Considering Childcare in Atlanta in 2020

Before 2020 arrived half of families in the U.S. were regularly faced with the challenge of figuring out how to establish or sustain ongoing care for a young child or children in their household. Family, babysitters, and Atlanta nanny agency options were all used. With both parents working the age-old challenge of babysitting and reliable childcare cropped up year after year with families from all backgrounds and locations. Schools provided a respite by the time the child hit age 3 and for with preschool. However, when 2020 arrived, all of that changed.

Compounded Challenges

Now, parents are struggling with both their own work location situation as well as the constant care of young children at home. More than one Zoom meeting or webinar has been crashed by an errant toddler screaming in the background or chasing the dog through the hallway in the background. Between the demand for time and the cost, as well as now the safety factor of COVID exposure, parents are finding themselves at their wits’ end in many cases due to the lack of options available.

The Nanny Advantage

An Atlanta nanny agency provides a key advantage. First, using a nanny restricts the number of people a child and ultimately a family is exposed to one person. The nanny as well is far better protected dealing with just a family versus working in a larger childcare setting with more exposure risk and frequency of change. Second, nannies bring a level of professionalism to the environment, both in terms of risk mitigation as well as good hygiene in their entire practice. As has been repeatedly stated by the CDC, hand-washing, masking-wearing, and reduction of group interaction are key factors in COVID-risk avoidance. No surprise then, nannies represent a huge, viable alternative for 63% of parents who already don’t feel comfortable putting their kids back in a petri dish at preschool or kindergarten.

Risks are Still Present

The above said, nannies are not perfect, as a human being a nanny can be exposed as well as anyone in their daily life outside of caring for a child. Transparency is a huge issue, which is why the most professional of nanny services becomes that much more important. Families can and should have discussions with their nanny service and nanny about expectations for safety, including mask-wearing, cleaning, use of sanitizer on a regular basis, and restricted activity when working. While no one can dictate another person, even an employee, must live in a bubble, professionalism brings the level of a good nanny service to a higher expectation as a result. And, all said, the risk exposure from a nanny is going to be far less than what a child will bring home from a group childcare location or a school.

Atlanta Solutions Focus on a Nanny

Hands down, childcare with a nanny in Atlanta or elsewhere really is going to be the better path if one needs to have additional help with young children. Work hasn’t disappeared and COVID isn’t likely to be resolved in 2020, so adjusting for its related “new normal” is going to happen. The key factor is to choose a solution that keeps exposure risk at a minimum while still obtaining quality child-rearing support. A professional Atlanta nanny agency continues to be that primary option families should consider closely.