How do you find home day care options?

EMLDF

Hi, 

I'm about 16 weeks pregnant and live in Chicago.  My husband and I have decided that our preference for child care is home day care.  Our problem is that we are having difficulty figuring out how to find them!  The one we had in mind (referral from friend) does not have openings "currently".  I assume this can change, given we don't need care until late summer.  (I did not get to speak with the woman - we just exchanged voicemail).  So, we need back up.  We joined a Chicago Parent website - NPN - which has a lot of child care postings, most seem somewhat last minute.  Being a planner, I want this decided yesterday! 

Does anyone have any recommendations about how to find home day care options?  Chicago, or other major cities?  I posted on the Chicago board but it doesn't seem super active.  

Thanks! 

 

 

Torani

do a google search for Chicago Daycare. On the second page I see a site called www.thecityofchicago.com/child-care/index.html It lists a ton. Start calling ones near you!

I used a similar site to find mine. 

cindybaf

Care.com has in home provider listings too. It's hard to find ones with openings though. It's unbelievable how much the daycare centers charge, so the in home day cares are popular and sometimes only go by word of mouth.

QueSrah

Home daycares often don't know they will have openings more than a month or two in advance, so don't get too stressed that you don't have your spot locked down yet.  Assuming Chicago is anything like the DC area, a lot of older kids in in-home care move up to preschool over the summer or in September, so there tend to be openings for babies in the summer.  That should work in your favor.  But you're probably six months too early to talk to a lot of in-home providers.

A lot of county and state governments have lists of licensed in-home providers. 

July18Bride

Can you ask the full day care if she can refer you to another in home day care? Also- maybe you can be put on her wait list as a back up plan just in case. Also check out the local boards on here as well.

I found two websites through my county and state that provided a list of registered in home day cares, it also provided copies of reports from their annual check-in with any violations listed. That is where I found our current in home that we love. Also- keep asking any local mommy friends you may have...you never know if someone knows someone.

christieep

Ask anyone who has a child in a home daycare.  Even if their provider doesn't have spots, they may be able to refer you to someone else they were considering or they can ask their DCP if they have any recommendations.

ASmallWonder

MRoss1982:

A lot of daycares post on Craigslist around here. That's where we found our home daycare.

This is how I found our in homes also and then checked their licensing and history with the state.  Our state also has a section on their early childhood page dedicated to lists of licensed centers and in homes that you can search.

Breezy8407

I used a website from the county I live in. It listed the daycare provider name, type of license, and if/when they had openings.