CHILDCARE SEARCH RESOURCES
by Michelle Ehrich
Author of The Anxious Parents' Guide to Quality Childcare
There
are several different types of search resources that parents can use for
assistance as they look for quality childcare. The following is a brief summary
of the most common of these resources and the childcare situations for which
they can be the most productive.
Community Referral Agency and Employer Referral Service
Referral services are usually flexible in how they can help you. They will ask what type of arrangement you are looking for and provide you with search resources accordingly. For example, if you want daycare centers, they might provide you with a list of those in your area; for in-home care, a list of local employment agencies etc. They might also have materials which provide helpful hints on choosing childcare.
Au Pair Placement Agency
Au Pairs are foreigners (usually young women) who come to the US on one year J-1 visas. The placement agencies recruit and screen these applicants through overseas offices. The Au Pair may legally work up to 45 hours weekly and also need to take some type of classes to qualify for their visas (classes are broadly defined and could include programs at the YMCA or night school).
Nanny School
There are several educational programs which train students for childcare positions, some of which are accredited by the NAEYC or INA. Some programs are oriented towards in-home (specifically live-in) childcare while others also train providers for center-based programs. The quality of these programs varies but all share the common feature of a concentrated pool of candidates interested in childcare positions. Many of these programs offer placement services through related fee-based employment agencies (see below); others permit you to directly "post" your position at no cost.
Classified
Ad
Best for parents looking for in-home care (live-in of live-out) and sometimes for locating family daycare. Consider using community newspaper and ethnic publications in your area. Also, childcare providers often place ads, especially daycare centers and family daycare.
Childcare Consultant
Consultants (which are not very common) help you to have a productive search by ascertaining which of the search resources are most likely to yield candidates to meet your needs. They may also offer interview screening, reference checking and related services.
Childcare Employment Agency
Employment agencies usually recruit providers of in-home childcare; some may even be connected to a "nanny school". Some agencies recruit young women from other parts of the country while others tend to have immigrants or local candidates on their rosters. In our area, there is also an agency that specializes in placing children in licensed family daycare, and also supervises these providers with regular on-site visits as well as offering continuing training to them.
Once you have identified the resources best suited to helping you find the type of childcare you desire, you can begin to use them to locate qualified candidates. For example, if you already have targeted daycare centers as the best childcare arrangement to meet your family's needs, then placing classified ads and using childcare employment agencies (both of which will produce either in-home or family daycare candidates) will not suit your search. Instead, you may find that community or employer referral services, word of mouth, the yellow pages and newspaper ads (placed by daycare centers) will be more helpful. Alternatively, if you decide to use a childcare employment agency, make sure you select one that is reputable and with a solid track record - no need to be someone's practice client. Be willing to use a variety of search resources but be selective in which ones you specifically choose by focusing on those which will be the most productive for your particular needs.
Chapter 5 of The Anxious Parents' Guide to Quality Childcare provides more detailed information on childcare search resources and on these related topics:
the best ways to identify the search resources available in your area,
the costs associated with using the various search resources,
the amount of time a search for quality childcare can take,
advice on how to "market" your childcare position,
important tools and questions to ask when selecting a top-notch employment agency, and
ideas on how to use classified ads effectively.
copyright: Michelle Ehrich, 1999. May not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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