Sick Daycare options

CarVsTree · Mar 22, 2004

I am really leaning toward moving to the new city because the program is 5 months shorter than the one here.

Are you sure you want to move just to save 5 months? It seems like an impulsive decision. I am not a single parent and would NOT do an accelerated program because I know it would be too much stress for my daughter. I would stay close by family/friends and wait an extra 5 months. Its a blink of an eye really and you won't have the stress of what to do when your child is sick. Also, you will have such an enormous amount of studying at the end of your 7-9 hour days. How will you cope with cooking, mommying, studying, etc. It just sounds like too much.

I hope you don't mind my frankness, but this just seems like you will regret it. Things are always harder in real life than on paper.

TLC RN · Mar 22, 2004

Are you sure you want to move just to save 5 months? It seems like an impulsive decision. I am not a single parent and would NOT do an accelerated program because I know it would be too much stress for my daughter. I would stay close by family/friends and wait an extra 5 months. Its a blink of an eye really and you won't have the stress of what to do when your child is sick. Also, you will have such an enormous amount of studying at the end of your 7-9 hour days. How will you cope with cooking, mommying, studying, etc. It just sounds like too much.
I hope you don't mind my frankness, but this just seems like you will regret it. Things are always harder in real life than on paper.

I don't mind your frankness at all :)

I understand your concern, but when you lay out all the options, the issue for me is to get in and out of school as fast as possible. The schedules for school with the accelerated BSN programs are actually similar to my work + school schedule now. I have researched the schools and found the shorter one actually has a more consistent schedule than the longer one (which is key to the daycare option.) The longer one requires me to be in school some evenings vs. the short one that has a pretty set schedule that will fit into getting daycare better. So in short, the shorter program is almost identical to my current schedule.

Beside the schedule issue comes money...how much will it cost me to go to school for a long traditional program? A lot more, my biggest expense is keeping my son and I afloat while in school. Since it is an accelerated program that means no work...after doing the math and comparing doing a traditional program vs. the accelerated BSN it is cheaper, by a lot. Of the two issues finding good childcare vs money...money is the larger stressor of the two. Not having money in is by far the biggest stressor.

Also, in the mix is good insurance. I have good insurance now because I work full time at a job that provides it. I am totally against not having insurance cause anything can happen at anytime. The cost of it, is outrageous. The options I have to pay out of pocket are nuts (couple hundred a month plus you pay the first 2500-5000 out of pocket.) That pretty much means I am covered if we get hurt bad, but what we will use it for mostly will be regular visits...in essence...all out of pocket costs while not in school.

Bottom line, if I take a slower route say working part time and going to school...there is still too much going out to come in. So it in my best interest to keep the schedule the same as it is now...breakneck work + pre reqs and do the breakneck nursing school program for the same hours in less time not working.

I just want to find out how people that don't have family to rely on, find daycare providers when thier child is sick. I have to evaluate how much stress it would actually cause me so to make the best decision for both of us.

PS - by no means is this an impulsive decision, I have been planning and preparing for this for two years. I picked the second school becuase it was close to family and short in duration. If you asked any of my friends what I think about, plan most they would answer going to school. I know I cannot plan for anything, but being a single parent, you learn your first line of defense is having about 10 backup plans. (I even have a few here in the event family is not avail to cover my back :))

memphispanda, RN · Mar 22, 2004

Well, getting through is the key, the speed is secondary. I too would suggest staying where your support system is. It doesn't do you much good to move for saving 5 months of school time if you then have to drop out or fail because you have no back-up childcare. There are VERY few places that offer sick childcare. Your best bet is a family friend who is h ome during the day, but since you would be in a new area those wouldn't be easy to come by.

In the long run, it's just 5 months. I know it seems like a long time, but you will be making up more than that if you fail or have to drop out and start over.

TLC RN · Mar 22, 2004

Well, getting through is the key, the speed is secondary. I too would suggest staying where your support system is. It doesn't do you much good to move for saving 5 months of school time if you then have to drop out or fail because you have no back-up childcare. There are VERY few places that offer sick childcare. Your best bet is a family friend who is h ome during the day, but since you would be in a new area those wouldn't be easy to come by.
In the long run, it's just 5 months. I know it seems like a long time, but you will be making up more than that if you fail or have to drop out and start over.

Good points...

Well, it cost 2K a month for me to be in school and not working...and so an extra five months is an extra 10 grand.

I agree about the support system, but I figured there should be options since there has to be people out there that have children and don't have the luxury of having family close by. I just would like to know how some people developed the support network if they were not close to their family. I am going to my Dad's FL house next month for Easter and my sister and her family will be there. I will ask her if she has back up plans for he kids if they get sick and check out her network and if it is an option.

Failing is not an option for me so whatever works out best for us in the long run will be what I do. If that is staying put, I will stay put...if it is moving, then we will move.

Thanks for you input.

CarVsTree · Mar 22, 2004

I agree about the support system, but I figured there should be options since there has to be people out there that have children and don't have the luxury of having family close by.

I wish I knew of options, but as far as I know, there are no daycares that have sick daycare. It probably is illegal for them to provide daycare to sick children for health reasons.

The only option is to try and find someone in the new area that would be willing to watch your child while sick. I hope you find something that works. I know how tough the money thing is. I really need to be working FT but am only working PT while in school. Groceries are a problem at times as are all the other bills.

