Type of non-parental care
What kind of care you would use: a daycare center, a home daycare, a nanny, a shared nanny or an au pair.
Should we choose daycare, a nanny or family care?
In short: Parents choose between 7 main approaches: Daycare centre; Home daycare; Nanny; Nanny-share; Au pair; Grandparent; Patchwork. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: during pregnancy.
- Evidence
- Your call
- Best settled
- During pregnancy
- Part of
- Learning & the wider world
Type of non-parental care: what are the options?
Parents usually land on one of these 7 approaches.
1. Daycare centre
A licensed center with groups of children and several staff.
2. Home daycare
A caregiver looks after a small group in their own home.
3. Nanny
A caregiver you employ looks after your child in your home.
4. Nanny-share
Two families share one nanny and split the cost.
5. Au pair
A young person from abroad lives with you and provides childcare.
6. Grandparent
A grandparent looks after the child.
7. Patchwork
You combine several arrangements across the week.
Type of non-parental care: what does the evidence say?
Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.
Quality, quantity and type of care were only modestly linked to development; no research comparing nanny, au pair and grandparent care was found
Sources
What else is worth knowing?
Each kind of care differs in cost, group size, flexibility and oversight. Centers are regulated and have several staff; a nanny gives one-to-one care at home. Waiting lists can be long, so many families start looking during pregnancy.
Questions to ask each other
- What matters most: cost, location, hours, or the feel of the place?
- Would we prefer a group setting or one-to-one care?
- What would make us walk away from a provider?
More in Childcare and early learning
First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.