If you’re looking for fall daycare options, start looking in the summer before spots fill up at more affordable care centers. If you have just learned that you’re expecting, begin budgeting, educating yourself about personal finances, and reducing your other household expenses immediately. You’ll find that the more time you give yourself to plan and save, more affordable care options will be available.Look online for nearby daycare centers. Start asking for recommendations from any friends or acquaintances you have who are also parents. Look for additional child care options, such as babysitters or nannies.
For each option and recommendation you find, call ahead to ask about cost and when the program anticipates filling up spots. That way, you'll have a better idea of your timeline and of how much you'll have to pay for care.;
, Discuss more flexible hours or telecommuting a few days a week to reduce the cost of daycare. Ask if a salary raise is negotiable so you can better afford care. Whether you’ve just found out you’re expecting or have to shift your schedule around your toddler, you should ask your HR department for help.Say something like, "I'm expecting a child, and more flexible hours would really enhance my productivity and help me balance my responsibilities. Is telecommuting two or three days a week to reduce the cost of daycare possible?"
Mention something like, "It's been over six months since my last pay raise, and a salary increase would help me better afford daycare for my child. I believe I've demonstrated my worth to the company, and would truly love to continue to balance my home life with my work responsibilities."
Try to include mutually beneficial solutions like, "If I'm working from home more, it'll help save the company's resources, like wi-fi, office space, and supplies."
Ask HR if the company has in-house child care options or a reduced-cost deal with a nearby child care center. If they don’t have either, suggest that they set up an arrangement with a nearby center, since it will save their employees money without costing the company anything.
 Look for a local YMCA, JCC, or other nonprofit organization that offers child care services. These organizations don’t have to answer to shareholders or generate profit, so they cost much less than private businesses.If you attend religious services, ask your religious organization's staff for suggestions.
Search online for a YMCA, and use keywords like "YMCA childcare." Look for a contact number, and ask if they can provide you with reviews from families currently enrolled who can describe their experience. Ask around your network of fellow parents to see if they have any experience with local nonprofit childcare centers.
When you call, ask if the center is licensed by state or local government, or what regulations they must meet in order to maintain their practice. Avoid centers that can't describe their standards or won't provide testimonials from parents currently using their services.
 You can also search for a local family-run daycare to cut costs. Just make sure whatever program you research is state licensed or otherwise regulated by your local government.Ask if they're accredited with the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC). Verify their accreditation using the NAFCC website: http://www.nafcc.org/.
Ask any potential family-run daycare options for testimonials from current clients and professional references.
Ask about the caregiver's qualifications. Ideally, go with someone with at least two years of college, at least five years experience in early childhood development, and CPR and emergency training. These factors aren't required by every state, but should nonetheless be included in your personal criteria., While daycare is typically the most affordable child care option, you might find a nanny more affordable in some circumstances. For example, your work hours might be incompatible with a daycare’s set hours, and you might have friends or coworkers who also have children around the same age as yours.You can approach your friends or coworkers and ask them if they’d be interested in sharing the cost of a nanny.
If it’s affordable, cost-sharing a nanny offers a low caregiver-to-child ratio that studies show will benefit your child later in life., Ask a family member or trusted friend to watch your child once or twice a week. Ask them if they're willing to babysit for free, or for less than you'd pay at a daycare center. Reducing the number of days per week you'll need to pay for daycare will help make it more affordable.
Start looking for child care options early.
Talk to your company’s human resources department.
Look for local nonprofit child care options.
Try to find a family-run daycare.
Explore the possibility of getting a nanny.
Ask family members to watch your child.
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