D.C. Area Babies
Why is KinderCare so cheap?
I'm obviously going to go visit the center on my own and check it out for myself, but I thought I would ask here first. Does anyone know why KinderCare is so cheap? It seems to be about $300-500 cheaper than anywhere else, including other chain daycares. I asked and they do not have income restrictions.
Have you had bad experiences or heard horror stories?
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Re: Why is KinderCare so cheap?
The one near me is only $295/wk. I agre $400/wk is essentially market.
Kindercares vary by location. Some are good and some are awful. The two near me in Kingstowne are horrible and are actually more than the one we use.
For our center, it started at like $280 a week but now that she is in the Older threes, it's $247 a week (it's actually really $237 but we pay $10 a week to feed her breakfast) and her school is one of the top in the area.
$400 a week actually seems pretty high but I guess it depends where you are.
- LH
I just had a really long conversation w/ co-worker, whose DC is at one (in NoVa) and from what I understand, the reason they are cheaper is b/c their teachers don't need many certifications. For ex: some DCPs have only teachers with at least a Bachelor's or an Early Childhood Development degree, etc. but KinderCare does not have that requirement.
FWIW, I worked in a daycare in HS and I didn't need anything to work there, except CPR certification.
Interesting, I'm also visiting Bright Horizons, which are quite expensive and I'm fairly certain that those teachers don't have bachelor's degrees either. I'm not even sure I think an infant needs to be taken care of by someone with a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, I mean, I don't have one. I do think that is much more important at 2+. But thanks for the heads up.
Can I ask specifically about the issues with the Kinsgtowne Kindercares? We're planning on sending DD there when I go back to work. We visited the one off Franconia rd, which I will agree was pretty awful, but I liked the one off of Beulah.
Which Kindercare do you go to as an alternative to the one in Kingstowne?
-M
The one on Beaulah is the one that is awful too. I live right down the street form there and drive by it every day. I know many people who have pulled their kids out of there plus if you read the violation reports on the FFX county website, you will see all the issues.
I did visit there when I was looking around and found many things wrong with it:
I have also heard complaints at how my friend's kids would be dirty when they were picked up or not changed a lot, the daily reports were innacurate or had spelling errors which should not happen when they are being written by a teacher.
I know daycare is hard to find but I also know that you should not just settle and seeing their standards was horrifying. I'm not sure if you have looked at other places in the area but Little Acorn Patch and Northern VA Academy of Early Learning are AMAZING.
- LH
The one on Beaulah is the one that is awful too. I live right down the street form there and drive by it every day. I know many people who have pulled their kids out of there plus if you read the violation reports on the FFX county website, you will see all the issues.
I did visit there when I was looking around and found many things wrong with it:
old, not well-cleaned
many of the teachers if not most had no formal teaching training. They had young girls like 18, 19 y/o leading the classes and the way the talked to the children (more the toddlers) was awful
one of the toddler areas is in the middle of the room, it's not a separate room so it's just this big open area.
Huge turn-over. People are not qualified to work there. In fact, many of the teachers just looked down-right scary. They also had a teenage boy working there which, right or wrong, I think is weird. I don't think young boys or even men should work in a daycare center. Freaks me out
very disorganized. When I went there, the director was out picking up the kids from school in the bus. Clearly understaffed
one of the teachers (who was clearly 18 or 19 years old) was walking around with a child from one of the rooms and came out with her and was talking to me. I was a complete stranger and could have easily just taken the child and ran away with her.
their curriculm/schedule was not very formalized. DD's school is run like a school and has actual classes all day long.
I have also heard complaints at how my friend's kids would be dirty when they were picked up or not changed a lot, the daily reports were innacurate or had spelling errors which should not happen when they are being written by a teacher.
I know daycare is hard to find but I also know that you should not just settle and seeing their standards was horrifying. I'm not sure if you have looked at other places in the area but Little Acorn Patch and Northern VA Academy of Early Learning are AMAZING.
- LH
really? just men in general?
most of your other points seem pretty valid and this particular center seems not great. but I'm pretty sure that daycare centers cannot discriminate based on gender and I know for a fact that there are some very well qualified and dedicated male daycare workers out there. you're definitely entitled to your opinion, but you may want to think carefully about automatically assuming that men working in daycare centers is a bad thing.
i'm not saying all young guys who work with kids are bad. However, there is a huge difference between working in a school where the kids are kindergarten and up than when they are babies and you are changing diapers, dealing with spit up, crying babies etc. It's very, very overwhelming and different than being a teacher to older kids. And, there are very few teenaged boys that I know who would have a vested interested in doing all that.
I am certainly not saying a guy shouldn't do that stuff (every father should take care of his/her child as equally as the mom does) but when you are dealing with a teenage or guy in his early twenties, I find it just weird that he would have a vested interest in taking care of children.
Just my $2 cents.
Just to add on to the guy thing. I agree with young teenage boys. But my daughter loves Mr. David and Ms. Joette all equally. And Mr. David is very sensitive and always on the floor playing with the children, helping them with the potty, teaching them. I think it is good to show your children that both genders can do a job equally.
Personally, I always prefered men teachers because they were able to compartmentalize their lives much better and stay more even emotionally.
wow, really? I'm not being snarky at all, I'm just completely baffled that someone is generally distrusting of men or sees the role of a daycare provider as strictly female. how do you feel about stay-at-home-dads?
If women can climb the corporate ladder and run companies now, can't men work with children? Just something to think about...
(I say this as someone who has a male friend who worked as a daycare provider all through his 20s...he's older now and works in management, but is still in the childcare industry and he's not creepy--he just loves kids and is great with them.)
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a stay-at-home mom or dad, it's the hardest job in the world no matter if you are a man or a woman. My husband takes care of our daughter 50/50 and does everything I do and we both have corporate jobs.
My opinion has nothing to do with what jobs men and women should do, it's a safety thing and unfortunately in this day and age, nothing seems safe anymore. And as horrible as it sounds or as sexist as it sounds, the fact of the matter is it freaks me out a bit to have men at a daycare center. No, I was never molested, raped or have guy issues, I just think people in general are not as trusting as they used to be and right or wrong, I would not feel comfortable having a young boy or even man, taking care of young babies or toddlers. If my daughter has a male teacher in regular school, I'm fine with that but I would be leery(sp?) of having one at a daycare center and I can promise you many of my open-minded, very liberal friends feel the same way.
- LH