Before you start interviewing nannies or babysitters or shopping around for day cares, you need to decide which form of child care is going to work best for your family. Will a nanny, who comes to your home and offers personalized, one-on-one care (potentially along with light housekeeping), be your best bet? Or would dropping your child off at a day care center each day, where they’ll socialize and interact with other kids, be better? Certainly, there are merits to both, but ultimately, one will wind up meshing better with your family.
“A parent’s choice of who will care for their child while they are not with them is one of the first and most important decisions they will ever make,” says Donna Whittaker, vice president of curriculum and education at Big Blue Marble Academy. “And like many decisions in the parenting world, when it comes to child care, one size does not fit all. The best choice comes down to what works best for your child and your family.”
“… when it comes to child care, one size does not fit all. The best choice comes down to what works best for your child and your family.”
— DONNA WHITTAKER, VICE PRESIDENT, CURRICULUM AND EDUCATION, BIG BLUE MARBLE ACADEMY
Weighing the pros, cons, and cost of a nanny vs. day care? Here’s everything you need to know about both.
Hiring a nanny: Pros, cons and cost
Here’s what to take into account when considering hiring a nanny.
Nanny pros
According to Whittaker and Lora Brawley, a 30-year nanny veteran and consultant and trainer at Nanny Care Hub in Federal Way, Washington, parents can consider the following as the benefits of hiring a nanny:
- Full attention. A nanny will provide your child with one-on-one attention, rather than having to share attention among a group of children. “A child in the care of a nanny does not have to vie for an adult’s attention in the midst of a room full of other little ones,” notes Whittaker.
- Flexibility. A nanny’s hours will be more flexible than that of child care, which may better serve parents who work long hours or who have nontraditional work schedules.
- Convenience. “With nannies, there are no drop-offs and pickups,” Brawley notes. “Parents don’t have to rush out the door in the morning or rush in at night and scramble to fit in dinner, baths and quality time.”
- Off-hours care. “Nannies provide opportunities for parents to have a date night without seeking yet one more caregiver for their child — a babysitter,” says Whittaker. Some nannies will even travel with families on vacation.
- Personalized schedules. “Younger children can be on their schedule,” says Whittaker. “They eat, nap and play when it works best for them, not for the group.”
- Sick kids still have care. “Parents don’t have to miss work due to a sick child since the majority of nannies care for sick children,” Brawley explains. “Nannies can even take a child to the pediatrician and pick up any prescriptions needed.”
“Parents don’t have to miss work due to a sick child since the majority of nannies care for sick children.”
— LORA BRAWLEY, NANNY VETERAN, CONSULTANT, TRAINER, NANNY CARE HUB
- More exposure to places and events. “With a nanny, there’s no waiting for a field trip to get out and about,” says Brawley. “Nannies regularly bring their charges to places like the park, zoo and science museum.”
- Potential household help. Though it needs to be agreed upon in a nanny contract beforehand, some nannies will agree to offer household and even pet support. “When nannies agree to help out around the house, families can come home to a place that’s tidy with laundry folded and a diaper station stocked,” Whittaker says, adding that, while nannies aren’t responsible for pet care, they can let dogs in and out during the day.”
- Less germs. With less kids around, there are fewer germs, which equals fewer illnesses.
A few more nanny pros, according to Brawley:
- Parents decide on the type of daily environment they want for their child.
- Siblings are together and not divided by age.
- Children are in their own homes with all their own stuff. “For most kids, that’s a more secure, comfortable environment,” she says.
Nanny cons
According to Brawley and Whittaker, the following are nanny drawbacks for families to consider:
- No built-in backup caregiver when the nanny is sick.
- No built-in socialization, which provides opportunities to work on skills like sharing.
- Parents are the employers so there’s built-in responsibility.
- Families lose some privacy when someone works in their home.
- Generally more expensive.
Nanny cost
When considering the cost of a nanny vs. day care, nannies are almost always more expensive. Care’s most recent Cost of Care Survey shows that, for one child, parents can expect to pay $694 per (40-hour) week.
That being said, nanny rates vary based on a number of things, including where you live. To find out the going rate for nannies in your area, check out our cost of child care calculator. Also, look into tax breaks and credits for families hiring a nanny.
