Navigating the Child Care Scene in San Francisco There’s nothing more important than the safety and well-being of your child. There are so many options for high-quality child care in San Francisco that it can feel a little intimidating to know where to get started. But fear not! A basic understanding of the child care landscape will help you narrow in on the perfect fit for your family’s needs. You’ll first want to understand the different types of child care that are available to you. The most popular kind of child care is daycare, but even daycare can take different forms: a daycare center and a home-based daycare. Daycare center / Preschool — A licensed facility, usually with fixed hours of operation and a structured daily schedule. Home-based daycare — These operate out of someone’s home. Some are very similar in operation to a child care center and others are more informal, have children of mixed ages all cared for together, and have more flexibility in terms of operating hours. In addition to daycares, there are in-home providers. In-home providers like nannies are generally more expensive than daycares, but there are some alternative approaches like au pairs, co-ops and nanny shares that make in-home care more affordable. Nanny — An employee who lives outside your home but who comes over to take care of your kids on a full-time or part-time basis. Au pair — An international young adult who lives with and works for your family doing child care and other household tasks. They get free room and board and get paid a stipend. Co-op — This is where you take turns doing childcare duty within a group of families. You earn credit when you care for children in the group and you use that credit for child care for your own children. Nanny share — Like it sounds, you share a nanny with another family. You also share the cost! One family may host the care at their home or you may switch off on hosting. ---- Tell us in the comments: what kind of child care are you considering and why?

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