From How to Prepare for a Home Study:

4. Consider your childcare arrangements.

During the home study, your social worker will ask you about childcare. I thought this would be a short conversation for us because I planned to quit my job and be a stay-at-home mom. While this did abbreviate the amount of time devoted to this topic, we still talked about babysitters and the importance of doing things as a couple without the baby always in tow.

For those of you who will need childcare so that both parents can return to work full-time, you will need to think about who will take care of your child during the day (or after school for older children). See my post Nesting: How to Select Childcare for a list of things to consider when selecting childcare.

Some hopeful adoptive parents might not realize that you might need to make these arrangements well in advance. Of course, since you have no idea when you will be matched with a child (or placing mother), lining up childcare in advance can be challenging.

Daycares

Some of the more desirable daycares have wait lists, and many women sign up on those lists while they are still pregnant. Does your preferred daycare have a wait list? If so, will they let you get your name on the wait list now? Some companies will work with you when you explain your situation.

Nannies

If you plan to hire a nanny, start thinking about the logistics:

• Will you go through a nanny service, or will you run an ad in the newspaper?



• How much will you pay?



• Will you purchase insurance to protect you in case the nanny gets hurt on the job?



• Will her duties include household chores such as doing the child’s laundry?



• Will you require the nanny to sign an employment contract? If so, do you have an attorney to draw one up?



• What will your back-up plan be if the nanny gets sick?

These are all practical issues that you need to think about ahead of time. If you think these issues through now, you will be prepared to discuss them during the home study and, more importantly, you will have a better childcare arrangement put into place when your child joins your family.

Related Topics:

• Nesting: How to Select Childcare



• When you have to work: transition to childcare



• Tales of woe from a work-at-home mom…