If you use a daycare center...

WinesNotWhines · February 2010

How many did you apply for, and how long were you on the wait lists before you were able to get a spot? This is my new thing to worry about. I know it depends on the individual center, but I'm curious what other people experienced.

mlvmd · February 2010

I put my name on three fed ones a couple of months before DS was born and still haven't heard anything. We ended up going with Monday Morning Moms and got into an in-home without a problem.

Mrs.Ram · February 2010

We put our name on the list at three centers. One was right when I found out I was pregnant, one at about 3 months, the last at about 5 months.

The one I really want is the one we got on the earliest (a fed one), and we are still waiting. We got on the list in February 09, I was told maybe we'll get in by June. Ugh.

The other two called in November to offer spots in the November/December timeframe, but that was too early for us. We haven't heard from either one since, though we're supposed to be on the list still.

I am basically waiting until June for the fed one to come through, in the meantime, we're in a nanny share.

schelebelle · February 2010

I was right around 12 weeks when we got on the list of three centers. We heard that we got into our center when DD was about three weeks old. One of the centers never did get back to us and I never followed up since we didn't need them. The other one called me when DD was about four or five months old to find out if we wanted to stay on the list. The still didn't have a spot for us.

We got into the one we wanted, so it worked out really well for us. Good luck with your search!

claraj · February 2010

We put ourselves on the list at two centers when I was about 12 weeks pregnant.

We got into one center after nine months on the list (when DD was three months old).

The other center? STILL not in. (DD is 16 months old!)

QueSrah · February 2010

We don't use a center now, but...

We got on about 5 waiting lists when I was 12 weeks pregnant (give or take). T was born in late Oct., and we found an in-home provider right around Thanksgiving because I was getting worried about not getting a space in a center. We got a call from the center we were least interested in around mid-December, offered a spot in another Bright Horizons center we hadn't put ourselves on the list for (with them, one fee gets you on the list for 2 or 3 locations) maybe a week later, and we were offered a spot in the center that I would have jumped at originally the Thursday before T was supposed to start at her in-home provider in mid-January.

I guess it would have worked out for us in the end, but I couldn't handle the worry any longer to wait for a spot in a center. Turns out I'm much happier with the in-home provider setting than a center anyway, so I think it worked out for the better even though I stressed over the situation for ages.

kcita_234 · February 2010

As soon as we found out we were pregnant- we went all "operation daycare". We put our names on 6 or 7 different federal daycare programs downtown. Thankfully, we found daycare near our house when DS was about a month old. Ultimately it took us over a year to finally get into our current (federal) daycare.

DCtoLowcountry · February 2010

We were leaning towards in-home, but got on a center list around 24 weeks, and they had a spot open up when he was 3 months old (3 weeks before we needed care).

tracy042206 · February 2010

We were on 4 lists at about 20 weeks in the Gaithersburg area. When I had Maggie none of them had openings. By the time I found in-home care when Maggie was 2.5 months old, one of the centers called when she was 3 mo old and said they had an opening. However by that point I really liked the in-home we had found and it was SO much cheaper.

WinesNotWhines · February 2010

It's good to know my concerns are valid. Sad

We're on 2 wait lists right now, but maybe I need to put us on some more. Ack. I'm not opposed to in-home care, but I don't like the idea of waiting until I'm on maternity leave to start looking for daycare, except as a last resort.

DCtoLowcountry · February 2010

gtown_bride:
It's good to know my concerns are valid.

We're on 2 wait lists right now, but maybe I need to put us on some more. Ack. I'm not opposed to in-home care, but I don't like the idea of waiting until I'm on maternity leave to start looking for daycare, except as a last resort.

I too wanted to have daycare nailed down by 20 weeks pg at the latest. I hope the many, many stories on here of people being happy with daycare they found on maternity leave helps calm your fears. For me, I had a much better idea of what I wanted in a daycare after meeting my little guy and seeing what his needs were. It really can work out!

biochemgirl · February 2010

The one we are using we put our name on the waitlist last July and we don't have a spot until June 21st. Family is going to have to help until then.

Another center has a spot now and one when we looked the list had 2 babies before us but then we decided to not add name to list but a few months later we reconsidered and I called and they said the wait list was like 2 years long. I'd put your name on any you might be interested in.

biochemgirl · February 2010

The one we are using we put our name on the waitlist last July and we don't have a spot until June 21st. Family is going to have to help until then.

Another center has a spot now and one when we looked the list had 2 babies before us but then we decided to not add name to list but a few months later we reconsidered and I called and they said the wait list was like 2 years long. I'd put your name on any you might be interested in.

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