Daycare in Decatur / Northlake area

bryant1091

Hi all!  I am returning to work in early September and was hoping to get some advice about choosing a daycare in the Decatur area.  How did you find your daycare?  Did you search online?  Was there a waiting list? If so, how long was the list?  What are the best daycares out there?  What did you look for in a daycare?  Why did you go with a daycare instead of a nanny (besides cost)?  Thanks in advance for your help!

dany2006

We looked up daycares in a few selected zip codes convenient to our home and commute on https://decal.ga.gov/ProviderSearch/SiteSearch.aspx?childcare=y&newsearch=y (Georgia Bright from the Start). I would download an Excel spreadsheet of all daycare centers (not group or family daycare homes) listed in each area code, then I eliminated daycares that didn't provide newborn care. For the remaining centers, I looked each one up individually on the website and read through their inspection reports. Pretty much all daycares will have minor violations, but I eliminated the ones that had major safety hazards that did not sit well with me (like not background checking their staff). That left me with maybe 8 or 10 places that I called to talk to, and I eliminated ones that didn't sit well with me based on the phone call. DH and I toured the rest of them in person (5 or 6) and got on waiting lists for the ones we liked the best.

The DecaturMama Yahoo Group is also a GREAT resource for personal reviews and referrals of daycares, especially if you are interested in in-home care. It's a great resource in other ways too.

Daycares we personally felt most comfortable with were Clarian Place (both locations), Decatur Montessori, and the Suburban Nursery School, but I definitely would encourage you to check everything out for yourself. The Phoenix School in Oakhurst was also great but only admits new kids (even newborns) in June and September, and slots are given out in a once-a-year lottery in January/February, so it's pretty inconvenient if you are looking for something other than a preschool environment.

Hope this helps!

abb08

We are not using a daycare (my mom and DH are sharing duty), but I did use the bright from the start website when we were initially trying to figure out what we were going to do.  I found it a little cumbersome to use, but I like the PP's ideas about how to use it.  One of my best friends takes her DH to the Clarion on L'ville Hwy. and really likes it.  He's been going there since he was about 12 weeks old and is now almost a year.  In her experience it was not difficult to get a slot there - she did not have to go on a waiting list.

decaturbride

We just went through the daycare search this spring but for a toddler. The wait lists will be tougher usually for a newborn since there is less spots. The ratio of teacher/child is less per age group. We are at the Clarian Place on Scott Blvd. We just started and its our first daycare so I don't have an opinion yet. Its the one we liked best from the tours, that's all I can tell you. There is also Suburban Nursery, College Heights, two Sunshine Houses, First School of Decatur at Decatur Baptist, another one around Northlake that I can't remember the name of, Oak Grove. That's all I can think of right now that are daycare centers and not in home care. I would start looking ASAP, as wait lists are very common for all ages, especially newborn infants. I asked around online and personal friends, searched the GA Bright from the start website for evaluations and violations, called the ones interested, and then toured in person. Mostly, I went with a gut reaction after the tours. Which one felt the most homey and loving. We had a nanny until this past April and Owen will be 2 in August. I personally loved having a nanny until this point. I would still have her now if she didn't have to move away. I liked that Owen got more personal attantion and could schedule himself more at home, not be as exposed to germs, just more control over his care since we dictated what we wanted. Those were our main reasons for a nanny, plus we didn't need full time care, so it was about the same costs as daycare or a little less.

 Now we are starting daycare because we want more socialization and a more structured learning enviroment for Owen. Its been a hard transition for him and for me also. Its a leap of faith with any childcare, be it a nanny or daycare provider. Until you are actually in it and try it out, its hard to tell for sure if its the right fit. Childcare is the hardest decision to make as a parent. In my experience so far, gut instinct has been correct, good or bad. We had one bad nanny before we found the one we loved. The bad one just never felt quite right. We didn't love her from the start. The good one was awesome frm the start. I think you'll know when you find it. Do your research and then go with your instinct. Good luck with your searching and the decaturmama yahoo group is a great resource also, so check it out. Everyone kept reassuring me that there was a perfect (or almost perfect) childcare situation for us, and there will be for you too. It all works out in the end.

snansley

These may be out of your way depending on which way you head for work, but we liked Brookhaven Methodist's daycare (N. Druid Hills by the Boys and Girls Club) and Briarcliff Day Care Center near Briarcliff and Clairmont.

We plan on starting at Briarcliff daycare in November. 

FWIW, Oak Grove's wait list is closed to everyone but church members and siblings. 

NOTYET30

Our girl started Clarian Place on L'ville highway last week. Not sure how she liked it yet because she got sick on Tuesday and has been home for a week. She was only there for a day and a half. Email me in a week or so and I'll tell you what we think. ekberg1609@yahoo.com