by Breidi Caparatta

Created on: June 09, 2008   Last Updated: November 04, 2008

It is often a struggle to make ends meet when the kids are in school, let alone during the summer when daycare is needed for school age children. Working parents are faced with the challenge of finding day care for children that aren't old enough to stay by themselves during the summer months. There are many ways to find proper day care without having to taking out a second mortgage. You just have to be a little on the creative side!

Younger children are not the only ones on vacation during the summer. Often, parents can find reliable teenagers looking to make some extra money to baby-sit. Placing an ad on the church bulletin board or asking friends and neighbors for candidates can often end up in a mutually beneficial arrangement. Teenagers love money and will generally work for less than the cost of day care or day camp. When choosing this route, leave plenty of rules and a list of instructions. Make sure you call home and check on fort periodically until you feel comfortable. Personally I would stock up on Cereal, Pop tarts and Lunchables. They are perfect breakfast and lunch entres and kids of all ages love them!

Another inexpensive idea is to call in the reinforcement troops. That's right, call on the family. There is bound to be a relative or two that would be happy to help you out and watch your children some. After all, you may be able to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement that works for you both. They may need a favor you can help with also. Pick up the phone and start dialing!

Start checking the local newspaper about two months before school gets out. Often times you can find day activities for school age children that are absolutely free. Libraries often provide a reading and activity time weekly. This could last from one hour to an entire day depending on the area. There is generally no charge for this type of activity. Events such as these give sitters a break. If you play your cards right, you can find at least one or two events your children can attend weekly. This also gives them a chance to visit with friends their own age and exert some energy by getting out of the house. Sometimes local theaters have programs where kids actually get to put on a play. This is becoming more and more popular. Even if there is a small fee to attend, it is far cheaper than paying for a week or two at camp.

Most all churches have some sort of Vacation Bible School (VBS) program during the summer months. You can make a list of the times and days of each VBS

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