06.14.10
Small Group Childcare... Three Options... Pros and Cons
The question I'm asked most often is, "How should a small group handle childcare?" I hope the information below will help you conclude the best option for your group.
Option 1: All small groups of a given church meet at the same time. Childcare is provided by the church at the church building
· Pros
o Small groups don’t have the added responsibility of dealing with childcare issues.
o The children are in a welcoming, known environment
o The building is already child safe and child friendly
o The resources necessary for experiences for children have already been purchased and are available to childcare workers
· Cons
o Childcare workers cannot be part of a small group
o The local church must pay for childcare workers
o Small group meetings must end on time. No matter what God is doing in the group meeting, the childcare workers will be anticipating the children being picked up at the specified time.
o A church staff member or volunteer will be responsible for organizing another major experience for children weekly.
Option 2: The children are in the same home where the small group is meeting. They are with paid childcare workers in another room of the house.
· Pros
o Nervous parents know their children can be reached in a matter of seconds
o Parents feel more confident that their child is safe if they are in the same building with their children.
o There is no need to “drop the kids off” on the way to the meeting since the entire family is going to the same place.
o The group bonds as they partner together to pay for childcare.
· Cons
o There will be ongoing interruptions to the group meeting.
o The small group will be responsible for paying the childcare workers.
o Someone in the group must enlist and oversee childcare workers
o Parents are hesitant to speak about personal issues as they believe their children may overhear the conversation.
o The sound of children playing will be heard by the group during the meeting.
· Alternatives concerning who will watch the children during the small group meeting
o Partner with another small group. Take turns watching one another’s children during meetings
o Group members take turn doing childcare during the small group meeting
o Hire a couple of people to take care of children during the meeting
Option 3: Childcare is taking place in a home other than the one the small group is meeting in. This home should be no more than a three minute drive from the home where the small group is meeting.
· Pros
o Children will not interrupt the meeting.
o Parents can stay completely focused on the small group experience
o Parents are more comfortable talking about personal problems since they are not concerned their children might overhear the conversation
o Parents, especially stay at home parents, feel as though the group meeting are getting a break from the overwhelming responsibility of parenting
o The group bonds as they partner together to pay for childcare.
· Cons
o Some parents will not be comfortable in the group meeting unless their children are in the same building where the group is meeting
o The small group is responsible for payment of childcare workers
o Someone in the group must enlist and oversee childcare workers
o At least one cell phone must be left on in case there is an emergency situation with one of the children
· Options concerning who will watch the children during the small group meeting
o Partner with another small group. Take turns watching one another’s children during meetings
o Group members take turn doing childcare during the small group meeting
o Hire a couple of people to take care of children during the meeting
Check with your church leadership to find out what background checks need to be completed before selecting childcare workers.
One thing that stood out to me was that most of these options have someone outside of the group being paid to watch the children in the group, and it seems like it is the assumed option for most people with the location being the biggest question. Is that how most small groups operate? From those I have talked to in our church, it seems that most of our groups just have a member of the group rotate in each week.
I like the option of paying someone so that all members can be present at discussion, especially since with our group the last few weeks we end up with just 2-3 couples attending out of the 6 due to summer activities. When 1 or 2 people have to step out for childcare, this drastically reduces those that can participate in group and lessens the discussion we have.
All that said, my question is about the money paid to the worker. (I know different cities will have different average rates for babysitters) We did use a youth from our church for a couple weeks, we paid her $2 per child per hour. We usually had 4-5 children for 2-2.5 hours so she would usually get paid $20 for that time. Is that reasonable? We had to stop because some members didn't feel they could pay that amount of money every week but those members have recently found employment so that may not be an issue any longer. Sometimes the hardest thing was making sure everyone had the extra few dollars in cash! Is this too much or too little money? Any other suggestions for going the paid route? We have dinner at the beginning of group, we would invite the babysitter to join us for dinner or she could arrive 20-45 minutes later so we were done with dinner.
Thanks Rick!
Jordan
Hi Jordan. Your situation is not unusual. You mentioned some not being able to pay their part for childcare... One very important biblical concept of doing the Christian life together is to be the church to and for one another. When someone is unable to pay their part, the rest of the group takes up their slack. In many groups, young couples can't pay their part and those who don't even have children in the group pay their part for them. This will unify and strengthen your group.
About the person/persons who are taking care of the children... Invite them to join you and your group for the meal. Don't pay them for that time unless you feel you should. But doing this will make them feel as though they are part of your group. This will be very positive for the parents and the group as they build a relationship with the person doing childcare and will build trust between them.