What are the child care options in the US market?

The first distinction is between care in the family's home and care outside the home.

In-home care can be provided by a relative (typically grandparents or older siblings), a nanny or an au pair.

The International Nanny Association defines a NANNY as an individual "employed by the family on either a live-in or live-out basis to undertake all tasks related to the care of children. Duties are generally restricted to childcare and domestic tasks related to childcare. May or may not have had any formal training, though often has a good deal of actual experience. Nanny's work week ranges from 40 - 60 hours per week. Usually works unsupervised."

Families may recruit a nanny through a variety of channels, including nanny referral agencies, on-line nanny recruiting services such as 4nannies.com, newspaper advertisements, and word of mouth. A family should allow 3 - 6 weeks to recruit, including time to perform crucial reference checks and pre-employment criminal background checks.

AuPairs are foreign nationals, aged 18-26, admitted to the United States for up to a year on a special student visa. The AuPair agrees to provide limited childcare and housekeeping in exchange for room and board and a weekly stipend from the host family. They may or may not have previous childcare experience. There are 6 US government authorized agencies who arrange au pair matches. The typical fee, including agency, airfare and stipend, paid by the family is $16000 - $18000 per year. An aupair's visa is non-renewable. Generally, the hiring family does not meet the aupair prior to contracting for his/her services.

Child care outside the home typically consists of daycare centers and family daycare.

A daycare center may be for profit or not for profit, and may be located in dedicated facilities, church space, school space, and even in space provided at a reduced rate by employers offering on-site childcare as an employee benefit. Daycare centers are regulated, and the staff:child ratios are different from locality to locality. Staff may or may not have previous child care experience; however, they are generally supervised by an experienced individual. Daycare centers generally have fixed hours, established programs, preset menus, and the child's day is carefully scheduled.

Family daycare is provided by an adult in a private home. Family daycare providers may or may not be licensed. Licensed providers are regulated as to staff:child ratios, safety issues such as fire escapes, chemicals out of reach, etc., required provider training such as CPR or First Aid. Licensed providers may be periodically inspected to verify compliance with local regulations.