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Childcare
There’s nothing more important than knowing your kids are safe, happy and in a healthy environment. But how do you keep this safe environment while at work? Here are options for child care and ways to find it that will help you maintain regular employment and know your child is in safe hands.
How to Find Child Care
How to Pay for Child Care
Flexible Spending Accounts
Resources
How to Find Child Care
- Start early, looking as far in advance as possible
- Talk to local child care experts at your local child care resource and referral center to find out what your options are. These centers are available to give you information about child care in your area and what are your best options. You can get in touch with them by calling 1-800-424-2246 or entering your zip code in this search engine. There are different types of child care such as: child care centers, family child care, in-home caregivers, care provided by relatives, and friends and neighbors. It is important to understand your options so you can make the best decision for you.
- Visit your potential sites/options and ask questions. Some things you might want to ask about and consider are:
Adult to Child Ratio: Ask how many children there are for each adult. The fewer children assigned to each adult, the more attention your child will receive. This is particularly important for younger children. Babies need an adult to child ratio of no more than 1:4 (one adult for four infants), while four-year-olds can do well with a ratio of 1:10 (one adult for ten children).
Group Size: Find out how many children are in the group. Typically, the smaller the group, the better.
Caregiver Qualifications: Ask about the caregivers' training and education. Caregivers with degrees and/or special training in working with children will be better able to help your child learn. Are the caregivers involved in activities to improve their skills? Do they attend classes and workshops? Make sure they are First Aid certified, and ask about their procedures for dealing with a sick or injured child.
Turnover: Check how long caregivers have been at the center or providing care in their homes. It's best if children stay with the same caregiver at least a year. It can be hard for your child if the caregivers change frequently. Getting used to new caregivers takes time and energy that could be spent on learning new things.
Accreditation: Find out if the child care provider has been accredited by a national organization. Providers that are accredited have met voluntary standards for child care that are higher than most state licensing requirements. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) are the two largest organizations that accredit child care programs.
- Stay involved with your child's care and caregivers. Having a lot of information, and feeling comfortable with the facility and the caregivers, will help you make the best choice for your child and your family.
How to Pay for Child Care
For many working mothers and families, child care expenses can take up a large portion of the family budget. These expenses may diminish when children begin attending school, but the need for quality care remains a strain on finances.
There are some resources available to help you pay for your child's care. Depending on your place of employment, you may be eligible for a "flexible spending account" that can reduce the burden of care expenses.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Also known as "flex-spending" or "cafeteria" accounts, flexible spending accounts are an opportunity provided by some employers that allow you to direct some portion of your paycheck into an account that can be used for child and dependent care expenses.
The benefit of these accounts is that, because they are set aside for child care funds, they are not considered taxable income by the IRS. However, there is a limit on the amount that can be diverted into the accounts from your paycheck. For example, individuals or couples with one child or dependent can set aside up to $3,000 a year, whereas those with two dependents can set aside up to $6,000 yearly.
Resources
A list of state agencies can be found on the National Child Care Information Center web site. Contact your state agency directly to find out what assistance might be available to your family.
Nation's Network of Child Care Resource and Referral—Resource exchange, News
National Child Care Information Center—Part of the Child Care Bureau (through HHS);
Topics include: Child Care Arrangements, Child Care as a Business, Faith-based child care, Family Child Care ("Kith and Kin")
Child Care Aware—includes Child Care Connector, connecting you to local resources in your area, site and materials also available in Spanish
National Association for Family Child Care
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