OP: It is a bit of a hassle to have someone (nanny) in your home, but once you have the paperwork set up (or outsource it of you want to a payroll service), it's not a big deal. AP is an also an option, but maybe not the best for an infant. That said, I had APs for both my infant daughters, and they did just fine. Daycare centers have their own disadvantages, including closures and penalties if you are late picking up.

If you aren’t on their list yet, you will be much, much farther out than April (think April of next year, or later). Get yourself on as many lists as you can, then suck it up.

You have approximately 7 choices for childcare (if you think of something I haven’t, let me know!):
1. One of you
2. Family
3. Nanny
4. Nanny share
5. AP (au pair)
6. In-home day care
7. Center daycare

Centers sometimes don’t call until your child is 2-3. In-home may or may not have a waiting list. An AP takes 5-8 weeks to get to the US, then may rematch for personality issues with little notice. A nanny will be in your home everyday, and may see things you don’t want anyone else to see; with a share, you have the obligation to schlepp your child to the other house, and none of the benefits of a single family nanny (laundry, cooking kid food, etc). The only ones that turn out as expected are you or family.

So, either make your peace with being an employer, or figure out something else. Good luck OP. Oh, and post in Employer on the nanny side, other hand agents will walk you through the legal logistics.

If you don't have a day care spot, a nanny or home day care is probably your only option.

Hi everyone. I've got a one month old and am trying to figure out child care before I go back to work in April. We originally were going to do a nanny share, and thus are on only two day care waitlists (CentroNia and Le Petit Academy). After digging into it in earnest right before our son was born and over the last month, we're feeling like doing a nanny share is more trouble that it may be worth (especially having to become an "employer" to pay taxes, insurance, etc etc). So, we're kind of screwed unless we decide to forge ahead with a nanny share.

Are there any agencies that essentially employ the nannies and parents pay the agency? The only one I found was Philia. It seems like most agencies only refer nannies but don't employ them (and charge a lot for those referrals). What we were considering is getting a nanny for a few months through an agency until a daycare spot opens up. I know they're a lot more expensive, but if it's only for a few months then it won't be so bad.

Is this a bad idea? Should we just suck it up and deal? Are we naive about getting into daycare sooner rather than later? Are there any nanny service or agencies that you could recommend? Thanks for your help!