Thinking about childcare...please help!

AvidVertigo · December 2009

okay, so I have been really thinking about childcare lately. Both my husband and I work retail jobs, and since I work the promotional side of things, I tend to work alot of weekends. He is a store manager. We are really leaning towards an in-home child care provider that is registered with the state as with our schedules we can't do daycare and a nanny is a bit out of our budget. I really am thinking about waiting until LO gets here so I can take them with me to meet possible delegates to watch them. Would you start looking at about a month before the baby is born or wait until LO is here? I will have 2 months maternity leave so a bit of time to find someone, but don't think anyone would hold a spot for me 6 months out....

Any help or suggestions are appreciated as this is my first!

Thanks!

tiniestjohnson · December 2009

Wait until the baby is born. Most places wont hodl a spot for you (for free), plus, you will want to see if they act comfortable with your child/if your child seems content there, so you should wait until the baby is here. Eight weeks is plenty of time to look for an in-home daycare, I think the daycare places usually are tighter with spots.

madhatter2003 · December 2009

it totally depends on where you live. Here even some in-home places have huge waiting lists. Our daycare has a list over a year long unless you already have a sibling there.

AvidVertigo · December 2009

madhatter2003:
it totally depends on where you live. Here even some in-home places have huge waiting lists. Our daycare has a list over a year long unless you already have a sibling there.

We live in the suburbs of a larger city in the midwest. We have 2 different towns between where the 2 of us work, so quite a few choices.

xtencornfield · December 2009

This is coming from my limited experience so far, so take this with a grain of salt and I'm sure already-mommies will have better insight.

We have already started looking for in-home childcare even though we won't be placing him until August 2010. Everyone I've called so far has a good feeling of whether or not they might have an opening by then. While you might not be able to secure a definite space yet, it will give you a rough idea of who might have openings and it gets you on their radar.

Also, I would do my interviews BEFORE baby gets here so you'll have more time. Taking a baby with me to an interview does not sound like a fun prospect.

prazenjc · December 2009

my SIL (has used daycare w/her first 2 kids and then provided in-home daycare herself ever since in both NC & WA) and a good friend/co-worker have warned me not to look too late, b/c of laws restricting how many infants and <2 years children can be in one person's care at a time. if you find someone you really like, then you want to try and have them "save you a spot."

so, i will be doing my hardcore searching after the holidays. i will be gathering my info. now (familiarizing myself w/the laws and then also spreading the word to friends and friends of friends for recommentations). daycare is an option for us, but my dh really doesn't want to do it (not based on any facts, just impressions he has).

smiles122482 · December 2009

Glad you posted this. I was wondering the same thing. It will be interesting to see the replies. I was also thinking I would wait until a month or so before LO is here or even after LO is here.

auslyn804 · December 2009

I would call around and try to see what kind of waiting lists are at places. If things around you seem easy to get into, then wait. If there seems to be lists, even for in home, then I'd start sooner. We had long waiting lists everywhere we looked, even the couple of in home ones.

AvidVertigo · December 2009

Thank you everyone for the replies....it helps me really think about things. You make a good point about the laws and not having too many infants. It would be so much easier if I lived closer to my parents...my dad is home by himself and would GLADLY watch baby while I worked, but he lives 2 and a half hours away.

I don't want to be too stressed out trying to find someone good and reliable to watch LO after they are born too. I will already probably be having enough stress handing them over to a somewhat stranger.

gypsywitch · December 2009

I would look around for providers you like, and see if they have a waiting list. If they do, and you like them enough, get on the waiting list! Otherwise you may not have a place to put DC when he/she is born. I take DD#1 to a center, and DD#2 will go to the same center and I put myself on a waiting list when I was like...16wks? Because there is a long list....I don't know how they delegate a waiting list but they aren't holding a spot for you...with DD#1 I got a call when she was 4 days old telling me there was a spot open and I took it, only at that point did I have to start paying for a spot w/o use for a month until I went backto work. So I say look around see how they do things then decide.

greengirl0909 · December 2009

I spent most of my college years working in day care and assisting with state licensing requirements in the state of Kansas. I would advise you to start looking at soon as possible to get your name out there so people know you are looking. Infant care can be really tricky and you don't want your chioces limited to less than quality providers because you need care RIGHT then. Looking in advance will let you know what is available and start imagining a budget. My two most recent friends to have care went with an in home provider, but that is a little out of the budget we have set aside. I think we're looking more at a provider that takes only infants. Lots of places do have wait lists and you need to be on them quite some time out before a spot becomes available. Good luck!

laurenrobbie · December 2009

If I were you I would start looking right now and get on as many lists as possible. Even if you aren't ready to commit to a day care now, researching and visiting them takes so much time and energy and you aren't going to want to do that when LO is like 3 weeks old.

I would visit a bunch of places, interview the caregivers, check out their credentials etc and then make a list of your top 10. Some might have very long waiting lists so it might not even be an option go to to your #1 choice in the time frame you want.

But when LO gets here you can call the centers and see if you are up on the list and then enroll. Doing the legwork and getting on the lists now will save a lot of trouble in the end!

SoldiersGreenBean · December 2009

I think you need to start looking now.

Providers, both center and in-home, have a good idea of what their spots will look like next year when you'll need them. Many already have waiting lists.

Contrary to pp, 8 weeks really isn't enough time to find a good in-home. You'll never get in at a center. And it's very hard to interview with an infant or toddler.

MD state licensing allows a provider to care for 2 infants, defined as a child under 2. It can be mighty difficult to find a provider that won't already have those spots filled.

*LrCg* · December 2009

When I was pregnant with DS around this time was when I started looking. Like a PP mentioned, for us there are restrictions on how many can be in the home and how many can be infants. You can always go during the day when she has children and see how she manages not to mention, you'll ask for references. But personally I'd be too scared to wait until the baby is born- 8 weeks will go by SUPER fast and you'll want that time with the baby and not stressed about who is going to watch the baby. We had no issues with someone holding our spot and I just called about 1 month prior to the birth to check in and then after the birth.

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Thinking about childcare...please help!

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