Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else find OP oddly annoying?

I was thinking this, yes. Sorry, OP. Look at in-home daycares. I know it's tough to find childcare arrangements, but I can't imagine where you live/work that you literally haven't found anything satisfactory. It kind of suggests to me you'd be happier staying at home.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, if you don't have an actual answer, why are you even bother replying?

A lot of people have given you advice. Perhaps just not what you wanted to hear. You sound lovely by the way

Honestly, if you don't have an actual answer, why are you even bother replying?

OP--have you looked at in-home daycare? I'm not sure if by centers you mean only large centers, or if you're including smaller in-home daycares in that as well. If you can share your general location people may have specific recommendations. (Or start a thread asking for advice in the daycare forum so you can separate that from the discussion about FMLA and LWOP.)

Does anyone else find OP oddly annoying?

Anonymous wrote:If you didn't take fmla, how did you take maternity leave?

I though fmla just guaranteed your job would be held for 12 weeks, regardless of if you were taking paid or unpaid leave, or on STD. I work in the private sector though. Maybe it's different for the Feds?

Not OP, but I was not required to invoke FMLA to take maternity leave (a combo of paid and unpaid leave in my case). No one else I know of in my agency did either. Your management has a lot of discretion about what they can approve. FMLA is the just the minimum mandated by law.

I had enough sick/annual leave (6 weeks sick) because I never took a vacation in 8 years. I ended up using all of my use-or-lose (I had a ton of it stored for the end of the year, which was when my baby was due) and the rest annual leave since, again, I just stored it for this purpose.

I've been in two nanny shares where the nannies took the jobs and then did not show up to work, leaving both families in the dark (even after checking in with all of their references).

also, I'm not sure how FMLA doesn't apply if it's for care of a child. Do infants not need to be taken care of? I seriously don't get it. I specifically saved invoking FMLA in case this happened. I just have to plan what to do if I still cannot find reliable care.

as others have said- you have no entitlement to LWOP beyond your FMLA 12 weeks. It it entirely up to your supervisor.

That being said- I think it is possible you have unrealistic expectations for child care- clearing $1000 a month above child care expenses is really pretty good.

If you didn't take fmla, how did you take maternity leave?

I though fmla just guaranteed your job would be held for 12 weeks, regardless of if you were taking paid or unpaid leave, or on STD. I work in the private sector though. Maybe it's different for the Feds?

Or how about an in-home daycare?

Have you considered a nanny share? That's what we did, and it worked so well that we kept her through two babies, all the way until both were in school. More affordable than many daycares, too.

Anonymous wrote:Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), most Federal employees are entitled to a total of up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the following purposes:
•the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and the care of such son or daughter;

An employee's entitlement to FMLA leave for birth and bonding expires 12 months after the date of birth. However, birth and bonding leave must be taken as a continuous block of leave unless the employer agrees to allow intermittent leave (e.g., allowing a parent to return to work on a part-time schedule for 10weeks).

Doesn't apply here.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), most Federal employees are entitled to a total of up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the following purposes:
•the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and the care of such son or daughter;

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you said you haven't used FMLA so you "still have it". You are aware that FMLA doesn't work for "I want to stay home because of childcare difficulties and to save money" right?

If it's within 1 year of the child's birth she is entitled to use it.

Correct -when medically necessary.

Anonymous wrote:OP, you said you haven't used FMLA so you "still have it". You are aware that FMLA doesn't work for "I want to stay home because of childcare difficulties and to save money" right?

if FMLA isn't for care of a relative, then what is it for? My child is still an infant.