not rude to state what's important to you.  Setting up clear boundaries and expectations right away is critical for a healthy and fruitful relationship with your care provider.

Here are a few examples of what non-negotiables might be:

• Following your disciplinary style

• Keeping to your schedule for naps and meal times

• Screen time limits

• Potty training protocols

• Diet and food preferences

Tip 3. Come to the first interview prepared with a list of questions.

Taking time to come up with a thoughtful list of questions can make or break your ability to accurately assess a potential care provider. Here are the top topics to ask your childcare provider about:

• Communication

• Commitment to health and safety

• Care expectations

• Vacation / Calendar check-ins

• Reviews and references

After successfully matching more than 1,500 families at June Care, our matching team has compiled our top suggested interview questions to ask a childcare provider.

Childcare interview guide

Key questions to ask your prospective care provider

What would a typical day look like for you and my child?

• Do you have any special talents or interests to share with children (any special activities)?

• What childcare experience do you have?

• Are you comfortable driving children? Have you had any serious driving accidents?

• Are you willing to complete a background check?

• What is your philosophy around:

  • screentime?

  • discipline / rules?

  • how we treat others?

Other discussion points:

• Dietary preferences or allergies?

• Nap / bathroom schedule?

• Outings / excursions / driving (discuss how far)?

• Comfort around pets?

• Other adults who might be present / around during care.

• Best approach to calm your child if they get upset.

• Approach to discipline/boundary setting.

• References (at least 2, non relative references)

• When to call the family or notify behavior

• Emergency contacts / pediatrician information

Tip 4. Start with a trial

I always recommend that the first care sessions be set-up as a trial before any long term commitment is made. By starting with a trial, you are giving both you and your care provider an opportunity to know each other and assess the fit of any match.  If things continue to work out, you can go forward with a long term commitment with confidence.

I hope these tips are helpful for anyone who is setting out on the journey of finding a childcare match that works.  If you have any questions, or want to check out how we help families navigate childcare at June Care, follow us on Instagram and sign-up here at June Care to speak with me or someone on my team about your care needs, we love to help.