Childcare/Babysitters

Norms

• Daycares operate around normal business hours (9am-5pm) in the US. Daycare hours vary, but are typically open from 6-7am to 6pm. 
• There are no overnight daycares available in the US. 
• If you work nightshift, you will need to find private childcare. This includes relying on locals, friends, or coworkers. 

Picking a daycare 

• A google search of “daycares” and your deployment location will allow you to shop around for daycare options. 
  • Click here to learn how to best choose a daycare.Links to an external site. 
• If your child is in school, age 4-18, the local school district may offer before and after school daycare. 
• If your child is 0-4, you will need to find daycares that are not associated with the public school system. 
• Daycares may come with a waiting list since they are often in high-demand. 
• To find local daycare providers, please use this toolLinks to an external site.. 

Cost

• The average cost of daycare is $210, per week, per child.
• Example: If you have 4 children, daycare will cost $43,680 per year.  
• If you opt for an income-based daycare, meaning the price you pay per week is dependent on your salary, a state appointed social worker may be involved. They will schedule home visits, check-ins, and provide you and your family with resources on parenting, saving money, and logistics of school planning.
• Private childcare tends to bill you hourly. If you are working overnight or need someone to watch your children after daycare hours, the average cost of a babysitter is $20 USD per hour for 2 children. This will go up, depending on the amount of children you have. 

Siblings as babysitters

• It may feel the easiest to allow your oldest child to babysit/watch the younger children. Most laws require that the babysitter be AT LEAST 15 years old. 
• Many factors play into allowing your eldest child to babysit. Maturity level, amount of children, and individual needs should all be considered prior to allowing your eldest to be in charge while you are out. 
• Children should not be left home alone for more than 1-2 hours. 
• This is not a solution for childcare during your 12 hour shift. This is a solution for when you need to run errands, have appointments, or to fill the time between your children getting home from school and you getting home from work.