Finding good daycare-cheaper is not always better.

Those of us who are parents know how hard it is to find quality and affordable childcare. I know, from experience, that cheaper is not always the best way to go. Before we had our third child, I did get a job with a very good friend. We thought we were doing so good! The sitter we found was a friend who lived in the same apartment complex. We used to visit her a lot before we became employed. We let our children play together, bake cookies, get together once or twice a month and cook dinner for all 3 of our families.

Mary and I decided we should get jobs. Our friend said she could watch our children for 30 bucks a week! That is a great price for 2 kids. We found a job together doing some post construction cleaning in the Dallas, TX area.

I will never forget that fateful day when Mary got a phone call from her husband. We were cleaning a building that looked over the Cowboys practice field. We had decided to take our lunch closer to watch them practice. Mary received a call right before we were going to lunch break. As she was listening to the caller, I saw her face turn a frighting shade of white and she almost passed out! When she was finished with her call, she was hysterical. It took what seemed to be and eternity to get her to tell me what happened.

Her husband was calling from the hospital in Garland. The Dr. told him that her son, Christopher, had sustained a sever head injury and needed to be life-flighted to a nearby children's hospital. We rushed to the hospital as fast as we could. When we arrived, the Doctor met us at the entry to the ER with child protection. They told us that little Christopher's injury was not caused by a fall. The type of injury to his head could have only came from being dropped or falling from 6' or higher. Her baby was dieing. There was nothing they could do.

Mary passed out. Smelling salts were brought in to revive her. We were taken to the childrens hospital where he had been taken. For about a week the little guy wouldn't give up. Mary, her husband, and I all stayed and cried and held his little hand. We were all with him the day he stopped fighting.

There was an investigation by child protection and they inspected the other children in the sitters care. Questionable marks and bruises were found on Mary's 2 year old daughter, my 2 year old son and my 3 month old daughter. After the case workers eliminated us, as the parents as the abusers, they concentrated on the sitter. We just couldn't believe our friend could hurt our children. We were devistated!

The trial was long and drawn out. Almost a year later, we found out the true story of how little 13 month old Christopher was injured. The sitter admitted to not being able to handle him that day. He was a "cry baby". That day she just couldn't take it. She sent a little 13 year old neighbor child outside with the other children and proceeded to slam that little guy's head onto a dresser and concrete floor until he stopped crying, forever.

The sitter was sentenced to life in prison for causing injury resulting in death to a minor child. She is still there to this day.

This was the time in my life that I decided I would never trust another person to care for my children. Until they were old enough to speak up when something was wrong, I would stay home with them.

As parents we are supposed to protect our children from people who would do them harm. It is very difficult to know who to trust. Anyone can become a certified sitter. That is still no guarantee that your children will be cared for properly. When looking into day care, use the technology that is available. Do a background check on the potential care giver. Conduct several visits and interviews. Find out as much as you can about who you will.