Impending daycare for 2yo twins/1 income

NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN · Dec 20, 2005

It is just so expensive to send children to daycare. I remember when I started school my daughter was 9 months old and they have charged me

$104/week. I could have NEVER afford that on my student income. Since then I have applied for help. Here in Texas it is called Workforce. They have been payin 90% of my daycare bills. It has saved me.

prinsessa · Dec 20, 2005

I know how you feel. I am planning on putting my son in daycare next year. I am worried about the money and how he will react. He is such a "mama's boy" and the only people he has been with was my MIL or mom. And daycare can be so expensive. The cheapest I have seen around here is $125/week. Some even go up to almost $200/week. I am already worrying about how we will pay for it. I will probably have to take out student loans to cover it. Good luck!

FinallyORrn · Dec 20, 2005

I know how you feel. I am planning on putting my son in daycare next year. I am worried about the money and how he will react. He is such a "mama's boy" and the only people he has been with was my MIL or mom. And daycare can be so expensive. The cheapest I have seen around here is $125/week. Some even go up to almost $200/week. I am already worrying about how we will pay for it. I will probably have to take out student loans to cover it. Good luck!

I never thought about student loans...I guess that could be the last resort. Is anyone here from Kansas? "kiyatylese" mentioned a program in Texas called "WorkForce"...was wondering if anyone knew if we had it here or even where I could check.

NJNursing, ASN, RN · Dec 21, 2005

Well for me, full time classes don't equal like full time working. I had 2 short days (a 2 hour lab, 3 hour lecture) where my grandmother offered to watch my 4 year old on those days. She's retired and it gives her something to do and it's free. Almost 2 years ago when my old DCP quit on me with like no notice, I put an ad in the paper for someone new. Of course I had like over 100 phone calls of people interested, but I was whittling it down by price, location, experience, etc. Ended up finding a great woman who lives about a mile or two away, is a British nanny who watches kids out of her home, reports income to the IRS (so that I can claim the cost for Income Taxes) and who had glowing recommendations. The best part? She only charges $3 an hour. That one came to me by the grace of God. When I had "structured" daycare like in a center, I was paying like $700 a month. But right now I only use daycare for my clinical days which are like 8 hours by the time i add in the commute. And the price is so reasonable, that I'll send her on an extra day here or there when I need to study in peace.

You've got time right now to really shop around. There are some programs that will offset the costs of daycare, but it's not available in all states and with some (like here in NJ) you can only go to the places that THEY tell you to go and I looked at some of them here and I wouldn't put my dog let alone my child in those places.

I quit my job a semester before I started the nursing portion of classes. We learned to cut down, I got involved in my ebay business that I could do from home. I figure I could do without for a little while for all that I could get back after graduation.

Good luck.

RN and Mommy · Dec 23, 2005

My daughter is 3 1/2 years old. Daycare is $125 per week. It is very expensive. The only reason I work is to pay daycare so I can go to school. I work 2 12 hour shifts on weekends. Yes, you do not spend as much time with your children as you would like, but think of the goal you are trying to accomplish. I have worked every semester of Nursing school and I will graduate in May. Currently, my GPA is 3.8, so it can be done.

luvhorses · Dec 24, 2005

I have twins too, will be 4 in Feb. They too are in daycare. I amm beegginning clinicals in jan and am not working. Daycare is a very costly option. But hang in there things ALWAYS work out in the way they are supposed to.