Private caregivers are a tempting option for Ottawa parents faced with rising daycare costs and a shortage of regulated spaces.
In fact, most local toddlers will end up in a private home setting. It's an important step in a child's development, and parents need the proper information before deciding on a location.
Andrea Gingras was an intensive care nurse before becoming a home childcare provider nearly 25 years ago.
The career change came by accident while she was home with her own children.
"I was just sitting at the park one day when (my son) was two, and a frantic woman came up the path going 'I need childcare on Monday,' and I looked at her son and my son, and though that would be a nice little playmate," Gingras told CTV Ottawa.
"And so many caregivers start that way."
While many private home daycares are born out of a shortage of licensed spaces, providers and parents say there are benefits.
First, the groups are often small and intimate with just one adult, inviting a sense of consistency. Some providers have even become godparents to their children, Gingras said.
Second, private daycare can be less expensive. A 2006 Ottawa survey reported that providers charge a daily average of $40 per child. But the cost of homecare can be higher in neighbourhoods with high demand for daycare.
Said one mother who uses home daycare: "My choice was in-home most because I felt that it had a more intimate setting and more opportunities to develop a personal relationship. There's no people interchanging, or co-op students, or people taking different jobs. It's the same person the whole time, and there's a limited number of children that can be in the home, which I like."
The Child Care Providers Resource Network of Ottawa-Carleton, which offers support and training to at-home caregivers, said such arrangements offer the most flexibility for parents, according to executive director Doreen Cowin.
With that flexibility comes risk, some say.
"You are reducing risks when you are monitoring and licensing and inspecting and ensuring the Day Nurseries Act is being adhered to," said Shelley Bird, who heads the local union for regulated childcare workers.
But Cowin said hazards exist with any form of daycare; responsibility rests with parents to make the right selection for their child's needs.
Private daycare providers must adhere to two basic laws. They can care for no more than 5 children at a time - not including their own children. And they must provide a police record check.
Other standards for parents to consider are CPR training, child development expertise, a home safety inspection, and liability insurance.
Experts also advise parents to ask a lot of questions, check references, and schedule surprise visits - much the same way licensed childcare facilities are monitored.
Gingras, for instance, said her standards go "over and above" the provincial Day Nurseries Act.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Natalie Pierosara
