Finding Caeli Childcare

Monday marks two-and-a-half months of Caeli being here with us. Although she is ten weeks old and still in the NICU, we still have to think about the day she gets to come home and the type of care she will be able to receive. Premature babies are more susceptible to illness than their full-term counterparts, and common bugs such as RSV and the flu can cause serious complications. Additionally, some preemies have chronic health problems or developmental delays that make finding quality childcare more difficult. Her bedroom is mostly finished (no, I’m not painting wall yet – she get two opportunities for that, once at three and the other thirteen years) save a changing table and a rocker. The funny fact in Caeli’s bedroom is that she has the closet Chastity dreamed of a few years ago when we were house hunting.

 In the coming days, we will interview pediatricians and potential childcare providers; with the latter, we may very well go it alone to save some money. The days of dropping the baby off every day with Grandma are long gone, but at her age, this is an option to consider, as my greatest concern is Caeli’s health.

 Several options exist for us regarding Caeli’s childcare. All have benefits and drawbacks, depending on the direction we venture:

A Parent At Home. In case you’ve slept underneath a rock since 2007, I work the night shift. Staying at home with Caeli can be a great money saver versus the eventual daycare because I can take her to all of her appointments as well as prepare cheaper meals at home. Since one of the cars is paid off and in good working condition, I now have no excuse in not building for her future.

A Family Caregiver. Offering this job to a family member sounds like a no-brainer…until it is not. Having this card to play means Caeli gets the benefit of a nonsmoking home with limited germs and illnesses, and the bonus of a 1:1 adult-to-child ratio to help enhance learning and development. Understand your relatives may parent differently than you, or may have different schedules or nutritional standards. For example, your beloved uncle who cannot pass a McDonald’s drive-thru without entering may not be the best person to manage your child’s nutritional needs.

 Nannies. We po’, not even going there.

Home Care Child Facilities. In-home childcare facilities vary greatly, from small businesses owned by stay-at-home moms who only care for a couple of children to the larger establishments that employ assistant caregivers and more kids. In-home caregivers may have extensive experience working with children and be able to help parents care for their preemies, even those with special needs. Aside from having a parent at home, this is often the most affordable option.

Daycare. For most parents, daycare is a necessary evil. For the high weekly costs, daycares do offer educational programs, healthy meals, and extended hours for working parents. The staff may have experience working with special needs – and parents with heavy workloads do not have to worry about a regular caregiver being sick with substitute staff available. Daycare works with set teacher-to-child ratios depending on the age of the child, but classes may be combined so more children may be placed together.

 No one specific style of childcare will provide everything Caeli needs. Our main goals are to keep her healthy and safe and to maximize her cognitive and emotional development. Below are my parameters:

 Limited exposure to other children. I’m not trying to make Caeli a mini-grownup, yet this restriction limits exposure to germs.

 Strict sick policy. This is in place to keep her away from other sick kids because of her compromised respiratory system.

Flexible toilet-train program. She may not be ready to potty train at the same time as other kids; let her wait. Strict hand washing procedures. It’s for staff and students: Everyone MUST wash their hands! This is a deal breaker for me.

Appropriate educational program. I want Caeli to enjoy learning. Treating Little Stars or Ding Dong like an Ivy League school could potentially frustrate her, but if it’s too easy, you’re doing no favors.

Understanding of child development. Help me watch for developmental delays.

Be CPR certified. Accidents happen and babies put everything in their mouths, so be ready. 

Nonsmoker. Our daughter cannot be around smokers whatsoever because of her lungs and the potential for infection.