Finding the right childcare solution is a bit like finding the perfect balance between confidence, fulfillment, comfort and budget! In France, the two most popular forms of childcare for parents are childminders and childcare establishments (crèches, day nurseries, micro-crèches, family crèches, etc.). But of the two, which is the best alternative for you and your child? Crèche or nanny, what's the best choice? To help you make the right choice, Élhée gives you some answers.
CONTENTS :
- Day nursery or in-home care: the choice depends on your family's needs
- Little cocoon or big adventure? Baby's future environment
- Looking after your child: the little treasures of emotional relationships
- Baby's well-being: multi-activity crèche or personalized nanny?
- What childcare solution is best for a sick child?
- Nanny or crèche: safety first
Crèche, day nursery or home care: the choice depends on your family's needs
The proportion of children under 3 years of age cared for by a childminder or in a crèche almost doubled between 2002 and 2021, reaching 20% among childminders and 18% in crèches and day nurseries. And if you're wondering what's best for your child: it depends.☺️
You need flexible working hours
If you work staggered hours, are frequently on the move, or regularly work overtime, flexible on-call schedules are high on your list of criteria.
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Crèche: fixed hours (generally between 8am and 7pm), with strict rules and commitments to be made and kept in relation to the days your child attends and the number of hours he or she is present.
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Nanny: more flexible, she adapts to your working hours (with a minimum of prior organization) and accepts occasional overtime, if the option is included in her contract. Some nannies are even available at night.
The cost of childcare is your adjustment variable
Are you confused about the Complément de Libre Choix du Mode de Garde (CMG), the Prestation d'Accueil du Jeune Enfant (PAJE) or the tax credit for employing an employee at home?
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Crèche: childcare costs are often calculated according to the family's income, with financial aid available. Find out more from the management of the establishment, the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales or your local council.
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Nanny: cost varies according to location and experience. However, you do have the option of hiring a registered childminder, shared between several families.
You swear by simplicity
If you don't plan to become a private employer, using the services of a home-based or other childminder can be a more time-consuming process than enrolling in a day-care center.
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Crèche: to enroll your child in a crèche, simply fill in a form and submit it. The hardest part is finding a free place in a crèche, especially in the city.
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Nanny: first check that the person you're hiring has been approved by your local childcare authority. Then draw up an employment contract specifying duties, working hours, remuneration, vacations, etc. Then, if you are entitled to financial assistance from the CAF (such as the CMG), declare your childminder's employment on the Pajemploi website.
Little cocoon or big adventure? Baby's future environment
We're not going to lie: the first few months, whether in the nursery or with the nanny, can be difficult. Even if the anxiety doesn't last, crying is usually the order of the day during the first separations. So it's best to find the gentlest, most pleasant environment for your child.
Socialization and its benefits
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Day nursery: the community offers many opportunities for interaction with children often from different backgrounds, for learning the rules of group life and for accelerated social development. For example, parents of only children often choose the crèche for the variety of contacts it offers before starting school.
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Nanny: a more intimate and personalized relationship, better knowledge of the child and his/her needs, but less exchange and autonomy, less diversity.
Tailor-made care for baby
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Crèche: all the benefits of professional supervision by nursery assistants and holders of the CAP Petite Enfance, as well as the associated knowledge, but care, time andattention shared between all the children present.
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Nanny: a one-to-one or almost one-to-one exchange, an adapted rhythm for naps, outings and meals, and made-to-measure activities for a refined follow-up of your child's development and more detailed reports at the end of each day.
Looking after your child: the little treasures of emotional relationships
Sometimes, your child will spend more time with the carer than with you. Naturally, an attachment will develop. The best reason of all to choose the right nanny.
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Crèche: the team can be large and change regularly. A sometimes destabilizing flow of staff. However, aware of this potential problem, early childhood graduates are careful to observe the same relationship with each child and not to get too emotional.
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Nanny: on the other hand, in-home childcare creates a special relationship between your child and the person looking after him/her, which can be a guarantee of great emotional stability, but also of a deep attachment that's hard to break.
Baby's well-being: multi-activity crèche or personalized nanny?
You want the best for your baby, including in terms of learning, stimulation and activities. So, between the dynamism of a group setting and the gentleness of individual care, where will your preference lie?
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Day nurseries: these collective structures offer a variety of activities, regularly renewed and adapted to the age of the children, all in a stimulating environment with lots of knowledge and educational games.
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Nanny: activities adapted to the child's tastes and abilities and more freedom for outings, but potentially less emulation and diversity.
What childcare solution is best for a sick child?
A little cold is no problem, but if chickenpox breaks out, it's time to entrust your child to your care.
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Crèche: in the event of a fever or smeared baby, most crèches will call you and encourage you to collect your child before going to the doctor the same day. On the other hand, if your child is ill or contagious, he or she will not be accepted into the day-care center. What's more, the nursery cannot administer any medication without a prescription.
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Nanny: similarly, you'll need to provide a doctor's prescription for her to administer medication to your little one, but nannies are generally more flexible about accepting a sick child into their care. Depending on the child's condition and the other children being looked after, she will be able to adapt her schedule.
Nanny or crèche: safety first
This is perhaps the main fear of young parents entrusting their child to a childminder: that something will happen to him or her, or that he or she will not be well during their absence. So, while safety levels are more regulated in day nurseries, there are ways of checking the seriousness of a childminder.
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Crèche: the staff is made up of certified and qualified professionals, and the operation of each establishment is regulated by the State and punctually supervised, which limits the risk of incident or abuse.
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Nanny: there are fewer possibilities for checking, but nannies are generally highly qualified. However, it's still important to check the references and qualifications of the person you choose. In this respect, word-of-mouth remains an excellent recommendation.
Bonus: 3 practical tips to get you off on the right foot!
To find the ideal crèche or nanny, start by visiting several crèches and meeting different professionals in your area or near your workplace.
During these visits, observe the environment, its cleanliness, its facilities and the quality of interactions between the children and their supervisors. Feeling - yours and your little one's - is also essential.
For nannies, take the time to discuss their experiences, ask for recommendations and take an interest in their teaching methods during interviews. If they exist, on Google or Facebook for example, always consult online reviews to assess your compatibility.
To make sure you don't forget anything and avoid unnecessary stress, prepare your baby's bag in advance: diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, a blanket and a cuddly blanket should be in there every day, along with his favorite bottle, your pumped milk or the right dose of infant formula. If he's a little bigger, think of the Élhée leak-proof water bottle!
And if meals are not provided by the facility or nanny, add them to a dedicated box. Last but not least, make sure you don't forget your child's medication and prescription.
It's generally advisable to start baby-sitting early, around 2 to 6 months before returning to work. To ease the transition, introduce this big change gradually, starting with short visits and then extending the duration.
Also, even if baby cries, make sure you remain calm and reassuring at the moment of separation. Take all the time you need and explain to him that you'll be back, that you love him and that everything's going to be fine.🩷
Les biberons Élhée accompagneront votre bébé de la naissance jusqu'à 24 mois et plus, pour lui permettre une parfaite autonomie, sans risque de casse.
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