We joined a “nanny share” and our kindergartener goes to our neighbors nanny after school. We pay the nanny $50/day for the two hours she has our kid and she and the first grader run around outside. I don’t know what we will do when our neighbor doesn’t have a baby but it works right now.

You either find a different aftercare with longer hours (many go until 6pm), or you change your working hours to pick up at 5pm. Those are literally your only options.

We use aftercare, but pick up at 5pm. We stagger which parents does pick up. We have traditional office jobs with a 9-5 schedule, but we go in early and leave at 4:30 to accommodate school pick up. I know not everyone could do that, but many/most jobs can. If you both have a job that doesn't allow for that, then your option is to find later aftercare.

A lot of parents do SACC because they can't pick up on time, others do the Karate school bus and pick up there. Sometimes people find a nanny or babysitter to do a few hours a day after school, but that's expensive and hard to find.

Ours will take the bus home and the stop is in front of our house so either me or Dh will switch off meeting her in front (we both work from home). Can your kid take the bus ?

Maybe I missed this, but why can’t the kid ride the bus?

You say you have after school care but this person does not drive? Could they take the bus, metro, or even ride share to pick up your kid? If this is a grandparent or other relative, this can actually be useful because it becomes an activity in and of itself for the kid and means less time trying to keep the child entertained at home. It's teaching life skills too, and if the caregiver is a family member or close friend, that commute time can be a good time to bond and make memories.

If that's not possible, my suggestion is to use aftercare and then alternate with your spouse on leaving work early to pick up. That's what we did all last year. It sucked, but it got us through the year, and now we better understand what we need in terms of childcare and were more on top of it this year.

What we are doing this year is sharing childcare with another family in the neighborhood, where they pick up our kid from aftercare (with their kid) four days a week and we take their two kids for the morning on Saturdays, and on the fifth day of the week I work from home and can do pick up myself.

I have heard of car services from friends whose kids go to charters that are long commute from their homes but they are very expensive and it's stressful -- I had a friend who used one for a while but ultimately could not deal with having a total stranger driving her kid across town in a van with a bunch of other kids. For an older kid, yes, but not a 5 yr old. They changed their work schedules to accommodat aftercare pick up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so curious about how this is something you are asking on August 22..

Because you can’t hire for a job that’s going to start in two months. That person will get another job.

But the OP didn’t say she wanted to hire someone. She asked a general question. It is surprising that she just now is thinking about this.

I am the OP and I was thinking about it before. I just had no idea it would be this hard. And I didn’t think it made sense to try to hire someone in July for something that starts in September.

My nanny is leaving us in February and I'm already starting to look.

I understand that about a nanny but this is simply a pickup. I have someone to care for DC. It that person cannot drive.

Have you looked into ride services? https://www.hopskipdrive.com/families/

Also could the person you have caring for dc use a ride share to do the pick up?

Find a different aftercare with longer hours that will pick up from your child’s school

Look for a local home daycare that will provide aftercare - that either picks up from school or the child can take the bus to the person’s house

Hire a PT child care provider that will pick your child up after school, bring them home or take them to activities until you get home

Ask around to friends and neighbors if they have a nanny who will be doing after school care and see if they are willing to ask their nanny if they are willing to also watch your child. Expect to pay the nanny’s hourly rate directly to the nanny unless they offer a different rate.

Change your work hours to accommodate an earlier pick up.

Anonymous wrote:OP, how many hours a week do you need after school help ideally?? If you give guaranteed pay at say $25-$35/hour for at least 2 hours/10 hours a week, you can probably find a college student. We've had ours going into her 3rd year with us. We pay $375 for 12.5 hours a week. We pay the same amount for the whole school year regardless of school holidays, kids staying home because unwell, and in the last couple years, Covid quarantining, etc. This guarantees her a steady weekly paycheck while going to school and having her other part-time job. Helps with pick-up, taking to activities as needed, dinner prep for kids. It's hard but not impossible. Good luck!

OP now has clarified she doesn't need any hours of babysitting, she simply needs the transportation. I'm sure she's trying to get someone for some absurdly low rate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so curious about how this is something you are asking on August 22..

Because you can’t hire for a job that’s going to start in two months. That person will get another job.

But the OP didn’t say she wanted to hire someone. She asked a general question. It is surprising that she just now is thinking about this.

I am the OP and I was thinking about it before. I just had no idea it would be this hard. And I didn’t think it made sense to try to hire someone in July for something that starts in September.

My nanny is leaving us in February and I'm already starting to look.

I understand that about a nanny but this is simply a pickup. I have someone to care for DC. It that person cannot drive.

How much have you been offering in pay?

I'm the pp immediately above and I also asked you earlier in this thread (twice) to tell more about your situation so we could better advise you. I don't understand why you didn't just respond/explain more, unless...
It's because you're only offering some ridiculously low amount, and you know it's absurd.

Even if it's "simply a pick up" that doesn't take much time, it's the middle of the day--which will prevent this person from working other jobs.

OP, how many hours a week do you need after school help ideally?? If you give guaranteed pay at say $25-$35/hour for at least 2 hours/10 hours a week, you can probably find a college student. We've had ours going into her 3rd year with us. We pay $375 for 12.5 hours a week. We pay the same amount for the whole school year regardless of school holidays, kids staying home because unwell, and in the last couple years, Covid quarantining, etc. This guarantees her a steady weekly paycheck while going to school and having her other part-time job. Helps with pick-up, taking to activities as needed, dinner prep for kids. It's hard but not impossible. Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so curious about how this is something you are asking on August 22..

Because you can’t hire for a job that’s going to start in two months. That person will get another job.

But the OP didn’t say she wanted to hire someone. She asked a general question. It is surprising that she just now is thinking about this.

I am the OP and I was thinking about it before. I just had no idea it would be this hard. And I didn’t think it made sense to try to hire someone in July for something that starts in September.

My nanny is leaving us in February and I'm already starting to look.

I understand that about a nanny but this is simply a pickup. I have someone to care for DC. It that person cannot drive.

How much have you been offering in pay?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so curious about how this is something you are asking on August 22..

Because you can’t hire for a job that’s going to start in two months. That person will get another job.

But the OP didn’t say she wanted to hire someone. She asked a general question. It is surprising that she just now is thinking about this.

I am the OP and I was thinking about it before. I just had no idea it would be this hard. And I didn’t think it made sense to try to hire someone in July for something that starts in September.

My nanny is leaving us in February and I'm already starting to look.

I understand that about a nanny but this is simply a pickup. I have someone to care for DC. It that person cannot drive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so curious about how this is something you are asking on August 22..

Because you can’t hire for a job that’s going to start in two months. That person will get another job.

But the OP didn’t say she wanted to hire someone. She asked a general question. It is surprising that she just now is thinking about this.

I am the OP and I was thinking about it before. I just had no idea it would be this hard. And I didn’t think it made sense to try to hire someone in July for something that starts in September.

I'm really not saying this snarkily, I wish I was able to go through life as relaxed as you about stuff. I would have been freaking out about this question when they started their last year of Pre-K.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so curious about how this is something you are asking on August 22..

Because you can’t hire for a job that’s going to start in two months. That person will get another job.

But the OP didn’t say she wanted to hire someone. She asked a general question. It is surprising that she just now is thinking about this.

I am the OP and I was thinking about it before. I just had no idea it would be this hard. And I didn’t think it made sense to try to hire someone in July for something that starts in September.

So OP, can you explain more about your situation? I'm a pp that asked above.