Finding Affordable Child Care Near You
Many parents put off divorce because of one shared fear – how to find affordable childcare. Even if the kids are already enrolled in after-school or child development programming, or a regular daycare facility, the fees can be difficult for one parent to cover.
Today we’re sharing some tips for finding affordable childcare near you, or getting help with daycare you already have for your children. Plus, we’ll share some money-saving tips that could help your monthly budget.
Our Biggest Tip for Affordable Daycare After Divorce
First and foremost, childcare expenses can be addressed as part of your divorce settlement.
Ask your attorney if a stipend can be set for shared daycare expenses, or if this is factored into the child support payments. Your child’s care services, tutors, babysitters for working hours, and even your child’s after-school activities are all important fees to be considered in the divorce settlement.
These settlements take time to be implemented. This means you need to get superfluous spending under control and prioritize daycare expenses until you can get financially stabilized.
How to Find Affordable Childcare Near You
Divorce can develop a critical need for good childcare services. But these programs fill up quickly. Simply searching for “affordable childcare near me” or “affordable daycare near me” may not immediately solve the issue. You will have to call many places to find options with openings. If there are waiting lists; get your children listed on them ASAP.
When you find a program you like or a babysitting service you want to use, getting started can put a strain on your budget. But, the good news is that some organizations and funding allocations are designed to reduce the cost of child care for those who qualify.
Average Weekly Daycare Costs in the US
According to Care.com, an online marketplace connecting families with childcare services in their area, the average weekly costs for daycare services can be rather steep:
Nanny cost: $766 (up 4% from 2022).
Daycare cost: $321 (up 13% from 2022).
Family care center cost: $230 (up 0.4% 2022).
Babysitter cost: $192 (up 7% from 2022).
While you wait for the courts to settle the post-divorce finances, you may have to handle this crisis on your own. But don’t let this stress you into inaction – there is help!
Affordable Childcare Assistance – Get Help with Daycare Expenses
First – Google your state’s options for help with daycare or child development programs. The federal government provides funding to the states to make sure American families have access to affordable childcare.
These programs may require a screening process, application process, and for you to work with an approved facility.
Help With Child Care – Resources
Here are some other helpful resources to get you started on your search for affordable daycare costs and funding that may be available to you:
Federal and state programs to provide affordable care for children are detailed with links on Childcare.gov.
CCAS (Child Care Services Association) provides some good information on tax credits aimed at reducing daycare costs for families.
Care.com can connect you with professionals in your area who offer tutoring, in-home daycare, or other childcare services near you.
If your child has special needs, you may be able to apply for SSI benefits or find financial support for families with children with disabilities.
Find a Child Care Resource & Referral agency.
Other Tips for Reducing Childcare Costs
Other than the usual paths to assistance, some inside tips from those of us who have really been there may help. There are lots of ways to save money, bring in a little extra, or find creative ways to get support.
Consider a mom I know. We’ll call her Bonita. Bonita has four children, all of whom have various disabilities, and recently she was divorced. Every single thing Bonita does impacts her budget and she shared with Alimonia Life some of her personal favorite ways to get help, and get things done more efficiently. Perhaps her tips can help you to stretch your dollars a little further.
Save Money and Time with Your Grocery Shopping
Apply for an Instacart+ membership which saves on grocery delivery fees. To save time and money (and stress!) Bonita has her groceries delivered once a week.
Buy in bulk and meal prep to prepare several meals at once. Buying and splitting larger packages of meat into meal-sized portions, for example, can save you some precious dollars and time! Bonita prepares lunches and dinners on the weekends, saving a lot of time and money. The kids love helping!
Reduce name-brand purchasing and see if your area has a budget grocery store like Aldi. It’s an adjustment…but there are plenty of tasty non-brand items that cost far less. Bonita buys all her meat options at Aldi, plus the staple items like bread, milk, eggs, rice, cereals, and snacks.
