For parents today, deciding what the best option for daycare for your children is may not be a simple decision. More than ever before, both parents must work in order to make ends meet, necessitating some sort of care option for the children. For families where only one parent works, there are still many options to consider when it comes to what is best for you and your children. The Smart & Easy Guide To Daycare & Childcare: Your Guide Book to Day Care & Child Care Options Inside & Outside the Home provides a wealth of information on the variety of different childcare options available to parents, whether just one or both parents work. There are pros and cons to each type of childcare, and what will ultimately work for you and your family is based on a number of factors from finances to values. In-home childcare is care provided out of the provider's home. For example, a neighbor could offer childcare services whereby your children are simply dropped off and picked up at her home. The guide brings forth a number of benefits, as well as considerations, including licensure and cost. Daycare centers, or professional locations that provide licensed daycare services, are a common choice for many parents. There are stringent rules and guidelines at these facilities and they have their benefits and disadvantages. Many parents are concerned about the more industrial setting of the care provided vs. in-home care, as well as the lack of one-on-one attention in large daycare facilities. However, these facilities are often licensed and staffed with trained and qualified professionals that can provide learning and socialization advantages. Au pairs and nannies provide in-home child care at your home. In some cases, these people will live with their clients, but for the most part, they keep regularly scheduled hours. Duties can be more varied, but this depends on the contract. Typically, nannies and au pairs provide in-home childcare services and perhaps light cleaning or food prep duties. These services tend to be far more expensive than more traditional childcare services, but the boast a variety of benefits: The children are cared for in the comfort of their own surroundings One-on-one attention is provided for the children More individualized services can be provided House cleaning, errand running, etc., may also be included in these services For children with specialized needs, or parents who have the means to provide nannies and au pairs, this may be the best option as it allows the child to stay in their home and receive truly individualized and personalized services. Your child can become familiar with the nanny or au pair, rather than a changing battery of care providers. No childcare option is cheap, and a family's budget is most often the deciding factor on the type of childcare chosen. Each of these types of childcare comes with their own unique price tag, as well as benefits and disadvantages. The Smart & Easy Guide To Daycare & Childcare: Your Guide Book to Day Care & Child Care Options Inside & Outside the Home provides an honest assessment of each type of care and provides good advice as to what daycare setting will best work for your needs and budget. The guide also provides an immensely helpful section detailing how families can save money (without sacrificing quality). When it comes to our children, we want what is best for them. Today, many families have two working parents, which necessitates a high quality childcare option. Even families with just one working parent face concerns and considerations about childcare. From in-home care, daycare centers, au pairs, nannies and more, the options for childcare are widely varied. The Smart & Easy Guide To Daycare & Childcare: Your Guide Book to Day Care & Child Care Options Inside & Outside the Home provides a detailed guide on the benefits associated with each type of care option, as well as things to take into consideration when making your final care decision.