All My Children

Assuming that your child is going to be spending time on a regular basis with a caregiver other than one of her parents, what options are available?

In-home care: the caregiver comes to your child

This person might be a relative such as a grandparent, a nanny that you hire for an extended period, or perhaps a college student or au pair from another country who provides care in exchange for room and board. There are several advantages of in-home care:

• Your child remains in a completely familiar environment—with access to his own crib or bed, toys, yard, etc.
• Assuming that the same person comes to your home regularly, there will be greater stability and consistency in your child’s life.
• The caregiver’s attention is focused specifically on your child(ren), rather than on a larger group.
• There is no exposure to contagious diseases from other children. If your child becomes ill, care does not have to be interrupted or rearranged.
• Convenience is maximized—there is no need to transport your child and the items she needs to another home or facility.
• Depending upon the caregiver’s availability, there may be more flexibility in this arrangement; your home doesn’t have “closing hours.”

Disadvantages of in-home care are as follows:

• If you are hiring the caregiver, in-home care is likely to be more costly. In this case, the individual will in effect be your employee, so you will need to be aware of possible tax implications and even liability concerns. (For example, who pays the bills if the caregiver is injured in your home? Your homeowner’s insurance may or may not cover such expenses.)
•  What do you do if the caregiver is ill or can’t come for some other reason?
  You will always need to have Plan B ready in case such a problem arises.

Family child care: your child stays in the caregiver’s home

In this arrangement, an individual (or perhaps a couple) provides care in his or her home for a number of children who may be of similar or widely variable ages. (If the caregiver is a devoted relative who is responsible only for your child(ren), this situation may be essentially the equivalent of in-home care.) The advantages of family child care include:

• Your child remains in a home rather than a “facility” environment. If the family is someone you and your child already know, there will be some familiarity (and perhaps less separation anxiety).
• As with the in-home arrangement, having the same caregiver every day will provide consistency in your child’s experiences.
• There are likely to be fewer children than in a day-care center, and thus less exposure to contagious diseases.
• Costs are sometimes less than for in-home care or a day-care facility.
• As with care in your own home, there is often more flexibility with hours.

Disadvantages of family child care include the following:

• There may be no licensing requirements for family caregivers in your state. In this case, you will need to rely more heavily on your own assessment of the caregiver and the home environment to determine if all is safe and sound. (Obviously, it is helpful if you know the family beforehand.)
• Plans may have to be rearranged (sometimes without warning) if the caregiver becomes ill, has an unexpected family problem, or simply goes on vacation.
• If the caregiver is responsible for several children, you will need to determine if she or he can give adequate attention to your child and not become overwhelmed.

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