Look for a damaged goods stock seller in your area. Some towns have small businesses that buy dented cans in bulk and sell it to you very cheaply! Bonita found one of these stores in her town and goes once a month to stock up on canned goods with dings or dents. She also goes occasionally to the Food Bank at her local church to supplement groceries for her family.
Share child-watching with another parent while shopping. The WICK program cannot be utilized via grocery delivery so sometimes Bonita must take all four kids with her to the grocery store. Another mom friend meets her there and with the vehicles parked side by side, they can take turns watching the kids so the other can do much more efficient, child-free shopping. It’s easy with today’s feature-friendly vehicles and hand-held devices. Kids can have a snack, watch videos, or take a nap – with one parent keeping an eye on them while the other shops. Then, switch. It’s time-saving and saves a lot of stress for busy parents!
Always shop with a list to cut down on impulse spending.
Trade Services with Other Parents in the Area
Trading grocery shopping and babysitting is just one way to exchange goods, time, energy, services, and more with other parents in the area. Local parent groups (or divorce support groups) are great ways to find support.
Exchange kids clothes that don’t fit anymore, go in together to purchase bulk home items, and offer each other a few hours of babysitting. These groups can also help you to find budget yard care, hair care, or other things you need to figure out now that you’re dealing with all that on your own.
Supplement Your Income at Home
Supplementing your income, or getting a side hustle, is a good way to help offset those daycare costs.
➡️ Do you have a degree and are good with words? Work with an AI-training company like Outlier. It’s work-as-you-can and maybe you can fit in a few hours when the kids go to bed.
➡️ Have a hobby that could make you some money? Use Facebook Marketplace to go Live and sell you beautiful home-made goods.
➡️ Get money for your stuff! Take stuff the kids aren’t wearing or using anymore to consignment, sell tidbits around the house on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, or use an online app like Decluttr.
Contact Religious Organizations in Your Community
Contact churches and religious organizations in your area to ask what community services they may have for you. They may offer childcare services on a sliding scale, clothing, household goods and supplies, food, or even financial assistance.
Cut Out Excess Spending
One of the easiest ways to free up extra money is to literally stop giving it away. As Americans we often think we need all the extra “bells and whistles” of life, but you’d be surprised how much simplifying your life financially can improve your standard of living.
Drop phone and internet services in your car or on extra devices like tablets. With free Wi-Fi now available in many places, you can always improvise by utilizing local hotspots.
Stop paying for entertainment. Your local library and apps like Libby and Hoopla offer a wealth of free eBooks, book rentals, music, and audiobooks.
Drop streaming and TV services. Switch your TV over to regular TV and scan for channels in your area. You might be surprised to see a decent selection of local channels which may allow you to drop expensive TV services like Cable or Satellite television, Netflix, Hulu, and the like.
Get rid of all those subscriptions. Gaming services, apps, and other monthly money-drainers.
Cut daily money-suckers like energy drinks and fancy coffees, fast food, and one-time-buy snacks or meals. Keep track of how much money you are spending at gas stations and convenience stores. These impulse buys add up! Buy in bulk, package in servings, and carry what you need for the day. Simply organizing your time better will save you tons of money.
Use a monthly budgeting tool and start jotting down your expenses. This can help you determine where all the money is going. Google offers a very easy budgeting tool to help you manage monthly expenses.
Lastly, Use Every Resource at Your Fingertips
When you go through a divorce, some things quickly surface as “crisis mode” things. Child care services so that you can work and/or finish school – this is one of those things.
Your pride may have to step aside to make way for your hustle. It’s hard to admit you may need a little help, but if you do – utilize every resource your area offers. These services are provided for people just like you! Affordable childcare programs fill up fast and have long waiting lists. Get applications in early and prioritize high-quality childcare above other less important things.
We hope you feel supported today. We hope you are breathing deeply and calmly. And, we hope you have the resources you need to secure good childcare, daycare, or child development programming for your children. Follow Alimonia Life Blog for real-life topics designed to support people affected by divorce.
Christina M. Ward