PARENTS
What is the Best Childcare for Your Baby?
Finding childcare can be stressful—here is a rundown of pros and cons for the most popular options out there.
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Happiest Baby Staff
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PARENTS
Écrit par
Happiest Baby Staff
PARTAGER CET ARTICLE
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Got a relative lined up to watch your sweet baby? Amazing! (Thanks, Nana!) But for those new parents who do not have nearby family to lean on, finding childcare is a must…and it is stressful! Not only is cost an issue for so many, but there is also concern about which is the best fit for your precious baby. After all, what is ideal for one family may be completely wrong for another. To help you figure out the best childcare option for you, here are pros and cons of some of the most popular childcare choices out there.
Here, babies are looked after in childcare facilities, like daycare centres, that feature structured activities and programs, as well as a trained staff. Centre-based care may be independently owned or run by organisations like a church, or part of a government program. While cost varies widely, depending on where you live and the level of care, the average cost for one infant is around £12,600 a year. It is important to remember that all regions have regulations for licensed centres, but not all childcare centres are licensed.
This is also referred to as family childcare since the caregiver provides their services out of their own home (and sometimes cares for their own children at the same time). An in-home daycare is a smaller, more intimate arrangement than that of a daycare centre. An in-home daycare likely has fewer children, between one to three caregivers, and children of various ages cared for together. Depending on where you live, the average annual cost of in-home daycare is over £19,000.
Another option is a caregiver who comes to or lives with you—such as a nanny or au pair. While an au pair always resides with the family, a nanny can either live-in or come in for the day. According to numbers from moneyhelper.org.uk, the average weekly cost for a non-live-in nanny is £650 a week, which comes to over £31,200 for the year. Meanwhile, a live-in nanny gets paid an average of £25,200+ more a year. Au pairs, who come to UK as part of a culture exchange system, costs roughly £78 a week—plus, there is the agency fees, room, board, and education credit.
With a nanny share, two or more families hire one nanny and evenly split the cost. The nanny can either watch all the children together in one home or divide their time between the homes based on a pre-arranged schedule. This can be an excellent solution for families who live in areas where childcare is difficult to find, but the cost of hiring a nanny is too high. It can be a great option for families who only need childcare during specific times of day, making the cost-splitting well worth it.
For more on childcare, check out the following articles:
What Kind of Nursery School Is Right for Your Child?
How to Set Up Backup Care in Case of an Emergency
Your No-Sweat Guide to Leaving Your Baby with a Sitter
Setting Boundaries with Grandparents
Avertissement : Les informations présentes sur notre site ne constituent PAS des conseils médicaux pour une personne ou une condition spécifique. Elles sont uniquement destinées à titre d'information générale. Si vous avez des questions médicales et des préoccupations concernant votre enfant ou vous-même, veuillez contacter votre fournisseur de soins de santé. Le lait maternel est la meilleure source de nutrition pour les bébés. Il est important que, en préparation et pendant l'allaitement, les mères adoptent une alimentation saine et équilibrée. La combinaison de l'allaitement au sein et au biberon dans les premières semaines de vie peut réduire la production de lait maternel de la mère et il est difficile de revenir sur la décision de ne pas allaiter. Si vous décidez d'utiliser une préparation pour nourrissons, vous devez suivre les instructions avec soin.
