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| The waiting game
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| how to find child care and stay sane
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Finding child care is one of the hardest, if not THE hardest thing about going back to work. But if you do need to return to work after maternity leave, there is no alternative. It has to be done. However with an acute lack of child care for the under twos, soaring child care fees and a range of options to "choose" from (we use choose in the loosest sense because you often do not have a choice), how can you do it without going mad?
Stay calm. Don't panic
Yes there are loads of horror stories out there about three-year waiting times, astronomic waiting list fees, lack of any sort of care within a 100km radius. Yes this can be the case, but it's not the majority. Actually in our surveys over the years, the vast majority of our parents said that although it was a lengthy and often difficult process finding child care, they did generally find the child care they were after.
Start early
The earlier you start to look the better. Don't leave it until the last minute. This isn't always possible if you're moving house to another area for example, but generally speaking if you're on maternity leave, you should start the search at the beginning of your leave rather than the end.
Research your options
You need to know what's available to you. Click here to look through all the different types of child care from nannies and babysitters to family day care, occasional care, in home care and long day care.
Which sort of child care most suits you?
Think about what sort of child care most suits the needs of you and your child. Do you need flexibility? Do you prefer a home-style environment or more formal care? Do you want more personal attention or the more social environment of long day care? How old is your child and how much personal attention does he or she need? Is your child shy, outgoing? Does he or she have any special needs, allergies or other specific requirements? Click here for a helpful article on pros and cons of each type of care.
Get a short-term solution to tide you over
Think about a short-term solution if you need to wait for your ideal child care scenario. Do you have any friends or family you could draft in, paid if necessary, in the short term? Would you be prepared and financially able to get a short-term nanny or part-time nanny combined with part time child care?
Be flexible and open-minded if you can
Be prepared to compromise or mix types of child care. There may be more than one solution. And the solution you end up with may in fact be better than the one you thought you'd prefer.
At CareforKids.com.au® our entire business is based around making life easier for parents looking for child care. Here are some of the ways we can help you:
- Child care search: Either search by child care category if you only want to look for one type, or if you're not fussy (or are desperate!) then go for the Vacancy Super Search, which allows you to put in all your requirements, even over night care and search across all child care options in your area.
- Current Vacancy information: In your child care search you can see which centres have current vacancies to help you whittle down the options.
- Location Search: If you're looking for a nanny or in home care, but don't know where to start, find details of the child care agencies near you, and place your child care request online simply follow the 3 easy steps.
- Safe and secure nanny and babysitter search: We're passionate about care, safety and due diligence so we only work with agencies who have already vetted, referenced and police checked their nannies. You have access to all of them. Simply click on nanny or babysitter search and put in your location and dates required. We'll do the sorting for you.
- Waitlisting help: When your search for child care, our system allows you to directly waitlist with child care providers, direct from your computer! You can also retrieve waitlist applications to track progress.
- Vacancy Alert: Let the services notify you! Given the current high demand for child care, sometimes no matter how hard you look, there just isn't the care available to match your specific needs. With Child Care Vacancy Alert you can easily register your interest for an opening at child care services in your area and be notified when vacancies arise. Click here to register for Child Care Vacancy Alert.
- Vacancy Alert PRO: Unlike our basic Child Care Vacancy Alert where you have to wait for child care services to contact you, Child Care Vacancy Alert Pro offers unprecedented access to the child care options in your area by delivering the details straight to your inbox! Smart, Simple, Fast, Easy and Efficient… and just $30 per month +GST.
Don't forget to register with Centrelink/Department of Human Services. At the moment, child care rebate is not means tested, but you have to be registered for Child Care Benefit to get it. So even if you're "0" rated for the child care benefit, you can still claim 50% rebate on your child care expenses up to $7500 a year per child. It's definitely worth the trip to your local office (often in the same office as Medicare). Click here for a helpful overview of subsidies and benefits.
Yes it's a stress. Yes it's a minefield. But it can be done and you can stay sane!
Good luck!
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