Daycare and Babysitters

Overview

Small children must stay home with a parent or babysitter, or be taken to a daycare facility.

Three states have laws regarding a minimum age for leaving a child home alone: Illinois – 14 years old; Maryland – 8 years old; and Oregon – 10 years old. Leaving younger children alone in these states is illegal.

Finding Daycare

Unlike public schools, daycare facilities are usually not free in the United States. For example, in California, a half-day daycare will cost you approximately $1,200 per month. 

You can search for daycare on one of the websites:

If you want to find daycare with Russian- or Ukrainian-speaking staff, inquire in Facebook groups listed below. You may find a Ukrainian or Russian mom who runs private daycare in your neighborhood.

Finding a Babysitter

Many American parents rely on paid babysitters to watch their children during the day. Babysitters typically charge $13-25 per hour.

The best source for babysitters is Facebook. Below is a sample of local groups where you can find English-, Russian- or Ukrainian-speaking babysitters.

California

Los Angeles:

Orange County:

Sacramento:

San Diego:

San Francisco/Bay Area:

Seattle, Washington

Chicago, Illinois

New York City, New York

Florida

Miami:

Orlando:

Note that “Russian” in the group name usually means “Russian-speaking.” These groups typically include people from all over CIS.

You can also check out these directories of babysitters: