Daycare Options: Pros and Cons.

Disclaimer: This may turn into a daycare blog until I find someone. My apologies.

Nannies
Pros:
1) I wouldn't have to get my kids up, fed, dressed, and out the door at an obscene time in the morning.
2) In the winter months, this also means I wouldn't have to deal with bulky winter clothes, heating up the car for extremely long times.
3) I wouldn't have to drive in the pitch black with 2 sleepy kids and drop them off somewhere, which just sort of seems mean.
4) If my kids are slightly sick, I could still go to work. Important.

Cons:
1) EXPENSIVE. Going rate for 2 is $15 an hour. Which is a lot. (I know someone out there charges less, and I need to find them).
2) No preschool program- unless the nanny does it on her own, or I pay extra to send them to school.
3) Risk the nanny being sick, and not being able to show up = bad.
4) No one around to hold nanny accountable for their actions....invest in nanny-cams?

In-Home:
Pros:
1) Cheap(er)! We could actually afford this.
2) Around other kids.
3) Most have preschool programs

Cons:
1) Hard to get into--Few openings.
2) I find that the provider is generally good with the kids, but I have no control who else may come into contact with the kids (i.e. brother in law visiting from out of town--does this happen?)
3) Age range. Some in home daycares focus on smaller children, but some are birth to 12. I am not totally keen on having my little kids around much older kids (although to be fair, that would mostly be in the summer months).

Centers:
Pros:
1) Structured.
2) Music classes, outside activities, arts and crafts etc.
3) Reliable- always will be open. Which is key when you are working as a tax accountant during tax season.

Cons:
1) Cost! $200-$250 per week per child (here in MN)
2) I have heard that they often skirt under the rules (ratios, lesson plans etc.)
3) Less individualized attention, more sterile.
4) High turnover rate.

(although I have a friend from college who worked at this daycare inside a nursing home and they interact with the older people living there, which I think is a cool concept. We are looking into that).

Are there more pros and cons? Yes! and if you think of them let me know. Chances are we are going to go with a home daycare, unless I can somehow find a SAHM who wants to come over, or a Nanny willing to work for less than $15 an hour (because that is $600 a week).

We'll keep you posted! Tonight we are driving around to addresses of in-home providers to see if they are a place I'd like to send my kids. We'll be making phone calls next week.