For a mother who wishes to join work soon after the baby is delivered, child care is a major concern. Whoever it is that will look after the baby, he/she will have to spend a lot of time with the child. Therefore, it is important that a careful decision be taken as to what mode of child care is to be preferred.



With the institutionalization of child care, a wide variety of options may be available to parents of a new born child. It would be important to look at each option carefully, weigh the pros and cons and make a careful choice.

1. In-home Child Care - in this case the baby sitter, who may be a nanny or a governess comes to the child's home to look after him/her.

Advantages:

Child is brought up at home

Child has full attention of the nanny

Child will be exposed to fewer illnesses

Saves parents the trouble to transport the baby back and forth from the child care center before and after work

Disadvantages:

This is an expensive option

There is no back up in case the nanny falls ill

The child may develop a deeper bond with the nanny than the mother

2. Small Home Day-Care - this entails finding a person who would keep the baby at her house for the day with a small group of children, around two to three in number.

Advantages:

The child gets a home atmosphere

This is a much cheaper option than a full time personal nanny for the child

Disadvantages:

No back up plan in case the sitter falls ill.

3. Traditional Day Care Center - it is like a nursery where many children are taken care of together.

Advantages:

They are affordable

No need to worry about sitter getting sick

Child grows more adaptable as he grows older

Disadvantages:

Child is exposed to germs of other children

Child may not be given personal care - child to sitter ratio must be checked before admitting the child

Once the choice of the kind of child care to provide the child with has been made, another important decision that parents must take is to choose the child care arrangement. Before admitting the child, enquiry must be made whether the atmosphere is hygienic, whether they have proper medical facilities, etc. Any specifications about the child should be clearly communicated to the authorities, and any doubts regarding their conduct should be clarified.