Let's talk childcare options

[MsSassyBaskets]

So I'm thinking some of you may have been in a similar situation in the past, and I'm hoping you can help me out. I have no idea what I'm doing with regard to finding and choosing childcare. Obviously the more permanent decision will have to wait until the match when we know where we're moving to, and we will have some clearer criteria - a reputable daycare center, close to home, etc - at that time. But in the interim, I'm going to need some kind of full time childcare from mid-April to mid-June. There are very few good daycare centers around here from what I can find out. There's maybe one home daycare center nearby but I don't know about the quality. We border on an iffy neighborhood so there's not a lot really close. If I go a few neighborhoods away there are some really highly reviewed ones, but they're the sort that you need to be on a waiting list forever.

What are my options for 8-ish weeks of full time care before we move for residency? In-home probably wouldn't work because we live in a small apartment and I don't have enough separation between the office and the living space. Where do I look? How do I figure out what's best? Will centers even take us for a short time? For just 8 weeks of infant care there are a lot of criteria I don't really care about - mostly just that it's safe, clean, well-staffed, close-ish, and will take us! But I really have no clue what I'm doing.

[bobk]

I just send you a PM on this.

[SoonerTexan]

I would look for a short term nanny or stay at home mom. Any Other med student wives that might jump at the chance for some extra cash?

[MsSassyBaskets]

I would look for a short term nanny or stay at home mom. Any Other med student wives that might jump at the chance for some extra cash?

I don't think I can have a nanny here, I would literally be within sight/sound range at all times unless they were in the teeny tiny nursery. And all the med student wives I know work full time, none have kids. I literally have no parent friends in town. The "best" daycares are booked up through next summer already (and look for long-term commitment, you get in whenever they will take you and you stay indefinitely), and I've never heard anything about other daycares except those couple high-demand ones. I'm just not even sure where to start looking. What are the best websites - care.com? Any others?

[MsSassyBaskets]

To be honest, I'm also nervous about the waitlisting situation wherever we move to! If I can't get on a waitlist until the match in March, and we need a spot in June, are we going to have to find temporary care again while we wait for an opening? If it is anything like this city I would. I hope we move to somewhere a little more... accessible with its childcare options!

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

We were in the same boat - moving with a young baby (born in Jan, maternity leave until April). DH was her caregiver until residency started. He moved all his rotations to allow to do that and it saved us $$. You can look for an in-home nanny on Care.com that takes children into their home and that's what I would recommend if possible.

In the new city:
I also had the waitlist fear. We went house hunting immediately (super fun with an 8 week old) and even then, we would have been too late to get on the majority of the "best" daycares waiting lists for FT care. That is one major reason we went with a nanny. If you do go the nanny route, you'll need to consider that in your next home purchase/rental. Our current house has an office off the master that I use and is away from the kids. We specifically looked at houses with offices/bonus rooms because we knew we'd need this. If your next location is likely to be city-based (aka you won't have the extra space), you'll likely need a nanny again who does care in their home.

[Vanquisher]

This is going to sound kind of weird coming from me, but here goes. Is there any possible way you look at the church? Are you religious? Maybe at someone at your church could watch the baby for the eight weeks. The other option, so not a deal, would be to give up on working for The interim. I would also have your husband around at the medical school to see if any resident Wives at your program would be interested in making extra cash.

[Vanquisher]

That was dictated into my phone. sorry

[Thirteen]

This is going to sound kind of weird coming from me, but here goes. Is there any possible way you look at the church? Are you religious? Maybe at someone at your church could watch the baby for the eight weeks. The other option, so not a deal, would be to give up on working for The interim. I would also have your husband around at the medical school to see if any resident Wives at your program would be interested in making extra cash.

Also a good option (and, not weird!).


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[gem]

Would it be possible for you to go somewhere else to work so the nanny and baby could stay at your home? When my babies were that young I found it so much easier not to have to transport them anywhere. Are there any co-working spaces, or facilities at a university or library that you could reserve? And this is not ideal, but when I work from home, if my kids are home with a babysitter, I do all my conference calls from my car, in my driveway.

[MsSassyBaskets]

We were in the same boat - moving with a young baby (born in Jan, maternity leave until April). DH was her caregiver until residency started. He moved all his rotations to allow to do that and it saved us $$. You can look for an in-home nanny on Care.com that takes children into their home and that's what I would recommend if possible.

In the new city:
I also had the waitlist fear. We went house hunting immediately (super fun with an 8 week old) and even then, we would have been too late to get on the majority of the "best" daycares waiting lists for FT care. That is one major reason we went with a nanny. If you do go the nanny route, you'll need to consider that in your next home purchase/rental. Our current house has an office off the master that I use and is away from the kids. We specifically looked at houses with offices/bonus rooms because we knew we'd need this. If your next location is likely to be city-based (aka you won't have the extra space), you'll likely need a nanny again who does care in their home.

I wish DH could do that... his school doesn't allow rescheduling rotations. Period. If he even asks they'll threaten not to let him graduate, it's crazy. Just one of many reasons I'd like to meet one of their deans in a dark alley. At this point I'm finding a few more small centers in the nearby burbs, but there is so little out there in terms of information and reviews... This city is in the dark ages when it comes to web presence. I will probably have to visit them all to get a good idea of safety/staffing etc. I'll check out individuals on Care.com too. We will definitely be looking at houses, not apartments, in our next city, wherever it is. Most of our options so far are middle of the road markets, not huge urban areas, so we should be able to get more space. I also might have a real office to work out of, depending on where we end up - there is one out in the suburbs here, but the commute would be almost an hour so I've stayed remote for now.

[MsSassyBaskets]

This is going to sound kind of weird coming from me, but here goes. Is there any possible way you look at the church? Are you religious? Maybe at someone at your church could watch the baby for the eight weeks. The other option, so not a deal, would be to give up on working for The interim. I would also have your husband around at the medical school to see if any resident Wives at your program would be interested in making extra cash.

We're atheists, so no... not that I would be against a religious childcare provider for a 12-week old! And unfortunately we don't live in the same city as his med school - we moved for rotations so there aren't that many other families/spouses here. I know it's a weird situation, it's a DO school...

[MsSassyBaskets]

Would it be possible for you to go somewhere else to work so the nanny and baby could stay at your home? When my babies were that young I found it so much easier not to have to transport them anywhere. Are there any co-working spaces, or facilities at a university or library that you could reserve? And this is not ideal, but when I work from home, if my kids are home with a babysitter, I do all my conference calls from my car, in my driveway.

I could, but it's almost an hour commute. I don't have a great "work from the coffee shop" kind of job. Going out to the office and hiring an in-home nanny would probably be a last ditch option because of the added costs.

[Vanquisher]

I thought I remembered you being atheist. Yay and it is limiting.

[Vanquisher]

What does your job look like, typically? I'm just trying to brainstorm.