Good luck!

ayndim · Mar 22, 2004

I wish I knew of options, but as far as I know, there are no daycares that have sick daycare. It probably is illegal for them to provide daycare to sick children for health reasons.
The only option is to try and find someone in the new area that would be willing to watch your child while sick. I hope you find something that works. I know how tough the money thing is. I really need to be working FT but am only working PT while in school. Groceries are a problem at times as are all the other bills.
Good luck!

In Phoenix, we have a sick daycare at one of the local hospitals. The cost is outrageous, something like $75 a day. There was a big stink when they wanted to close it down and as far as I know it is still going. Maybe you could check on something like that. If you are willing to move, I was informed that the program here is now 4 straight semesters including summer. So the program after prereqs ends up being 16 months.

TLC RN · Mar 22, 2004

In Phoenix, we have a sick daycare at one of the local hospitals. The cost is outrageous, something like $75 a day. There was a big stink when they wanted to close it down and as far as I know it is still going. Maybe you could check on something like that. If you are willing to move, I was informed that the program here is now 4 straight semesters including summer. So the program after prereqs ends up being 16 months.

Yeah, I figured it would be somethign like that cost wise. I can live with it being expensive. If I had costs that popped up like that, my parents can help. My son is 4.5 and does not get sick often - we are lucky, but that could change at anytime so I just want to know it is possible to make back up plans. If it were a regular class day w/o a test, I would prob skip class to stay home with him. But on clinical days, I would need to find somewhere to go if he were sick. I never have lived away from the bulk of my family since having him so I the back up providers were already in place. Moving creates a whole new issue with childcare that I would want covered before actually deciding to move. Thanks everyone for giving me ideas to think about how to do it, if I decide to move :)

My choice to move out of state was based on the fact I have some family support where i am moving & I don't have family in AZ

rebeccalizzie · Mar 22, 2004

I would check the Philly yellow pages and see if you can find a day care center that offers sick care, or an in home sick care service. I live in Cincinnati Ohio, and there are a couple of them in my area, they put something in their ads saying they will do that. There are also those "occasional sitter" services, that charge an arm and a leg, and I think they often do sick care. Last thought would be an in home nursing service--I have *no* idea if any of them do that kind of thing, but the thought popped into my mind and I thought I'd pass it on.

I'd just get a copy of the Philly yellow pages and start calling around to find somewhere, so you'll have the number when you move. Then once you move, you may be able to make friends with a SAHM or in home childcare provider that is willing to provide sick care.

Good luck...I know about trying to figure out every eventuality, I was a single mom for 5 years.

Energizer Bunny · Mar 23, 2004

In Phoenix, we have a sick daycare at one of the local hospitals. The cost is outrageous, something like $75 a day. There was a big stink when they wanted to close it down and as far as I know it is still going. Maybe you could check on something like that. If you are willing to move, I was informed that the program here is now 4 straight semesters including summer. So the program after prereqs ends up being 16 months.

Hey Andrea...this is completely off topic but I noticed that our kids are all pretty much the same age. Trey was born 7/22/99, Piper 6/25/01 and Bryce 10/5/03. Funny huh?

As for the OP, I am lucky that I at least have my husband and if he HAS to take off work because the kids are sick,then he will have to. I can only hope that it will not interfere with his job, because we both know how important it is for me to get my degree. I wish you lots of luck with whatever you decide. At least in a big city you should have more options than those of us in smaller ones!

Dublin37 · Mar 23, 2004

I would definitely stay where you are. I know in my program, that if you miss more than 1 or 2 clinicals, that you get kicked out! It is definitely not worth the stress. I have been looking here (CA) for 2 years for backups concerning sick day care. They are not anywhere. And even my friends would not be able to do it since they have kids at home that they don't want to get sick. All my family either works or is unable to care for sick kids. You are very fortunate for the help you have where you are. Don't lose it! The 10,000 in the long run is nothing compared to getting kicked out of program and the stress of doing it all with little support.

and that is my "humble" opinion. Heather

TLC RN · Mar 23, 2004

I would definitely stay where you are. I know in my program, that if you miss more than 1 or 2 clinicals, that you get kicked out! It is definitely not worth the stress. I have been looking here (CA) for 2 years for backups concerning sick day care. They are not anywhere. And even my friends would not be able to do it since they have kids at home that they don't want to get sick. All my family either works or is unable to care for sick kids. You are very fortunate for the help you have where you are. Don't lose it! The 10,000 in the long run is nothing compared to getting kicked out of program and the stress of doing it all with little support.
and that is my "humble" opinion. Heather

Yeah, that is the part I am looking for the sickday care the most is the clinical days. That is the last day I would want to miss. If I can find a viable option like a person/hospital that offers sick day care then I would consider going (all other things pan out too). My sister lives there and her husband's family does too. I know she and her hubby trade off staying home with sick kids so it is not an issue for them. They are not going to stay at home with my son and miss work (I would not ask them to either). But what would work is my sister telling me who she knows that would be willing to sit in a pinch :)

Also, I just remembered my sister does not work Fridays, so if he is sick on a Friday, I have a sitter :)

Moving there would mean losing a big group of people to call on and just going to a smaller group...

In all likelihood, I will end up staying home where the bulk of the family I can mooch off of are :)

Thanks for the advice guys!