Daycare referral/Nanny advice needed

Hello Springfield moms!! I am PG with my first and my due date is March 17. I am relatively new in Springfield - as I have lived here a little under 4 years and I am looking for some advice. As most first time moms I'm sure - I have all these questions pondering in my mind. I do know as far as daycare that I prefer in-home rather than a center for at least the first year or two. With my due-date still 70+ days away and my time away from work (an additional 12 weeks) - I think that will put me at needed daycare starting at the end of May - beginning to mid-June.

Is this too soon to secure an in-home daycare provider? Can any of you refer an in-home daycare provider in the Chatham/Springfield area? ( I live in Chatham)

I have also tossed around the idea of hiring soemone to come to my home for daycare. Does anyone have experience with this or can offer advice on this as well?


Thank you in advance.

our Child Care Resources pages outlines a variety of local and regional resource agencies for in-home or child care facilities. There is also a link to an article on getting good child care from a local mom.
http://www.springfieldmoms.org/resources/childcare.htm

I MYSELF HAVE LOOKED HIGH AND LOW IN THIS TOWN FOR PROPER NANNIES/MOTHERS HELPERS AND THEY SIMPLY DON'T EXIST. I JUST NEEDED ANOTHER CARING HUMAN BEING TO KEEP ME COMPANY AND HELP WITH DAILY STUFF WITH MY CHILDREN AND THE RESTRICTIONS THEY HAD WERE SO MANY I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT! NANNIES IN THIS TOWN ARE NOT REAL NANNIES THEY ARE NOT SELF MOTIVATED OR AS CARING AS THOSE IN OTHER AREAS I HAVE NOTICED. IF I AM MISTAKEN THEN PLEASE SOMEONE PROVE ME WRONG I WOULD STILL LOVE THE HELP IF IT ACTUALLY EXISTS!

I have experienced the same thing with trying to find a nanny. It is impossible here. I heard of one mom that finally found one in Decatur and her nanny now drives here every day from Decatur. It is not too early to start looking for a home daycare. It is not easy and will take time. It is not impossible though! Good luck.

I think everyone's experience is different. Every town is different.
Since this is a fairly rural area (compared to the big cities of St Louis or Chicago) the idea of a serious nanny or mother's helper may be a bit foreign.
I think the demand isn't that high here.
I have heard that in the summer you may be able to find a college student home that may be of some help.

The only problem I've found with college students is that you have to find one who's "hungry" and needs the money enough to show up. Not someone who's hung over and calls in sick, or doesn't even show up. I'll never forget my then-4 year old crying because his college student babysitter was a no-show: "Doesn't she like me, mommy?" It was heartbreaking, and it's happened more than once to me when hiring high school and college aged students. If their parents are paying for their school/car/clothes, there's little incentive, and let's face it, lots of people are raising kids who get all they need and thus don't need to work.