Weighing the nanny vs. day care options? Here, experts break down the pros, cons and cost differences and offer advice for making the best child care choice for your family.

Before you start interviewing nannies or babysitters or shopping around for day cares, you need to decide which form of child care is going to work best for your family. Will a nanny, who comes to your home and offers personalized, one-on-one care (potentially along with light housekeeping), be your best bet? Or would dropping your child off at a day care center each day, where they’ll socialize and interact with other kids, be better? Certainly, there are merits to both, but ultimately, one will wind up meshing better with your family.

“A parent’s choice of who will care for their child while they are not with them is one of the first and most important decisions they will ever make,” says Donna Whittaker, vice president of curriculum and education at Big Blue Marble Academy. “And like many decisions in the parenting world, when it comes to child care, one size does not fit all. The best choice comes down to what works best for your child and your family.”

“… when it comes to child care, one size does not fit all. The best choice comes down to what works best for your child and your family.”

Weighing the pros, cons, and cost of a nanny vs. day care? Here’s everything you need to know about both. 

Here’s what to take into account when considering hiring a nanny.

According to Whittaker and Lora Brawley, a 30-year nanny veteran and consultant and trainer at Nanny Care Hub in Federal Way, Washington, parents can consider the following as the benefits of hiring a nanny:

“Parents don’t have to miss work due to a sick child since the majority of nannies care for sick children.”

A few more nanny pros, according to Brawley:

According to Brawley and Whittaker, the following are nanny drawbacks for families to consider:

When considering the cost of a nanny vs. day care, nannies are almost always more expensive. Care’s most recent Cost of Care Survey shows that, for one child, parents can expect to pay $694 per (40-hour) week. 

That being said, nanny rates vary based on a number of things, including where you live. To find out the going rate for nannies in your area, check out our cost of child care calculator. Also, look into tax breaks and credits for families hiring a nanny.

Whittaker and Brawley note the following benefits for families considering day care:

“Children who attend child care develop friendships because they see and play with each other every day, not just once a week on a playdate at the park.”

According to Brawley and Whittaker, the following are nanny drawbacks for families to consider:

“Unless you’re looking at an expensive day care for multiple kids, day care is almost always more affordable than nanny care,” Brawley explains. “If you have a full-time nanny, their primary source of income will be from you.”

“If you can’t comfortably afford nanny care, you should go with day care,” she continues. “If it pinches your budget, but you can meet your obligations, it’s workable. If you’re wondering how you’re going to pay your nanny each week, it’s not workable.”

“If you can’t comfortably afford nanny care, you should go with day care.”

Care’s most recent Cost of Care Survey shows that, for one child, parents can expect to pay $226 a week for a day care center. According to the survey, you may pay slightly less for a family care center, also called an in-home day care — which averages $221 a week — but remember, most family care centers don’t have robust staff or guaranteed backup care.

Again, though, day care rates can vary based on where you live. To find out the going rate of day cares in your area, check out our cost of child care calculator. Also, look into day care tax credits, which can benefit your family. 

According to Brawley, so long as you do your due diligence, you’re going to find great child care. 

“It’s a much better option to put your child in a high-quality family care center or day care than to hire a less-than-quality nanny,” she says. “Once families look at the pros and cons of each, they’ll quickly see what’s the better fit.”

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