I know it's so early in the pregnancy and thinking about daycare should be far from my mind but I have heard so many stories of people being put on waiting lists for 9 - 12 months before their child even gets in!
I live in a LCOL area and thought that their wouldn't be waiting lists but after talking to a co-worker I learned his son was on a 6 month waiting list!
When do you plan on looking into child care? Are you going to look for a nanny? daycare facility? in-home daycare? something different....
Re: When do you plan on looking into child care?
DD - February 2011
Jenny McCarthy = Former Playmate and MTV host
Pediatrician = Doctor with extensive experience and education on children.
Bumpies = Don't get me started!
I know who I get my health advice from!
What are you looking at?
We already have our childcare situation figured out but here is what I have experienced. If you are looking for a development center, montessori school, eco-healthy, or private school daycare, then look will in advance as there will probably be a list. If you are looking for licensed in-home daycares, there isn't as much of a rush. It is still good to call and visit them well in advance, but it is likely that they don't know what their openings will be until a month or two before they have one.
My DD is currently on a waiting list for a new daycare center and will be starting in December after an 8-month wait.
I am just curious what people do that weren't necessarily TTC when they got pregnant. We weren't TTC and daycare wasn't even on my radar at this point in my life! It seems crazy that people are on wait lists before they even start TTC like the one PP stated 2-3 year wait list. wow.
I guess I will need to start looking asap and get my name on a list somewhere.
My mother in law runs an in home daycare, if I needed to find something this is what I would be looking for. There are so many pros. She treats every child as if they were her own, very personal, becomes extended family, siblings are in the same room (not seperated by ages), she is very flexible with hours (not sure if they all are).
Good Luck!
If I ever needed to put my kid in daycare, I would probably do this. I run a little in home daycare ( I don't have my license, so I only watch 2). I feel like places like Goddard s chools are okay, but they aren't able to give the attention to each baby that in home cares can. Be careful, though, if you go this route, because there are some bad care.takers out there and some of them take on more kids than they can handle.One more piece of advice- Make sure that if you do an in-home daycare that they know you are claiming daycare expenses on your taxes. I just started watching a little girl whose parents wanted to claim expenses, but the caretaker refused to give them her information, so they couldn't claim it. Turns out she was a who crook who wasn't claiming her income from watching kids on her taxes.
Married 12.9.06
DD born 1.6.11
TTC #2 since 7.12
I totally agree with you that this is the best way to go. when its in home then you know they have more time for your kids. I have worked at my moms daycare for 7 years... and i concider those kids my babies... and i have watched many of those kids since they were a few days to a few weeks old and their older siblings... when its a small daycare its so much better!
We are set since DD goes to a small, in home daycare, but I would suggest starting immediately. I know another poster said you may not need to rush if this is what you are looking for, but a family members runs the dc where DD goes... she just got a 4 month old, she is getting another baby in September, and therefore, my Jan LO (who will be going to her in April 2011) is taking her last slot and she now has no openings until Sept 2011, so when people call her now, she takes their info, but says they likely will not get a call from her for over a year.
Most daycares are limited by the number of infants they can take.