Tips on how to find the best daycare?

tater517

Are any other ladies expecting Baby #1 and already stressed about daycare?

Here is our situation... our estimated due date is March 10th.  I'm planning to take off 12 weeks for maternity leave.  We would likely need daycare starting in June of next year.  I would LOVE to return to work part-time only, but will need to go back full-time due to some financial restrictions.  I have a great job, but it has some downfalls.  I work in a large hospital, have a very inconsistent schedule that I usually only know 2 to 4 weeks in advance, could work any day of the week, any hours (typically somewhere between 6:00 am and 11:00 pm). 

We are looking for a daycare that is open until 7:00 pm (husband is usually off by 6:30 pm), offers flexibility, and is also open on Saturdays.  Some weeks we might need daycare only 1 or 2 days and some weeks we would need it 4 or 5 days.  We don't live near our families, so we can't depend on our parents to help out.  Most of our friends in the area are still single, married without kids yet, and all have full-time jobs as well.

Am I asking for too much from a daycare center?  Should I look for a new job instead that has more consistent hours?  Would a nanny be a better option than a daycare?  How would I find a trustworthy in-home licensed childcare provider if that is more flexible than a big center? 

I feel like it's early to be thinking of all of this, but I want to be prepared!  Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!

Rachel010110

It's never too early to start thinking about that! Baby rooms at daycares fill up really fast. I worked at a daycare for about 6 years, one year was in the baby room. Moms would try and get their baby on the list shortly after finding out they were pregnant to make sure they got a spot. However, a daycare probably would hate your schedule, at least the one I worked at. They would definitely choose a child that would be there at consistent times over one with your schedule. It could totally depend on the daycare, too. I'd say talk to a few different daycares and see how they feel about your schedule and if there would always be room for your child, even on the weeks when you'd only have your child there for 1 or 2 days.

 I plan on being a stay at home mom so I won't have an issue with that, but I wouldn't want to take my child to daycare anyway after working at one. Some of the people I worked with shouldn't have been working with kids, they just weren't very kid friendly. Also, a lot of them favored certain kids and made it really obvious. Anyway, that's my experience with a daycare, I'm not sure about nannies. Good luck finding the right one for you!

about*that

Based on your schedule, I would say that a nanny would probably be your best bet.  I nannied all the way through college and then some, and the university I went to had a "student job listing" page.  Other ideas are craigslist (you just have to do lots of research on the person yourself), websites (Care4hire.com I think is one I used), or local mom's groups. 

A nanny share would probably work really well for you too.

citychicks

I think a nanny or an au pair might work better with your schedule. Bigger cities will be more likely to have daycare suitable for shift workers, however, even they prefer some sort of set schedule. Good luck. There are websites for both nannies and au pairs, you just have to google them for your area.

MrsMoher

Around here, you wouldn't find that in a center and likely not in an in home care either.  A nanny probably is a good solution.  BUT if you have a local board, post there.  Seriously I get so much help from my local nesties, if your local girls are anything like mine you'll get some great advice.

hsmac81

I am very new to this board but I do have some experience in this area. Yay! I finally feel like I can be of use...It is never too soon to begin looking into child care. Some of the facilities in our area have a year wait list. I am currently the director of an Early Childhood Center and our policy (which I am assuming is similiar to other facilities) is that infant? are enrolled on a full time or part time basis, with a set schedule to ensure that a program is meeting its enrollment goals. There are centers out there that offer extended care schedules but I am not sure about the Saturday care. I think that a nanny would be a wonderful idea for your situation! I like the idea of a child being able to be in the home. Good luck with your search!