Finding Quality Child Care in the US: an adventure
If you are coming with children to the US or if you’re thinking about having a child while you’re in this country, you may want to read this - first!
First of all, this introduction is misleading. I don’t mean it’s an adventure to give birth or even to raise a child, (although it is also).
I mean, it’s an adventure to have kids if you intend to continue working, going out, or buying those things you appreciate in the US! That’s because adequate, affordable childcare and schooling are not a given here.
As one coming from another culture, having a child was a no-brainer.
Hell, where I’m from, women take 2 to 4 months maternity leaves from work, employers are severely monitored to prevent laying off expectant women or new mothers, and quality child care centers and nannies are available- if not plentiful. Not so here. The situation may be particularly severe in California and the Bay area, where the economy was very strong and salaries skyrocketed, however, I have heard similar stories from residents of Washington, DC and New York.
What to know about child care in the US
- Let’s be frank: finding adequate, affordable childcare is a problem.
Unless you’ve signed up on the waiting list of the best centers in a given area the day after your child blessed the world, forget about getting into some preschools and day care centers.On the other hand, you may not even have wanted your child to attend them. As wonderful as they may be, they are extremely expensive ($800 to over $1000 a month for a 9 to 3 PM schedule, with a three-months summer break) and they require that parents give a large number of hours (20 to 25 hours per school year) to participate in the center’s activities. Should you not be able to participate, you will simply be billed a fee (between $10 and $20 per hour. Gives you a good feeling about the value of your time doesn’t it?) Should you also happen to be 5 minutes late when coming to pick up your little treasure, expect to pay! In the American childcare business, time definitely is money.
So you’re thinking: “Well, I’m not on these elite centers’ waiting lists, and I couldn’t afford them anyway. There must be alternatives”. Yes, there are.
- There are very limited state subsidized programs, for a lucky portion of those who are students at universities or who are living on welfare.
- For the others (ie, lower to middle-class, working parents) there is a myriad of alternatives, as is often the rule in this land of choice and freedom. They are very loosely regulated, unsubsidized, individually managed alternatives. You get the picture: the best rivals with, well – the not so great! (I think another paper is warranted on that very topic: the not so great centers.)
- So what do you do? Open the yellow pages to ‘Child care’ or ‘ pre-schools ‘ and go down the list, calling and visiting places? That’s the most painful and time-consuming approach, but one that newcomers often have to face. To be fair, there is a source of help: the NAEYC, a non-profit group that gives centers nationwide its discriminating seal of approval. But its limited resources do not permit it to visit and approve many centers.
- Then there’s the luck factor. Aside from the ‘elite centers’ and the centers you’d rather avoid, there are smaller, less formalized centers with dedicated staff and a love of their work. One can basically count on word-of-mouth or well-connected people to find them, but to ensure a spot for your little wonder, sign up ahead of time! One year to 6 months ahead is a suggested time frame.
So what if you move after turning in your $50 to $100 deposit for that perfect center of education for your loved one(s)? Tough luck, you’ll have to start over and lose that deposit.
I told you it was an adventure. I could write forever on this…