Can't afford child care, can't afford to stay home

Just wanted to add that I realize if it came down to it, I could just quit my job & turn into a complete welfare bum completely living off the government for the next couple of years, but please nobody suggest that. I don't feel that is a realistic choice either. Not to mention, there is a ridiculous 2.5 year wait list for public housing here anyway. How anybody can manage to be in a desperate, homeless situation of true poverty & wait 2.5 years of housing I don't understand, but I guess that's a different topic for a different day...

Any family near by or friends that could help you out? Where do you live?

i guess if i was in your shoes and had no one who would watch the kids for me i would look for a new job with either less hours or lower pay so i could qualify for assistance with the childcare. You have to do what you have to do for you and the baby, even if it doesnt look that great on paper you know.

Yeah, family would be my first place to turn - yours or the father's or your SO's. Maybe you have some friends that would help out or have kids of thier own? I don't know if hiring a babysitter during the day is any cheaper than daycare, but maybe that might be of help.  Sometimes there are folks in churches that do non-profit work to help out folks with troubles like yours. Maybe there is an individual that would be willing to help or one of the churches around there has a childcare facility that would help you out?
 
Otherwise, you might consider getting a job at a daycare facility that lets you bring your own baby there, too. There are some places of work that provide childcare for thier employees, so maybe looking around for such a job would be good before the baby comes.
 
Good luck, hon. I hope you find something that will work for you.

nichole04 wrote:i guess if i was in your shoes and had no one who would watch the kids for me i would look for a new job with either less hours or lower pay so i could qualify for assistance with the childcare. You have to do what you have to do for you and the baby, even if it doesnt look that great on paper you know.

 

Yes I totally agree. As far as gov't assistance, you will only be doing this as a stepping stone. Gov't assistance isnt a crime considering that you really need it right now.

do you have friends with young ones that maybe YOU could care for for a fee? then you could stay home and make money to pay the bills?

Once the baby is born will that change the income level to qualify?  It should or are they taking that into consideration already?  Also see if you can find a day care or program that might be able to help you out.  The city where I work has a program that helps out parents that can't afford day care but don't qualify for assistance.  GL!

Take a deep breath!!!  Okay, lots of options out there. 
Look for another job with more or less money. 
 
Friends, family, neighbors?  Do you know anyone that might be willing to help.  I had a friend that had an elderly lady that was a neighbor a few houses down from hers that was widowed and stayed to herself a lot.  She started talking with her a little bit to get to know her and found out she had no family or anyone around and it was actually a "life saver" to the elderly woman to have my friend in her life and in turn for the friendship, she provided daycare free of charge so she could be a "grandma" that she never got to be.  She wasn't really in a situation where she really  needed daycare, but it ended up working for them.  Maybe there's a good neighbor you haven't met yet!!!!
 
Start a daycare - govt assistance is available in most areas to get started, but you'll probably want a few kids in mind before you start this project.
 
You'll be okay and the right thing will happen for you!

I would say find friends or family that can help

look for a different job

open a daycare

I understand where you are coming from to a point... we are wondering if we can afford daycare once baby comes too... DH and I make OK $$$ but we pay for a modest house and for all our student loans (neither of us are using our degree because we graduated when the job market crashed... so we took what we could get)

Good for you though to not be one of the many who would just quit and go on welfare... that says a lot about who you are

try not to stress too much yet... still have to keep that baby in there!!!!