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Calling daycare centers

PurplePeepPurplePeep
in 1st Trimester
As much as I want to be a SAHM, I know we won't be able to afford it. I'm trying to figure out how much daycare in my area costs. Am I jumping the gun in starting to call daycare centers about this? What should I say or what questions should I ask when I call them?  I just don't want to explain that I'm not due till November and the daycare people think I'm weird for calling already. Thanks for any advice!
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Re: Calling daycare centers

  • MrsBunchesMrsBunches member
    Around here waiting lists are so long that if you don't get on them early on, you won't have a place when you need it. I don't think calling early is at all odd. I have no advice about questions, I think it would depend on your situation. For me, the biggies are cost and hours. I also want to breast feed and cloth diaper, so I want to find out how/if they deal with those.
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  • cahollandcaholland
    Girl, You need to start right now. Especially if you want to put the baby in at 6 weeks. Each class can only have a certain number of babies in each room per teacher and the infants room almost always has a waiting list! I say get your name on the list now!
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  • Daisy22Daisy22 member

    Noticed you lived in GA and here it all depends on where you live. I'm in midtown atlanta and the wait lists are pretty long around here. We started doing tours and getting on waitlists when I was 12wks. Crossing fingers one of them comes through. Their other girls on the ATL babies board that didn't have to work until they were a lot further along but they all live outside the city.

    Definitely worth it to call a few and just ask if they have a waitlist. Also ask any other working moms around you how they found a place and about the waitlists.

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  • Kara LarsonKara Larson
    Our daycare center has a 1 year wait list, and that is for preferred people!  I didn't think about calling until my friend told me the wait list for the one she wanted was 15 months.   So yes, our future daycare provider knew we were having a little one before our parents. :(   Are you thinking in-home or center?  The questions are different depending on which you are interested in.
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  • jessicaclarejessicaclare member
    Its good to start calling now. Depending on where you live, there might be a waiting list.
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  • PurplePeepPurplePeep

    imageKML051008:
    Are you thinking in-home or center?  The questions are different depending on which you are interested in.

    I honestly don't know. I think it will depend on the reputation of the person or the center. I've already been told a few to avoid at all costs in my area but no actual recommendations.

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  • chick730chick730

    The sooner the better.  I called earlier today to put "baby chick" on the waiting list at 2 locations.  Baby chick is number 40 on one list and number 10 on another!  I'm not even due until the end of November and both locations won't take babies under 12 weeks!

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  • Kara LarsonKara Larson

    When we initially called we asked the wait list time, cost (and if it went down once they hit a certain age), hours of operation, cost to be put on the wait list (just so we were not spending a bunch of money upfront) and any specific requests (I want to use cloth diapers and lots of centers will not do that).   If they passed those questions we went for a visit and asked other ones.  For in-home you want to check into things like: paid time off, unpaid time off, if they will be traveling with the kid and how much, how much notice they give if they have a planned day off, animals/smoking in the house, and the other ages of the kids.  Also if they will do the FSA childcare reimbursement and if they are registered as a in-home daycare.  For centers our first visit went over pretty much anything I could think to ask from when the baby will move from one age group to the next, to their staff qualifications, to accredications, to their philosophy on how to teach/raise the kid, to the child-teacher ratio. 

     Good luck! 

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  • PurplePeepPurplePeep
    imageKML051008:

    When we initially called we asked the wait list time, cost (and if it went down once they hit a certain age), hours of operation, cost to be put on the wait list (just so we were not spending a bunch of money upfront) and any specific requests (I want to use cloth diapers and lots of centers will not do that).   If they passed those questions we went for a visit and asked other ones.  For in-home you want to check into things like: paid time off, unpaid time off, if they will be traveling with the kid and how much, how much notice they give if they have a planned day off, animals/smoking in the house, and the other ages of the kids.  Also if they will do the FSA childcare reimbursement and if they are registered as a in-home daycare.  For centers our first visit went over pretty much anything I could think to ask from when the baby will move from one age group to the next, to their staff qualifications, to accredications, to their philosophy on how to teach/raise the kid, to the child-teacher ratio. 

     Good luck! 

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  • PurplePeepPurplePeep
    imageKML051008:

    When we initially called we asked the wait list time, cost (and if it went down once they hit a certain age), hours of operation, cost to be put on the wait list (just so we were not spending a bunch of money upfront) and any specific requests (I want to use cloth diapers and lots of centers will not do that).   If they passed those questions we went for a visit and asked other ones.  For in-home you want to check into things like: paid time off, unpaid time off, if they will be traveling with the kid and how much, how much notice they give if they have a planned day off, animals/smoking in the house, and the other ages of the kids.  Also if they will do the FSA childcare reimbursement and if they are registered as a in-home daycare.  For centers our first visit went over pretty much anything I could think to ask from when the baby will move from one age group to the next, to their staff qualifications, to accredications, to their philosophy on how to teach/raise the kid, to the child-teacher ratio. 

     Good luck! 

    Wow that is really helpful, thank you!
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  • BlairWaldorfBlairWaldorf member

    We're getting on a Wait List this week in hopes of having a spot January 2010.

    and no, it's not too early -- I'm still reeling a bit from sticker shock.

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  • PurplePeepPurplePeep
    imageKML051008:

    When we initially called we asked the wait list time, cost (and if it went down once they hit a certain age), hours of operation, cost to be put on the wait list (just so we were not spending a bunch of money upfront) and any specific requests (I want to use cloth diapers and lots of centers will not do that).   If they passed those questions we went for a visit and asked other ones.  For in-home you want to check into things like: paid time off, unpaid time off, if they will be traveling with the kid and how much, how much notice they give if they have a planned day off, animals/smoking in the house, and the other ages of the kids.  Also if they will do the FSA childcare reimbursement and if they are registered as a in-home daycare.  For centers our first visit went over pretty much anything I could think to ask from when the baby will move from one age group to the next, to their staff qualifications, to accredications, to their philosophy on how to teach/raise the kid, to the child-teacher ratio. 

     Good luck! 

    Wow that is really helpful, thank you!
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  • hbkiseshbkises member
    definitely not too early to call!  there was waiting lists for the decent ones in my area so I called to get our names onthe list and get specifics
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