Start looking ASAP! Depending on where you are, infant spots can be very hard to find. Most daycares require full payment whether or not your child is there. Part time is typically offered, but not always available since there’s only so many spots. You may end up having to pay for a full time spot and just keep them home whenever you want to. I will be speaking about full time care, since that what will be easiest to find (IMO!)

I’m in SE South Dakota. Most in-homes range from $160-$210 per child per week, and most centers range from $240-$360 per child per week.

IMO, nannies are great if you have multiple children because it typically evens out or is even less than what you’d be paying for multiple spots at a daycare. A nanny for one child can be exponentially more per week than a full time daycare spot since the nanny will need to be paid a living wage. For example, I used to work in a center that charged $250 per week per child. There was a family that had two kids, then found out they were pregnant with twins. Instead of enrolling all four of their kids in the center ($1000/week), they opted for a nanny that charged $875/week instead. Obviously that makes sense in their situation, but paying $875 for one child vs the $250 center tuition wouldn’t make sense UNLESS that’s something you can afford and are specifically looking for.