既能照看孩子 又能省下费用

A typical American family with two young children spends an average of $14,000 a year on child care, which is almost a quarter of its annual income, according to the U.S. Census bureau.

据美国人口普查局报道，在美国，一户有两个小孩的典型家庭平均每年要花14000美元用来照看孩子，几乎占到家庭年收入的四分之一。

In a recent national survey, 75 percent of families say in light of the current economic downturn, they're looking for ways to scrimp on child care.

在最近的一次全国调查中，75%的家庭表示受到了当前经济危机的冲击，并正在寻找缩减用于儿童看护的开支。

Kara and Cliff Petty of Sunrise, Fla., spend at least $1,000 a month on day care and babysitters for their children, Aidan, 6, and Landon, 2.

佛罗里达州的卡拉和克里夫·帕蒂每个月要花至少一千美元做，作为他们的两个宝宝---6岁的艾当和2岁的兰登的日常花费和保姆费用。

Like most families, child care is the Pettys' second-biggest monthly expense after their home mortgage. But they learned how to trim almost 20 percent off their monthly child care bills during the 30-day "Frugal Family Challenge" -- a "Good Morning America Weekend" partnership with USA Today.

和大多数家庭一样，帕蒂家每个月最大的支出是房屋抵押贷款，其次就是用来照顾孩子的钱。不过，经过30天的“节俭家庭挑战”---由“今日美国”和“早安美国周末版”合作的活动，他们学会了如何削减将近20%的每月儿童看护开支。

Dave Moran, chairman of the Financial Planning Association of Miami, assessed the Pettys' child care expenses, and Sheila Marcelo, founder and CEO of Care.com, offered the following money-saving tips.

迈阿密Financial Planning Association主席戴夫·莫兰评估了帕蒂的儿童看护支出，Care.com网站的创始人和CEO谢拉·马塞洛给出了如下的省钱小贴士：

5 Money-Saving Tips五个省钱小贴士

1. Know Babysitter Rates in Your Area 了解你所在地区的保姆行情

2. Research Backup Caregiver Options 寻找保姆储备

3. Share Babysitters With Friends 与朋友共用保姆

4. Formalize Care Exchange With Family 家庭间的正式交换看护

5. Check Local Community Child Care Resources 寻找所在社区的儿童看护资源