Day Care Dilemmas

“The nanny quit.”
Those words have sent shockwaves through too many parents I know.

I haven’t experienced it first-hand because my husband and I took the more insane route of juggling schedules, working around preschool and elementary school hours and cobbling together summer activities to avoid even dealing with the day care question. (Oh sure, we know there are some great day care providers out there, but the big question was could we actually find one?)

Bottom line: It’s a tough decision to make, and there are so many (too many?) choices. Do you find a nanny or seek out a seemingly nice family providing care in their home? Large day-care facilities have pros and cons.

Then there’s enough in the news about bad day care providers and licensing questions to make any parent want to wrap their kid(s) in their arms and beat back anyone who tries to come near.

Yes, there are ways to investigate some providers, but just how much research should a parent do, and how much can a parent do without pulling his/her hair out?

What have you done about child care? How have you found good day care? Did you ever research a provider only to find out information that changed your mind? Do share…