Tuesday, September 14, 2004



The day care system here is a little different and it is giving me a headache.
There are two, well three types, of day care services.
The main type is the city run places, the third is private but licensed and the fourth is private but unlicensed and usually based in a home. Now with my basic understanding of the system back home that sounds almost the same.
Again, with that basic understanding back home, I believe that it is the parents job to run around and look around for a daycare that they like, can afford and feel safe with. Not quite the same here. If I want that sort of system I need to head in the private direction. Li and I have been quoted by friends of private day care priced between 3 to 5 hundred dollars a month. Now 3 and a tiny more than that I can handle without too many heart palpitations. At 500 I start to hyperventilate. Hmmm.
Then there is the City ones. This is a little more complicating. Once a year those people that want city day care have to go to the city office and fill out a TON of paper work. This year that time falls in October. Thank fully not all on one day as it would be crazy. This paper work includes, from what I can tell, my life history - Who I am, where I work, and most importantly how much money we both make. Payment is not a set amount when it is city run. You have to pay a certain percentage of your monthly income. This is great for those that make very little but equivalent to private if you make a tad more. I have a feeling that with my paycheque and Li's we will be in the not quite but close to private area.
But it doesn't end there!!
Then it is a lottery draw and approval of you as a family into the day care of their choosing. Convenience is not exactly the first thing that they check when they decide which one you can put your child in if you do get a spot. You do not choose where your child goes. YAAA!! My friend Hisano, who has her twins in one city day care, has no guarantee that her soon third child will be in the same day care. She may actually be driving between two places at opposite ends of the city morning and night. Not guaranteed in either situation for her. I was flabbergasted when she told me this today.
My one student just told me that he and his wife pay 500 a month for their private day care. Sounds like a good one though. He is always going to his daughters day care on weekends and taking part in group things that they plan - daddy days, shows art days that sort of thing.
Two seconds from my apartment, just on the other side of the tracks is a private day care that I need Li to go with me into so we can check it out.
This is all so stressful. AUGH!

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Posted by (Top)Andrea::9/14/2004 :: 2 Comments:

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