Childcare for single parent with seemingly good job

[Anonymous]

You might have to go with a nanny right now until you can move and to keep your job. You will have to incur debt most likely but it sounds like you are desperate and maybe this is the only option for a year. Once your lease is up you can move and once the infant is 2, daycare centers will be cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol, sorry but no. In 2015 I took in $19k. You earn so much more than that - you can make it work.

Umm but how? Most daycares for one kid are more than 19k a year.

I worked from home while my kids played at home. Benign neglect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I researched 'safe' areas in DC and ended up where I am. I live in a big apartment complex so rent is not that expensive (2300 a month for a 2 bedroom).
Where I was clearly not diligent and you can shoot me for that is that I made all the wrong assumptions. We moved from NYC and I was paying a nanny $500 a week to watch my children and I assumed that I would find something similar in DC.
Again, my fault but I really had too much on my plate and yeah.
I cannot break my lease as of now. I tried and the owner wants to charge me extra 2 months rent which I clearly cannot afford right now.
I am not sure how long they will hold my job but they have been very supportive for now but I need to find a solution quick.

If you're looking for concrete suggestions for day cares you might want to post in the Preschool and Daycare forum on this site. I don't know about in-home day cares, but for centers you are going to have to leave Ward 3 to find cheaper options. For example, there are several church-based centers in Michigan Park DC and across the border in MD that are less expensive. It would be $2000 - $3000 for both of your kids per month.

[Anonymous]

An au pair is cheaper than a nanny, but you provide housing and food. She would need her own room, which in your case would mean you moving the two kids into your room, or using the living room. With an au pair you get a fixed max of 45 hours of care per week, so you'd have to see if that's enough to meet your job requirements, as well.

Not a great option for you but could be workable. You're in a tight spot.

[Anonymous]

13:13 again. Call every daycare center, including ones near your office. Although downtown centers tend to be more expensive, the govt. ones tend to be less expensive, even for non-govt. workers. You might be able to get your 2.5yo into one of them and then get sibling preference for your infant (although that might not be immediate). If you put them in the same place, you'll get a 10% (?) sibling discount. Everyone will say you won't get a spot in a govt. center unless you're a fed, but I got a spot for my toddler after calling a bunch of places. Right place, right time since a spot had just opened and people on their waitlist had already found care and didn't want to switch. Yes, it's still very expensive. It is, what it is. If your rent is that much, you may need to break the lease and move. You don't need much space with an infant and toddler/preschooler.

[Anonymous]

I'm a single mom and was in your situation when my son was an infant. I moved to Hyattsville and put my son in a wonderful daycare which was much cheaper. (friends already had their son in the center so I knew it was great). WE stayed there until it was time for school then moved back to ward 3.

The name of the place is http://www.stanns.org/childcare and my son loved it. It was much more affordable than any of the other places. Even if you have to commute to get them each day it might be worth it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone who posted helpful advice! I really appreciate it.

Where are the church daycares posted? I am looking on the dc.gov website but the list of licensed daycare is not much and all of the ones I called so far have no availability.

Btw, I selected all the wards, not just ward 3 which yielded no result at all.

[Anonymous]

Try the DCUM daycare & preschool forum:
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/forums/show/35.page

The DC Childcare Connections site:
http://childcareconnections.osse.dc.gov/ProviderSearch.aspx

Daycare centers on Care.com:
https://www.care.com/day-care/washington-dc

Govt. centers in the National Capital Region:
https://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/101942

Google, Yelp, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here... New to the forum so not sure how to respond individually
Obviously, I am not a charity case! Again being new to DC, I probably don't know where the options are. I bring home around 6k net.
My son has allergies and his formula and food cost me more than 500 bucks.
I looked and searched everywhere for in home daycare but there do not have any availability and do not even want to add to their waiting list.
Daycare centers I saw that have availability cost more than 2k a month . For 2 children, that'd be 2/3 of my income so I cannot afford that and pay rent and food and bills.

Your nanny was $500/wk = $2000/mo. So the daycare is not much more than what you thought you'd be spending. Where is the additional pinch coming from?

Also, you have to do something. Are you religious at all? Maybe your church (if you join one) would have some leads or ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here... New to the forum so not sure how to respond individually
Obviously, I am not a charity case! Again being new to DC, I probably don't know where the options are. I bring home around 6k net.
My son has allergies and his formula and food cost me more than 500 bucks.
I looked and searched everywhere for in home daycare but there do not have any availability and do not even want to add to their waiting list.
Daycare centers I saw that have availability cost more than 2k a month . For 2 children, that'd be 2/3 of my income so I cannot afford that and pay rent and food and bills.

Your nanny was $500/wk = $2000/mo. So the daycare is not much more than what you thought you'd be spending. Where is the additional pinch coming from?

Also, you have to do something. Are you religious at all? Maybe your church (if you join one) would have some leads or ideas.

Nevermind! I see that's 2K each.

FWIW, plenty of people do have nannies or sitters in DC for aorund $500/wk, under the table. You won't hear that advertised here, though.

[Anonymous]

Would you be willing to look into having a live- in nanny?

Do you have space to give someone a room?

[Anonymous]

A lot of child care centers offer financial aid or scholarships or operate on a sliding scale. They might not advertise it. I worked for 2 federal centers that offered scholarships (and pretty much everyone who applied got *some* assistance). I currently pay 50% at my child's NAEYC-accredited center (not in DC) because they operate their tuition on a sliding scale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You might have to go with a nanny right now until you can move and to keep your job. You will have to incur debt most likely but it sounds like you are desperate and maybe this is the only option for a year. Once your lease is up you can move and once the infant is 2, daycare centers will be cheaper.

It doesn't sound like she can afford a nanny. A decent nanny for two kids costs at least $15 an hour. Including overtime for 45hrs is almost 3k. If she can't afford daycare, she can't afford a nanny.
Let's not forget that nannies have to make a living too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You might have to go with a nanny right now until you can move and to keep your job. You will have to incur debt most likely but it sounds like you are desperate and maybe this is the only option for a year. Once your lease is up you can move and once the infant is 2, daycare centers will be cheaper.

It doesn't sound like she can afford a nanny. A decent nanny for two kids costs at least $15 an hour. Including overtime for 45hrs is almost 3k. If she can't afford daycare, she can't afford a nanny.
Let's not forget that nannies have to make a living too.

A center or in-home will be cheaper than a nanny and offer more coverage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You might have to go with a nanny right now until you can move and to keep your job. You will have to incur debt most likely but it sounds like you are desperate and maybe this is the only option for a year. Once your lease is up you can move and once the infant is 2, daycare centers will be cheaper.

It doesn't sound like she can afford a nanny. A decent nanny for two kids costs at least $15 an hour. Including overtime for 45hrs is almost 3k. If she can't afford daycare, she can't afford a nanny.
Let's not forget that nannies have to make a living too.

Pp again.

And most nannies would charge closer to $20 for two kids.