Child Care in the Valley: Whom Do You Trust?

By M. Dawn Jackman

Since moving to the Tennessee Valley, I have enjoyed staying home with my two small children. I realize that situations change, however, and that not all parents can or choose to stay home. If I return to the workforce, I will need quality childcare. Many families in the Valley live this reality, and turn to the services available throughout the Huntsville area. And the area obliges, abundantly. Here are many of the child care options available to families in the Greater Tennessee Valley.

In-home Child Care

If you prefer that your child stay in your home while you work, you can find several willing caregivers in the area, although they are less plentiful than other sources of care. In-home providers fall under the titles of babysitters, au pairs, mother’s helpers or nannies, each varying in degrees of time in the home, duties performed, qualifications and experience in childcare.

Alabama requires no license for any of the providers listed above. While any agency claiming to offer in-home child care placement must have a business license to operate, credentials specific to screening or training nannies are often not regulated. Any accreditations claimed by placement agencies are subject only to the associations to which they belong.

One factor to consider with in-home care is the “Nanny Tax.” Any person providing a service in your home and receiving more than $1,400 a year is considered your employee, and as such is entitled certain tax allowances. Both you and she are also accountable to National Homeland Security regulations.

There are a few local nanny agencies and several more online. Websites such as Home Buddies and Domestic Divas are also helpful in finding reliable in-home care. Although subjective, another great source of local information is neighbors, friends, and fellow church members.

Day Care Homes

According to Alabama state law, a license to provide day care must be held by “any person…providing child care…outside the child’s home for more than four hours in a 24-hour period.” (From Minimum Standards of Family Day Care Home Regulations and Procedures, State of Alabama Department of Human Resources. See link below.)

If a childcare provider watches fewer than seven children at a time in her home, regardless of the time of day, this is called a Day Care Home.

Child care watch groups and network organizations, such as the National Association for Family Child Care, can provide accreditations and standards for day care providers, but registration with such groups is optional and often expensive for the provider. The State of Alabama proves more helpful for information on state minimum standards and licensed Day Care Homes in the area.

Small Facility Day Care/Group Day Care

These are the terms for care not provided in a single family home, but have very similar standards as the day care home. These can legally provide care for between seven and twelve children at a time, with at least two adults supervising the children at all times. Some of these facilities provide early learning activities, but are not required by law to do so.

Preschool/Day Care combination

These are the largest, and often most expensive, child care providers, because they are usually full-time and educational as well as supervisory for the child. Generally, the more specialized and private the school is, the more rigorous the curriculum, screening, reliability, training of staff and security are. Nevertheless, bigger and more expensive does not always mean better.

Many preschools in the Huntsville area are affiliated with a church, and therefore exempt from various Alabama day care and preschool license regulations; although they are under the same accountability for health and safety regulations as other nonreligious facilities. The standards for operating a preschool are slightly different than those regulating day cares.

Conclusion

Trusting your child to the care of another is never easy. Choosing the right caregiver in your absence can be stressful and confusing. Thankfully, the Tennessee Valley offers several options for its families. This task need not overwhelm a parent who is clear in his expectations, educated in his options, and diligent in his search for the right child care for his child.

M. Dawn Jackman is a stay at home mom (SAHM). She has a BS in elementary education and volunteers cooperatively with local preschool-aged children. She and her family live in Harvest.