Help With Daycare, Babysitting and Fee's

    Daycare expenses, hard for all parents, but an even bigger hurdle for single parents; finding one, let alone ability to get the children there…and then paying for it when no or little support is being sent to you. Where I live, the average daycare center charges $25-$40. per child, per day. If your fortunate enough to have a family member help out in this department (even if its just two days a week), it’s a blessing.

    I get Child Support once in a while, so in my case, its pointless to ask the courts for daycare expenses. I did, at one point, submit the daycare costs to my ex's attorney, along with several centers cost sheets; it was over a thousand dollars per month...and my ex ran permanently out of state after that.

    Neighbors

    After racking my brain for some sort of babysitting solution, I thought to myself “surely there must be someone around here who is a stay at home mother or an old lady whom does babysitting.” So, I gathered myself up, took a pen and notebook and started walking to every single neighbors house, introducing myself, explaining I was a single mother with four children and perhaps they knew of someone in the neighborhood who does babysitting. I knocked on every single door with in walking range. I found a part time babysitter (who would babysit if I had to go to court or had appointments). It wasn’t much, but it helped.

    Social Services

    Some states have a department in Social Services (welfare) that helps with babysitting fees. There are guidelines to these grants, so you have to provide proof of employment, income, assets, the usual. Call your Social Services and ask if they know of an organization or department that aids in daycare expenses.

    Churches

    Some churches have daycare or after school programs available at their facilities. They are always well fed and well taken care of. They are also more affordable then the average day care centers.

    Friends

    Yeah, I know, most of our friends all work…you have to in todays day and age. If you have a group of friends, trade days off or hours to watch each others chldren. Even if its one to three days a week, it does help to keep the cost of daycare down.

    Hiring a babysitter

    I know, we cant afford a private babysitter to come to our home, but there may be a teen looking to make some extra money near by. They are MUCH cheaper then a daycare center. If your a single parent, you will not be able to afford much, which means you get what you pay for...unreliable babysitters...but you do what you have to do and keep looking for another one. I went through plenty.

    Local Schools

    Most local schools today have 'KEYS' programs; that is where your child can stay after school for a short period of time, for $10 per day per child. This program was designed for working parents and is great for most working parents. My problem was I have four kids...you do the math. Yup, not an option for me, but maybe it is for you.

    Girl Scouts

    Contact a local girl scouts leader and see if any kids (age appropriate of course) are looking to donate some time to earn badges, etc. They may consider it as ‘community service’. Worth looking into.

    Misc

    Maybe you can trade services; you clean their homes (or anything else/skills you may have) in exchange for them to babysit two days a week, etc. Its worth a try.

    If none of this is feasible or remotely close, you may have to just ‘wait’ out your time until the kids are old enough to stay home alone after school or work from home.



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