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Ten tips

Select child care provider carefully

By LAURA T. COFFEY
Published February 19, 2006

If you have to work, as so many parents must, lining up quality day care for your child or children can be daunting. The following tips can help you save money and choose the best option for your circumstances, either at a day care center or in a private home.

1. THINK FAMILY FIRST. Are you in a position to ask grandparents or other extended family members to watch your child while you work? If they agree to provide such labor-intensive support, be sure to compensate them in some way.

2. CONSIDER THE TEAMWORK APPROACH. If you're able to alternate your work schedule with a dependable person you know well, the two of you can share child care duties and potentially save thousands of dollars each year.

3. OR TEAM UP IN A DIFFERENT WAY. Maybe there's no way around it: Both you and a close friend or relative must work full time. Could you team up and split the cost of a full-time nanny who can care for your children and theirs during the day?

4. GET MULTIPLE REFERRALS. You can seek out day care referrals from these sources: your county government; the nonprofit initiative Child Care Aware (www.childcareaware.org toll-free 1-800-424-2246, which can connect you with the nearest Child Care Resource and Referral organization in your area; your child's school; your church; and area civic organizations. Also ask friends, co-workers and neighbors for recommendations.

5. START DIALING. Call each facility and ask these questions: How is the staff selected? What are their credentials? What are the child-adult ratios? What kinds of safety equipment and emergency procedures exist? How much space do children have inside and outside to play? How long has your business been licensed?

6. READ THE FINE PRINT ABOUT FEES. Some child care providers offer financial assistance or base their fees on a sliding scale, so be sure to ask. Find out exactly how much extra money you'd have to pay for dropping your child off early, picking him or her up late or requesting care on weekends.

7. ASK FOR REFERENCES. Request the names of at least three parents and ask them about the quality of care and their children's experiences. Also visit the Web site of the Florida Department of Children and Families (www.myflorida.com/childcare) and click on "Provider Search" to see whether a facility's license is up to date. (You also can search for day care providers in your ZIP code at this site.)

8. TRY A DRESS REHEARSAL. Have your child spend just part of the day at a place you like, and make sure you're easily reachable during that time. If you decide it is indeed the best place for your child, maintain good lines of communication with the staff.

9. PURSUE TAX BREAKS. You probably qualify for the child care tax credit as a working parent. Depending on your income, the credit allows you to deduct a percentage of up to $3,000 in day care bills for one child or $6,000 for two or more children.

10. LOOK INTO FLEXIBLE SPENDING PLANS. Large employers often offer such plans, which make it possible for you to set aside pretax dollars to pay for child care. The maximum annual set-aside for child care is $5,000.

Sources: Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) Florida Department of Children and Families (www.state.fl.us/cf-web/) Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov)

[Last modified February 17, 2006, 17:38:02]