One thing that you need to know is that you're not the only parent that feels childcare is too expensive. Chances are there are numerous other parents in your immediate area looking for cheaper yet quality childcare. One thing that you can do to help yourself as well as other parents experiencing the same problem is to "swap" childcare. You can achieve this by finding other parents in your neighborhood who need care for their children while they work or attend school. As long as the other parents needs are during times when you're home and vice versa, you can provide care for each other's children without the exchange of money. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved, including the children who will have other children to interact with.

One way that many couples have discovered as a solution to the high cost of childcare is to work opposite shifts. If your job or your spouse's has more than one shift, the two of you can decide which one of you could switch to another shift. For instance, you may work at a hospital from 7:00 - 3:00p.m and your spouse could work at his or her job from 4:00p.m to midnight. Such an arrangement would totally eliminate the need for a babysitter, but sometimes, unfortunately, the hours don't work out so smoothly. Your shift may not end until 4 yet your spouse's starts at the same time. In cases like this, you may have to put your children in daycare for an hour or less, which wouldn't cost you great deal in the least.

If you're fortunate enough to have family members living nearby, many will care for your children for a reduced price, and in some cases even free. Another advantage of having close family members care for your children is that you don't have to worry about neglect or abuse like you probably would if your child attends a daycare. Your family member's main goal will most likely be to love and care for the child, as opposed to a daycare's, whose ultimate goal is to make money. This is not to say that your children will be abused or neglected if they attend daycare, because most provide excellent care for children of all ages.

Individuals who offer childcare in their homes typically charge substantially less than large daycare centers do. There are also other advantages of choosing a home daycare as opposed to a larger center. First of all, there are usually smaller groups in home daycares. Due to limited amounts of space, as well as the fact that one adult can only handle so many children, your child will be able to receive more individualized care in someone's home than in a large daycare center with many children. Another advantage is that although many home daycares operate during the same hours as large centers, home childcare centers are more apt to have flexible hours. Not everyone works a typical 9 - 5 shift, and many caregivers who provide childcare in their homes realize this and try to cater to those who work second and third shift.

There are many alternatives to paying astronomical daycare costs, and you don't have to feel like you're working merely to pay for childcare. If you can't work out an acceptable childcare solution, perhaps you could work from home. Many employers understand the challenges that parents face and my allow you to work from home a majority of the time. If not, there are many things that you can do from home to make a living. Many companies, such as West at Home, allow you to take calls from customers from the comfort of your home. You would have the option of working the schedule of your choice, and could even choose to design your schedule around your children's nap time and after they've gone to bed.

If customer service isn't your forte there are many other legitimate companies looking for at-home workers. If you have a special talent such as sewing or ceramics, you could always start a crafting business and sell the items that you make. There are no limits to what you could do from home to make a living. Many parents who have decided to work from home have come up with ways of making more money than they were making at their previous jobs, which is a definite plus.

If after searching for a while you're unable to find more affordable childcare, you could always open your own home daycare, which would enable you to stay home with your children and earn an income simultaneously. Caring for several small children isn't for everyone, though, so if you don't have the desire to provide care for other's children, there is a way to make working and affording childcare easier. It may take a while to make arrangements to your satisfaction, but in the end you will realize that your peace of mind--and your increased bank account--is definitely worth the hard work.