All the right childcare at all the wrong times
Submitted by: Kevin Chertkow

Quality child care eats up a major portion of a house hold budget and child care prices are still on the rise. According to the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) monthly child care for two children at any age could be more than the average mortgage or rent. If you have an infant your possibly paying more monthly in child care than you do in food.

In this economical crunch, work is important to keep the things you own from owning you. If you have children, child care is essential part of being able to work. If your employer is requiring more overtime, travel or working on the weekends your child care problems aren't usually their concern. They need employees that can help keep their business alive so you get a paycheck at all. The employees that don't have children or child care issues are the ones who seem to reap the benefits more than the duel working parents or single dad. It's sometimes seems almost frowned upon if you have children.

If you have to work extra hours, weekends or taking on a second job here are some great ideas to consider while being outside the hours of traditional child care businesses and keeping cost down.

Go to college - A lot of college students take morning classes and some don't take classes every day of the week. It is possible to find young adults that have means of transportation willing to make a quick buck giving care to your children. Of course scheduling will need to be worked out, but most colleges have job boards which you can advertise the assistance you need. Since most college students have a vehicle or access to one, maybe you could sweeten the deal by having them pick up your child for the price of gas.

Child care swapping – Your job may be requiring you to work longer hours on certain days or on weekends. There is a good possibility that a co-worker, friend or neighbor with children is having the same dilemma you are. Maybe you could swap kid care for kid care. You watch their kid(s) while they work or want a childless night to go out and visa versa. No money exchanges just the services.

Nanny share network – Maybe you don't need extra child care assistance every day. You could find other parents that might share the cost and time of a nanny. Potential problems could arise if one loves the nanny and the other doesn't so you also need to work with parents with similar expectations. If you can work together with someone you'll defiantly need to work out scheduling conflicts. A nanny agency is a potential starting point if you want to look into it.

You never know until you Ask – Call around to traditional care providers or daycares. They may not offer the schedule you need but they may know someone or suggest other solutions. If they don't offer the extended times your needing, maybe you should ask if they have ever considered it. If you don't need a full weeks worth of traditional care maybe you could work out a discounted rate for a set schedule of care you need.

If you are one of the unfortunate people who have lost their job, maybe you should think about offering a service to help parents who need child care when there is none.