New to board and question about daycare

ohno3636 · March 2010

Hello everyone,

I am 25 weeks pregnant and due June 30th. I will return to work around 8-12 weeks after we have our baby girl. My question is when did you start looking into daycares and reserve a spot? I don't want to start late and not have a spot for our LO.

Thank you.

wheelenl · March 2010

Start now.

madhatter2003 · March 2010

You won't like my answer, but I started looking before I was pg. There are places here with a waiting list of over a year.

However, my DH ended up staying at home the first year with DD, so we didn't reserve a spot until she was 6 months old (to start at 13 months old).

I'd start calling and just see what your area is like. You may need to look/reserve now, or you may be ok to wait.

Maybride2 · March 2010

Yup, start now. The good ones usually have waiting lists.

BriAndSean · March 2010

Our daycare has a waiting list for infants that is over a year long. The only reason our little guy has a spot this summer is because our daughter already attends the school and we bumped someone on the waiting list.

I would definitely start now!

megs68 · March 2010

I called around when I was about as far along as you were but all the daycares around me were still available. We didn't find one until two weeks ago and he starts this week, and it's a good one. I think due to the economy, there was a lot more availability than there'd be a few years ago, at least in my area.

jlw2505 · March 2010

It really depends on where you live. My daycare had no waiting when I started my DD. We started looking a few months before DD was born and the home place we liked told us to call a month before we needed DD to start as they would not now if they had space until then. The 2 centers we looked at told us to come back after DD had been born, so about 3 months before we needed DD to start. We went to the center we are still at when DD was 2 weeks old and did all the paperwork.

mclaugaa · March 2010

Welcome to the board

yellowcar · March 2010

Totally depends on your local area. There are long waiting lists around here for the really good centers.

I would start looking now. Times have changed--when DD (who is now 5) was born, we didn't start looking until she was 6 weeks old, and we had places calling US to get her to enroll. But with DS, who started last year, I had his deposit down when I was 16 weeks PG. Good thing, because my niece, who is 5 months younger than him, couldn't get a spot in the same room until she was 6 months old. My SIL had to put her in another center for 3 months until that spot opened up. And she even had priority on the waiting list--she worked for the company affiliated with our daycare, and had another child there. It can be tough.

ohno3636 · March 2010

Thanks for all the responses. I live in Westchester County in NY. Sounds like I should definitely start looking now. I can't wait for my LO to be born but I feel so overwhelmed with trying to get things ready and choosing the best options, wheather it be a stroller, daycare or a pediatrician! Thanks for the welcome.

14years · March 2010

ohno3636:

Thanks for all the responses. I live in Westchester County in NY. Sounds like I should definitely start looking now. I can't wait for my LO to be born but I feel so overwhelmed with trying to get things ready and choosing the best options, wheather it be a stroller, daycare or a pediatrician! Thanks for the welcome.

Welcome! Yes, start now. It definitely can be overwhelming to try to get everything done and make all the choices. One thing at a time. Good luck!

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