Childcare Costs and Options in Chattogram: A Indie Film Scout’s Guide to Surviving Paid Childcare Without Losing My Mind

so first off let me tell you that if you’re reading this as an indie film scout in chattogram you’re probably either crying over a rejected script or trying to pay someone to watch your kid while you chase down a last-minute shoot. either way childcare here is like trying to film a scene in a rainstorm-messy, unpredictable, and you’re pretty sure the lighting is terrible. but hey let’s break it down.

*the numbers drop like a drunk teen’s focus

i didn’t just make this up. i mean i did but uh. according to that super reliable tripadvisor post from 2022 which yeah let’s call it hot garbage but also maybe there’s a grain of truth here the average monthly cost for a full-time babysitter in chattogram is somewhere between $150 and $300. that’s right buddies. $300. for someone to just watch your kid not set fires or run into traffic. now if you want a daycare it jumps to $250-$450. and don’t even get me started on the ones that promise a ‘safe environment’ but then you hear from parents that their kid came back with a story about a nanny’s ex-boyfriend teaching them karate. ok.

looking at the data table:

so why the range? well jobs in chattogram are all over the place. if you’re a freelance photographer like one of my buddies you might have a gig in bangladesh city and your kid’s nanny in shahjahanpur. that’s a 45-minute cab ride. quality drops like a broken lens. and safety? oh it’s a nightmare sometimes. i overheard a mom at a coffee shop say a daycare near the port used to let kids wander near the docks at night. says the indie film scout who once had a camera stolen at a market-i’m not saying it’s common but that’s the vibe.

options that’ll burn your savings

here’s the deal. chattogram isn’t chicago or even dallas. the job market’s not booming but it’s not asleep either. if you’re working a 9-to-5 in a government office or a tech startup (if that’s even a thing here anymore) you might have benefits. if you’re me-or a budding film scout hustling through inconsistent work-you’re looking at high-risk, high-reward options.

so i went to this one daycare called ‘kids corner’ because the tagline said ‘we don’t need your money we need your kid’ and that screamed scam to me. but it was $350 a month. then i asked around and a parent said they had to pay an extra $50 for ‘emergency parenting training’ which is code for ‘we need more cash.’ that’s the thing. childcare here isn’t just a service it’s a side hustle for people who need extra cash and maybe a promo for their second-hand baby clothes instagram.

the black market of babysitters

now this is where things get weird. i know a dude who hires babysitters for his cousin’s kid in diene. the mom doesn’t even know who most of the nannies are. they just show up, feed the kid mango and cookies, and disappear at 6. it’s chaotic. but the cost? $80-$120 a day. that’s $240-$360 a week. do the math. for a month that’s $800-$1,440. okay maybe it’s cheaper than a daycare but if your kid gets lost in a river during monsoon season-again let’s talk chattogram weather-who’s paying for the lawyer?

reviews: drunk advice and half-truths

so i asked a few people. one was a yoga instructor who swore by a place called ‘safa care’ because her kid came back telling her, ‘teach me how to‘… i don’t even know. peace signs? maybe. another was a street artist who said staying with a local friend was the best because you could shoot films during the day and have the kid take “breaks” with their uncle. that uncle was just a guy who smoked clove cigarettes in a courtyard. wholesome. i also scrolled some yelp reviews and some were like ‘best daycare ever’ and others were ‘they stole my cryptocurrency.’ take it with a grain of salt.

weather and neighbors: it’s humid and your neighbor might be a fraud

the weather here is like a mood ring for your toddler. one minute it’s 30°C and sunny, the next it’s 25°C and raining like someone opened a hose. and your neighbors? some are cool. others? they’ll let you borrow a mango tree for shade and then ask for your phone number because ‘they need to help with your kid someday.’

here’s the thing. if you’re in a neighborhood near the airport or the port you’re probably dealing with lower costs but higher theft risks. if you’re in gulshan or some new housing project the rent might be ridiculous but the daycares are fancier. it’s a trade-off.

final thoughts (or ramblings)*

so should you pay for childcare here? honestly i don’t know. if you can swing it and don’t mind the unpredictability of a daycare run by someone who bought a crayon named ‘sneakers’ from a market then go for it. if you’re strapped for cash maybe the black market babysitters are your answer. but always ask, ‘does this person have a reference from someone who isn’t their cousin?’

want to dive deeper? check out the chattogram parenting subreddit-they have a 2023 flurry of posts about food poisoning incidents. or this yelp page for real (and not so real) reviews. and if you’re feeling lost maybe this tripadvisor guide is a lifeline.

p.s. i’m still trying to figure out if my kid’s nanny is a real person or just a figment of my caffeine-deprived imagination.

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