Finding Emergency Back Up Care

[Anonymous]

The details, while perhaps interesting, are not important. What is important is that we have had to let our nanny go. It was a termination for cause situation. My concern now is what to do until we find suitable long-term care. Finding a nanny the first time around was a long process. DH and I can't just take turns staying home until we find a good nanny. If it matters, DC is almost two. We have no family in the area who could help out.

Thanks in advance for any tips/advice.

[Anonymous]

What was your backup plan for if your nanny called in sick? See if that backup person can help out for a few weeks.

Does your baby have any baby-friends who have a nanny? Maybe you could get them to agree to a nanny share for a month or two while you do your nanny search.

Hire a nanny agency to send you a temp nanny while they find you a permanent one. This is what I call "throwing money at a problem."

[Anonymous]

sittercity.com or care.com

[Anonymous]

Hi. I would like to recommend Lauranda Hippeard . She is amazing and a very good Nanny. Lauranda contact info is 540-318-9106 or [e-mail] Best Amy .

[Anonymous]

I live in Adams Morgan and can work something out with you please contact me [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Thank you all. Our back up plan for when the nanny is sick is for DH or I to take the day off or work from home. So far that has worked. The nanny friend and nanny agency ideas are great. Guess I'm too freaked out to have thought of that myself!

[Anonymous]

I use MetroParentRelief.com for emergency or vacation care.

They've been great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use MetroParentRelief.com for emergency or vacation care.

They've been great.

+1

I think there are a few others out there if you search hard. I remember seeing one based in TX and in Arlington, VA although I can't remember the name.

[Anonymous]

There are drop-in centers that take 2 year olds. It probably won't be an ideal location for you, but this is temporary, right?

Double check what your & your husband's employers offer in terms of back-up care. Mine provides 5 subsidized days of emergency back-up care per year. My husband has a back-up daycare on site that you can use for up to a month.

You can rely on a service like White House nannies - expensive, but an option. You can post on care.com and find some one who's safe and good enough for a few weeks. I had to pull my child out of a bad daycare on a Thursday and had a temp nanny in place to start Monday. It wasn't ideal to be so rushed, but it worked out well and bought us the time we needed to get longer term care in place.

[Anonymous]

Yikes.

If it were me, I would call an agency and have them send over a temp nanny until you find one who suits you.

Sure you will have to fork out some more money, but investing in your child is always the right thing to do.

Or:

If you have any neighbors, church members or the like that you trust, perhaps you can ask them to step in for a little bit.