It’s Mat Leave Monday! Today I will be talking about finding childcare. All good things must come to an end, including maternity leave. If you will be returning to work outside of the home, you will need to find someone to care for your child while you are away. While few of us like to think about leaving our babies, this is one area where planning ahead really pays off.
If you have a family member or a friend lined up to care for your child, then you’re set. If you don’t, then you have some thinking to do. What kind of care do you want? Is it important to you that your childcare provider is licensed or has some training as an early childhood educator? If you commute, do you want your childcare to be close to home or close to work? There are pros and cons for each choice that you make. You are the only person who can weigh those and decide what works best for you.
The one thing that is nearly universally true, regardless of your choice, is that it takes some work to find quality childcare that is a good fit for your family. It’s a really good idea to start thinking about what sort of childcare you would like while you’re pregnant. You can usually tour facilities and go on wait lists before your child is born, or shortly thereafter. Some daycares do charge a small fee to be added to the wait list (in my area it’s $30 – $50, and not all centres charge this), but it’s a small price to pay. If circumstances change down the line it’s far easier to decline a spot than it is to locate the perfect fit on short notice.
In our situation, we have chosen to send our children to group daycare close to our home. With Hannah we got very lucky. A fabulous new centre opened up 2 months before my return to work, so we got in there fairly easily. We had been on a wait list at one centre for a few months. They ended up calling us a month after I started back, offering only 2 days a week (one of which was not a regular work day for me). I don’t know what we would have done for that month, or the ensuing months until we were able to get the schedule we wanted. To avoid this situation Jacob has been on the wait lists for several centres since he was a newborn.
We ended up starting Hannah at daycare 4 weeks before I returned to work. This was great, because it gave her time to adjust while I was still available during the day. This allowed us to be very flexible and gradual with her entry, and by the time that I returned to work we were through the rough patch and I felt confident that she was well settled. I plan to do the same thing with Jacob. It can be difficult for everyone to go from spending every waking (and sleeping) moment together to spending hours apart, and the more time you can give yourself the better.
I realize that I may be causing some moms to totally panic with this post. I really don’t intend to cause anxiety. There are many parents who do successfully locate great childcare on short time lines. And there are employers who are very flexible in allowing employees to extend maternity leaves or return gradually while childcare gets sorted out. All the same a little planning in advance gives you more options later. By thinking ahead the ball will be in your court when your maternity leave ends, and you will feel as confident as you possibly can with your options.
I have compiled links to each province and territory’s childcare information site. Most of these sites include articles about how to choose the right childcare for your family, information about licensing, and a database of licensed facilities. This is a great place to start exploring your childcare options.
Alberta Children’s Services
British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development
Manitoba Family Services and Housing
New Brunswick Early Learning and Child Care Services
Newfoundland and Labrador Child, Youth and Family Services
Northwest Territories Early Childhood Services
Nova Scotia Community Services
Nunavut Department of Education
Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services
Prince Edward Island Education and Learning
Quebec Childcare Establishment Locator
Saskatchewan Ministry of Education
Yukon Health and Social Services
What was your experience like? Did you find it easy or difficult to secure childcare? And what kind of childcare arrangement did you choose? I’d love to hear!
Great article – I wish I had read this when I was pregnant. Now my daughter is almost 2 and I’m finding it a challenge to get her a spot for just 2 days a week. Recently came across this site which other BC moms might find helpful: http://www.godaycare.com It lets you do a search and then will show you all nearby care on a map.
I think it’s harder on the parents than it is the kids when it comes to going to daycare. Kids adjust, but I look at everyone who will be alone with my kid with a very critical eye. I blame the media for creating parnoia
The wait list at our office daycare is formidable.
When I went back to work the first time, my husband took a half year off (which was both awesome and rare down here in the US), and then we lucked into a terrific nanny. We hope she stays with us a couple more years!