Nanny Share/Co-op Day Care Searching

August 16, 2013 10:22 AM

I live in Seattle, and am looking for resources on how best to navigate the world of nanny share/day care co-ops

Following up on my last question, my little guy and I ended up finding a day care for his part-time schedule! For various reasons (primarily location), this place isn't really a long term solution--probably until next summer at the latest.

My husband and I feel like we've just bought ourselves some time to look for other options. Specifically, we're expanding our search to include "daycare co-ops" (my mother-in-law is always talking about these) and nanny share programs. I've been searching for them online, but I think these places just don't have a great online presence/response rate.

Any advice for searching/making connections/establishing care at one of these sort of non-traditional child care arrangements? I have registered with a bunch of different organizations online, but haven't had much luck--I feel like this is a pounding-the-pavement kind of thing, but I have no idea where to start. I mean, I don't even think day co-ops exist anymore, but who knows! There are a lot of things about parenting that surprise me everyday.

I live in Seattle. Currently in the University District, will very likely be moving to Ravenna/Wedgewood soonish (I know I said in my last question that we'd be moving to the Central District, but that didn't work out).

posted by Ideal Impulse to Human Relations (7 answers total)

North Seattle Community College has a co-op preschool program. We were in the similar program at South Seattle Community College for three years and it was a great experience, but definitely more time consuming than a regular daycare. (In addition to assisting in the classroom some of the time, there are also monthly evening meetings for parent education.)
posted by mbrubeck at 12:03 PM on August 16, 2013

Yeah, the NE Seattle yahoo group is very active and I see posts several times a week from parents looking to setup a nanny share.

Most of the co-op stuff I have heard about is for preschool co-op. It is typically only a couple of days per week and for limited hours. I don't hear very much of parents using it as a part-time daycare solution, because of the short hours and parent time committment required. I have heard of some small babysitting co-op, but again I haven't heard of parents using that to coverlots of hours.
posted by stowaway at 12:05 PM on August 16, 2013

By the way, I am in one of the NSCC toddler co-op preschool groups. For kids younger than 3, the parent must be there with the child. It's a fun enrichment activity, but not a daycare solution by any means.

I know in your last question you said you had the list from UW. If you have until next summer, have you looked into the daycare associated with the United Church of Christ, across 45th from campus? They only take kids 15 months or older (I think) so maybe they weren't on your radar when you first looked. UCC is very liberal, open and affirming congregation, but I do not think it is bible day care if you are concerned about that.
posted by stowaway at 12:33 PM on August 16, 2013

I'm a nanny-share nanny in Seattle. I was hired through sittercity and the families found each other through their neighborhood parents listserv. Feel free to message me if my perspective would be helpful. Nanny-shares are informal arrangements so you will have to pound the pavement to make it happen.
posted by palegirl at 4:27 PM on August 16, 2013

Unless it's changed since I was taking my kid there, that daycare is in the UCC's building but isn't affiliated with it. It's called Trettin Drop In Preschool. I liked it a lot, but the drop-in part means you can't count on there being space when you need it; I used it to go get a cup of coffee and relax, maybe run an errand, but nothing that couldn't be rescheduled.
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:42 AM on August 18, 2013

My spouse used to work at Cooperative Children's Center which is a full-day co-op preschool in the U. District. Parents work a few hours a week in the classroom. (It's in the basement of University Christian Church—not the same church as the UCC mentioned above.) You can memail her if you have questions about it, though it's been many years since she was there.
posted by mbrubeck at 10:27 AM on August 18, 2013

Just to clarify, there are two daycares/pre-schools in the UCC building - there's Trettin drop-in, and there's the Child Learning & Care Center. http://www.childlearning.org/

Anyway, I remember from your last question you were frustrated with having put yourself on all those infant waiting lists. I thought it might be possible that there are more options for you now that your child is older. Good luck!!!
posted by stowaway at 11:50 AM on August 21, 2013