With Memorial Day over, your children are probably out of school or finishing up their last few days. If you work or attend school, then this may mean you’re going to need to find alternative care for your little ones. This can be one of the most stressful aspects of summer vacation. Day care can be incredibly expensive and you don’t want to send your child to just any facility. Luckily, there are a few ways you can get someone to take care of your child without having to stress out over the finances. So, don’t let finding a child care provider ruin your summer fun, as these tips should shorten the search while saving you a bit of money.
1. Work Around Activities
When it comes to the summer time, there’s a world of options to choose from for activities. Most schools and colleges will host activities and classes for students to partake in that can cost nothing to very little. You will also have day camps, play dates, vacation Bible school (or other religious camps and classes) and the library program to keep your child busy. With so much fun for your child to be had, you may not have to fund someone to babysit. Try to plan activities around your work hours to help save money. If you can sign your child up for activities in one location for an entire day, then you’ll be all set to save money while ensuring your child is in a safe environment. Even if you can’t get your child into activities at one location then perhaps you can get a friend or relative to pick your child up and drop them off at the next activity. You may even be able to get your boss to allow you to use drop off times instead of your lunch and breaks. Either way, your kids’ minds will be stimulated and you’ll be able to keep even more in your bank account.
2. Be Flexible
If your work lets you juggle around your hours, then make sure to utilize this during your kids’ time off of school. For instance, if you can work around the schedule of a friend or relative then this may be your best bet. You can swap off watching the kids without anyone having to miss a single day of work, or forcing two families to pay for a babysitter or daycare fees. The same can be done with your spouse. If you can go from day shift to night shift or vice versa then choose the opposite schedule of your spouse. It may be a tough summer to get through, but you won’t feel financially burdened by daycare or babysitter prices, nor will you have to worry about your child being in the care of strangers.
3. Work from Home
Another aspect of being flexible that can come in handy during the summer months is working from home. If you can concentrate at home with the kids around you and your boss doesn’t mind, then take the summer to work at home. This will give you more time to bond with the kids, while allowing you to get work finished in a timely manner. Some people tend to work better at home anyway, so you may be doing yourself a favor by staying with the children, rather than spending the summer in a stark office environment. This will also offer you more flexibility for activities, which could help your children stay on track in school. Not to mention, you won’t have to spend extra money on your lunch, since you’ll already be home to enjoy a healthier, home cooked meal.
4. Share a Sitter
If a friend, family or neighbor is also looking for a sitter then you may be in luck. Babysitters who charge by the hour should be okay with taking on a few kids at once, as long as they aren’t too young and you don’t go over the legal limit. This should allow you and the other family to split the cost of the sitter, so you don’t have to spend a boatload out of every payday. Apart from saving your money, this will also give the children playmates throughout the summer that aren’t just their siblings. This may promote less sibling fighting and will allow children to socialize. Not to mention, if you and the person you’re sharing the sitter with do not have the same days off, then you won’t have to pay a babysitter for those days. Just make sure you trust the person enough to leave your children with as well as to follow through on their financial obligation to the agreement.
5. Non-Profit Daycares
When it comes to searching for the right daycare for your child, you may have a few jaw-dropping moments when you see the price estimate for care. It’s expensive to have even one child in daycare, so imagine how bad it will be with multiple. Luckily, there are some non-profit daycares out there that can really help you out with your plight. Churches are one of the first places to turn to when it comes to daycare. It doesn’t matter your religion, if you attend some sort of service then chances are they will run some form of childcare or will be able to point you in the right direction. If a church isn’t an option for you then look around for youth groups in the area. The YMCA normally hosts programs for kids, which could help you out, big time. However, you may have to prove you are low income to be considered for free childcare. You may even qualify for just a reduction of price, but make sure to ask before you assume you don’t qualify. Sometimes these programs fill up fast though, so you may have to juggle between the programs and a sitter to help you get through the summer without having to pay for full time care.
6. Hire a Student
Sometimes, it’s practically impossible to get around hiring a sitter. You don’t have to pay a fortune for one though. In fact, if you hire a student you should be able to pay a lower wage without having to stress. Generally, students who are planning on becoming teachers or entering the child development field are great candidates for sitters. They will get the experience they need with children, while you can go to work without having to pass over your entire paycheck to a childcare provider. You should also perform a thorough interview for anyone you’re considering hiring though. Background checks, first aid and CPR training as well as basic skills should be included before you leave anyone with your children. You may even consider a backup plan by placing nanny cams in the home, just to make sure your children are secure. With all of this in place, you will still save money and have peace of mind that your kids are being cared for.
7. Consider an Au Pair
People have been using
Au Pairs for centuries now. Today’s programs are usually developed to help young adults experience life abroad. So, if you have a spare room and are looking for a sitter then you may want to check out this program. Most au pairs are trained before they are allowed to enter the work force in this career, so you don’t have to stress about leaving your child with someone that doesn’t know what they’re doing. Also, most au pairs will work for room and board as well as an allowance to help them enjoy the sights when they have time off. Having an au pair can be a great way for your children to experience other cultures too. In fact, some kids even pick up languages from their au pairs, which will set your child off on the right foot.
8. Ask Your Child’s Inner Circle
If you don’t want to end up having to hire a sitter that you don’t know or trust, then you may want to ask your child’s inner circle. Sometimes, parents will allow you to leave your child with them for a playdate while you’re at work. If you can do this each day you’re working, then you shouldn’t have to worry about babysitters or whatnot. Of course, you may want to send money with your child to help pay for food and activities that the family may do while your child is in their care. You should also offer to do the same for their children, so that the other families can enjoy date night or simply time to relax away from children. By using the community to help with your child you should save some money while allowing your kids to socialize with their friends even when they’re not in school.
9. Family
Usually, family is one of the most reliable places to go when you need a bit of help with childcare. Most grandparents will leap at the chance to hang out with their grandkids, especially if they are retired. You should also check to make sure your schedules don’t conflict during the week though, so you will know your children won’t be imposing on your parents or other family members. Again, you may also want to send your child with money to help with the financial aspects of their care, even if your parents tell you not to. Your kids will have a blast hanging out with grandparents and you won’t have to spend your work hours stressing out about a stranger watching your kids. It’s a win-win situation.
10. Tax Credits
Even if you do end up registering your child in a daycare or another private facility, you may be able to get back some of the money you spent on childcare. Make sure you hold on to all of your receipts for the services, as you may qualify for a tax credit in this regard. Of course, be very careful before you apply for the credit, as you should always make sure you qualify before you put anything on your tax returns. A good accountant or tax advisor should be able to steer you in the right direction, but you can always do the research yourself. This should help take part of the burden off of your childcare payments, as you’ll know some of it should be coming back to you at the end of the year. Apart from that, when you do get money back at the beginning of next year, you should consider putting it away so that you can use it to help pay for next summer’s child care.
Making sure your kids are safe, happy and healthy is always a top priority, but the summer vacation period can make it nerve wracking to do this. Luckily, there are several solutions to the childcare problem that arises every time your children are out of school. Hopefully, these ten tips should lead to safe and affordable childcare, so you can be more at ease while your children enjoy their vacation from the classroom.