Finding day care: Pros, cons and cost
Day care pros
Whittaker and Brawley note the following benefits for families considering day care:
- Friendships blossom. “Children who attend child care develop friendships because they see and play with each other every day, not just once a week on a playdate at the park,” explains Whittaker. These children see each other five days a week for several hours a day. They develop relationships with their peers. They know, for example, that Johnny builds the best block towers, Mary helps me when I struggle putting together a puzzle and Jacob is allergic to milk.”
“Children who attend child care develop friendships because they see and play with each other every day, not just once a week on a playdate at the park.”
— DONNA WHITTAKER, VICE PRESIDENT, CURRICULUM AND EDUCATION, BIG BLUE MARBLE ACADEMY
- Consistent, reliable care. If one teacher in the day care class is sick, there are always others who can take over, which never leaves parents in the lurch with work.
- Socialization. Being around other kids all day helps children learn a number of socialization skills, including sharing and being flexible and respectful. “Children in child care learn to problem-solve as they play,” notes Whittaker. “If there are only two dolls, then someone may need to adjust their play plan and pretend to be a family pet rather than a mommy or daddy. Additionally,” she adds, “child care allows children to understand that even though not everyone may not feel, look or believe the same as they do, they always need to be respectful.”
- Children have more opportunities to move through the stages of play. “In group care, kids can move through the six stages of play more easily because they have someone to play with,” says Whittaker. “If they play by themselves, it is difficult for a child to move toward cooperative play, where children have an interest in the activity and the other children who are involved in play.”
- More germs. While more germs may not seem like a good thing to parents, the “hygiene hypothesis” suggests that the more germs kids are exposed to, the more robust their immune systems.
- Access to educational activities and items. While you may not have an easel, a box of finger paints and sandbox at the ready at home, day cares certainly do, along with a trained staff of how to best use everything. (And an added bonus: No mess in your home!)
Day care cons
According to Brawley and Whittaker, the following are nanny drawbacks for families to consider:
- Bored at home. “Children in child care always have access to a playmate so when they are home with you on the weekends, they want someone to play with,” notes Whittaker.
- Exposure to inappropriate words and actions. Monkey see, monkey do! “Kids can be exposed to words and actions in day care that are not considered acceptable in your home,” says Whittaker. “Parents will then need to take time and use patience to teach the life lesson that just because someone does something, it doesn’t make it OK.”
- More germs. While more germs may mean a stronger immune system down the line, they also mean more illnesses — for your entire family — now.
- Group schedule. “Unless your child is an infant, their schedule will align with the class,” notes Whittaker. “It may not take long for a child to adjust to their classroom’s schedule, but you’ll have to adjust your schedule at home. For instance, your toddler may be in the routine of taking two naps at home, but will only take one nap at child care, so double naps on the weekends will be a thing of the past.”
Day care cost
“Unless you’re looking at an expensive day care for multiple kids, day care is almost always more affordable than nanny care,” Brawley explains. “If you have a full-time nanny, their primary source of income will be from you.”
“If you can’t comfortably afford nanny care, you should go with day care,” she continues. “If it pinches your budget, but you can meet your obligations, it’s workable. If you’re wondering how you’re going to pay your nanny each week, it’s not workable.”
“If you can’t comfortably afford nanny care, you should go with day care.”
— LORA BRAWLEY, NANNY VETERAN, CONSULTANT, TRAINER, NANNY CARE HUB
Care’s most recent Cost of Care Survey shows that, for one child, parents can expect to pay $226 a week for a day care center. According to the survey, you may pay slightly less for a family care center, also called an in-home day care — which averages $221 a week — but remember, most family care centers don’t have robust staff or guaranteed backup care.
Again, though, day care rates can vary based on where you live. To find out the going rate of day cares in your area, check out our cost of child care calculator. Also, look into day care tax credits, which can benefit your family.
Nanny vs. day care cost comparison
| Child care type | National average weekly rate |
| Nanny | $694 |
| Child care center | $226 |
| Family care center | $221 |
The bottom line
According to Brawley, so long as you do your due diligence, you’re going to find great child care.
“It’s a much better option to put your child in a high-quality family care center or day care than to hire a less-than-quality nanny,” she says. “Once families look at the pros and cons of each, they’ll quickly see what’s the better fit.”
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