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Daycare/MDO questions
First, let's start with what is MDO vs. Daycare? I know what the initials stand for but MDO seems like a part-time daycare from the posts I have read but that is why I am asking.
Why did you choose one over the other?
How did you research and select the one you went with?
Any other advice you would like to give?
Thanks!!!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Daycare/MDO questions
I could be wrong (hell...I'm likely wrong, LOL) but I think MDO is a part-time (i.e. not every day and not all day) program vs. daycare which is typically an all-day, every day program.
We had to choose daycare over MDO because both DH and I work full-time - 5 days/week for upwards of 9-10 hours/day (that's adding in travel time). So, we needed a place that could keep Bella every day for 10 hours.
As for research, I started on the web and checked out schools on the State's website (see Rayskit's post -- I put the link up). Then called and got availability and cost, then narrowed it down from there. We visited 4 daycares before we made our decision. Also - we visited/chose our daycare when I was in my 5th month.
That's correct MDO generally refers to part-time care. Sometimes you can find a MDO program that offers "extended' care that ends up covering a full 8 hour day. The state website is a good place to research and you can also use a site called kid care years which gives a lot of good information up front like rates, days and hours. So you can save yourself from contacting centers that don't offer the hours you need or are out of your price range.
Choosing daycare over MDO or vice versa just depends on whether you need full-time (i.e. 7-6 M-F) care or not. We need full-time.
Early in my pregnancy I generated a "master list" from the state website, word of mouth, and google of all the daycare programs I could find that were ANYWHERE along my commute route. I looked at their state inspection records and threw some out immediately, then I called the rest to ask price and availability. Then I threw some more out. I grouped the remaining list by price, location, waitlist, and a number of other factors that influenced their desirability to me. I toured a total of 9 facilities (over two days) --- 4 I hated, 2 I loved, 3 were nice but just OK.
I should add I probably toured/looked at a larger number of places than most because I was looking both close to work and close to home (and in between) which pretty much meant I looked at everything from the west belt to the med center.
MDO - parttime and is designed to allow a SAHM run her errands without the kiddos one or two days a week, from what I understand. Daycare is fulltime and is designed for parents who work fulltime.
Joe is in daycare. My DH and I both work, so it was the natural option for us. I didn't do a nanny situation bc it would be extremely hard for me to leave my son alone with only one person supervising him---I am NOT that trusting. Plus, I like that he interracts with other kids all day everyday and has an educational curriculum.
Start touring daycares EARLY!! The good ones get filled up SO quickly.
I agree with all the previous posts. I chose MDO because 1. M needed the social interaction and education atmosphere and 2. I needed some extra time to myself during the week.
Luckily, I found a MDO program that isn't church based but it's a little more expensive. It's more like a private school, which I really like. They even have classes for K thru 3rd grade.
MDO = Mother's Day Out
Typically 9-2, but can be offered anywhere from 1 day per week to 5 days per week.
Both programs DD has been in have been church based and both have offered both MDO and full-daycare hours, so the two are not mutually exclusive. Also, many MDOs that do not offer fulltime daycare shut down for the summer - ones that do offer fulltime care do not shut down and some others offer summer programs as well.
I work p/t which is why I wanted a MDO. I am a contractor and my number of hours vary from week to week. Because of that I also needed a place that offered extended hours so I could keep her there a bit longer if needed sometimes. When my work picked up, it was easy to just extend her days to full-time days (7am-6pm are offered at her school) and she didn't have to move to a new place or anything. When my work dropped off again I moved her back to MDO hours to save money but still keep DD on a familiar routine.
I would start out looking for a daycare here:
https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Care/Search_Texas_Child_Care/ppFacilitySearchDayCare.asp
Once you find some that don't have scary violations and are convenient to you, go tour them and get a gut feel for the place. To me, finding a place with low turnover is extremely important because that is a problem at a lot of places and DD takes a while to warm up to new people so having a new teacher is a very big deal in her world (at her current school most teachers have been there at least 5 years, and several have been there over 20 years).
MDO is usually part time and day care can be either. (Usually part time day care is only offered for children a little older, because infant care requires low infant/caregiver ratios and involves other costlier things.)
I chose a program that fit our life. Location, feelings about level of care, availability of spot.
Other: It became apparent that number of days open is a bigger deal than we ever imagined. Hours of operation are important too, if you're working. (Companies do not give Spring Break or Christmas vacation - day care that fits your work schedule can be very important.)
This is basically how I view it.
Most MDO programs run from 9-1 or 10-2 or some variation of that. I have never heard of a full-time MDO program.