Daycare question....

Namaste Natalie

For those of you planning on putting your LO in daycare when you return to work, have you started to look into it?  Are you finding that you have to put money down to "hold a spot"?  Thanks.

LeelaH

When we were looking at daycares when I was pregnant with my daughter, every one we looked at had a "registration fee" and they would not hold your spot until you paid it.  We have to pay that fee every year.  Blech.

 

MrsACT1

I checked the two places I like for prices and what their waiting list is.  The one like the most has a 3-4 month waiting list.  We plan to visit both in July and make our decision in August.  You have to turn in a registration fee with the paperwork to hold your spot.

MrsBeckO

Yes, all the places I know of/we looked into require a fee and most of those have a waiting list as well.

Namaste Natalie

May I ask how much that reg. fee is?  I am being told I have to pay a registration fee, then 1/2 the tuition for each month to "hold" a spot.

belhhhhh

mrs. remy

well it will depend greatly on your area. Here (Balt/DC metro area) there are tons of working moms and infant spots are really hard to come by. I have my name on three waiting lists and one required I put down $50 to do that. I had no problem doing that b/c its an awesome place and I really want to get in there. I have contacted many home-based providers, almost all were full for mid-Sept when I plan on returning to work. The ones that werent wanted the first weeks tuition to hold the spot. Hope  that helps.

fallbride00

I didn't have to pay anything to be put on the waiting list.  I signed up super early, I think in Feb., to hold a spot for us in Oct.  The wait list is really long at our daycare and they said to get your name down as soon as possible.  Once the baby is born, we send in an additional form to 'activate' our application. 

LeelaH

Namaste Natalie:

May I ask how much that reg. fee is?  I am being told I have to pay a registration fee, then 1/2 the tuition for each month to "hold" a spot.

belhhhhh

Our registration fee was $100.  The whole 1/2 tuition thing sounds a little odd.

 

Namaste Natalie

LeelaH:

Namaste Natalie:

May I ask how much that reg. fee is?  I am being told I have to pay a registration fee, then 1/2 the tuition for each month to "hold" a spot.

belhhhhh

Our registration fee was $100.  The whole 1/2 tuition thing sounds a little odd.

 

 

It just seems like a bit much to me.  We don't live in a big metropolitan area either.  We live in southern Vermont.

AudNicole

We get put on a waiting list.  Closer to our due date/daycare date, if they have a spot open up, they call us and that's when we have to put money down (can't remember the amount, but it was not a small number).  That way, if there is no spot open when we're ready to put Beckett in daycare, we haven't lost anything.  Or, if we find a different daycare option.

clpeters7836

We looked for our DD (first LO) starting at around my 5th month. It is pretty standard for them to have a deposit to hold your spot. But, I found that some will use the deposit for your last week's payment for services when you end up leaving. You might want to check into that policy. This is how my daycare is.

MP&MP

Every Day Care and home daycare I have spoke with and visited requires a waiting list fee ranging from $25.00 to $155.00 just to hold a spot. I have talked to several women in my town who have placed up to five deposit for a wait list like seven or eight months in advance. Geez oh pete!

 

 

Namaste Natalie

$25-$155 is one thing but this daycare is talking about $900 to hold a spot.

I do not think that is fair...

 

MrsNnr

My DD will be in daycare but my MIL does in-home licensed daycare and she will go there. My MIL already said if she doesn't have a spot she will make one. Luckily though she will have 3 spots open so I won't feel guilty about someone being booted...I know that normally she does not require other people to pay a deposit, just pass her interview and tell her when they would like to start.