New program allows families to “teacher share”

 Have you ever imagined the benefits to your child of having a classroom-credentialed childcare provider instead of a nanny or mother-in-law — but assumed the costs would be prohibitive? A new program called TeacherShare now makes just such an arrangement affordable. 

   The new program is an offshoot of TeacherCare, founded in suburban Chicago in 1993 and launched in the New York metropolitan area in 1998. TeacherCare matches teachers with families seeking high-quality in-home childcare. Until now, most placements were one-teacher-per-family arrangements, but a few successful teacher-sharing situations and the rising demand for that option prompted the creation of TeacherShare.

   Now two families can share a teacher, bringing the price per family in line with daycare rates. The company estimates the cost of full-time care to range from $178 per child per week when split between four children, to $335 per child per week in a two-child sharing arrangement.  Teachers engage children from infancy through school-age in constructive play, from arts and crafts, to music, dancing and storytelling. Says TeacherCare founder Terry Brax, a mother who was unhappy with the childcare options available to her when her children were young, “Research shows that a strong relationship with a nurturing adult is critical for healthy child development.”