Issue Date: February 1, 2009
MoneySmart |
SHARON EPPERSON |
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Get control of child care costs
After housing, child care is the greatest expense for many working parents. Full-time infant care in a licensed center can run $4,542 to $14,591 a year, while care for a 4-year-old can cost up to $10,787, says the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).
Look for free programs your state might offer.
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To save, try these tactics:
Share a babysitter. "Most providers prorate their fees by the number of children they're watching," says Sheila Lirio Marcelo of Care.com, a national listing of caregivers. Let friends and neighbors know you are looking for such an arrangement, and check your neighborhood listserv.
Talk to your employer about flexible schedules. Try to telecommute and/or adjust your schedule so you are working fewer days or hours. Be prepared to explain how your normal workload will get done. That may mean rising before dawn and working into the night, when your child is asleep.
Ask relatives and friends. Marcelo says: "Parents should still plan to pay a fee, but it can be much less when a family member is willing and able to help out." Or consider forming a child care co-op with several other parents, with parents trading off scheduled days.
Investigate pre-kindergarten programs at your local public schools. Some states offer free programs for 4-year-olds or charge a small fee.
Check state/county programs. Log onto NACCRRA's Child Care Aware website (childcareaware.org) to find your local child care resource and referral agency.
CNBC correspondent Sharon Epperson is the author of "The Big Payoff."
Want to know more about child care software? Click here.
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