- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Working Moms
2-Step
member
Should I look for a new daycare?
2-Step
member
in Working Moms
Please help me decided if I should start looking at new daycare options. I love our daycare, but now with one more on the way it is starting to make me wonder if we could find great care somewhere else for a better price and closer to home.
Pros:
DS loves it, I know the caretaker personally and she is great and I totally trust her
It's next door to my mom's work and she picks him up everday so he spends a few hours with her and she can be there in emergencies, she also lives down the street.
Her house is amazingly beautiful and spotless and she has an entire playground for the kids, a pumpkin patch and a greenhouse.
Cons:
I've been doing research lately and it seems to be on the very high side of cost for in-home care. We are paying $50 a day for care 3 day a week and this is even with my mom picking him up at 4pm. I found a few in-home places that charge $20 per day for toddlers and $30-$35 per day for infants so when #2 comes along we could be potentially be paying almost the same thing for TWO in daycare as we now pay for one.
It's about 15 minutes out of the way for DH and I both. We both already commute 45 minutes to an hour so an extra 15 minutes, plus drop off time adds up. The two daycare's I mentioned above are literally walking distance from my house, but I haven't seen either of them yet.
I love our daycare, but I am just struggling with doubling the cost when we have two. We could make it work, but we would be skimping on savings goals for sure. I'm not sure if that is worth taking him out of daycare he knows to put him in a new place that might not be as good though. But maybe it could be as good. Anyway, what do you pay for daycare? Would you shop around or does it make more sense to stay at a place I already trust?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Should I look for a new daycare?
Wow, $50 a day! We pay $200 for 3 days (not for home daycare) in the greater Seattle area. Although, I understand that if cost is an issue, looking at another daycare could be beneficial.
I say go check the other daycares out before you make any kind of decision. You might find them just as wonderful as your current or not so great making your decision that much easier. Good luck!
We were paying $105/week for my 3yr old. Now with DD#2 we pay $230/week. Thats with a 25% multiple childern discount. But I have a feeling we will be loosing the discount soon. We are kinda in the same boat just not with the money part. Both DD love there teachers. When I drop my youngest off I don't have to worry, she goes right to her, never crys or fusses. She is very well taken care of. My oldest has done very well she has excelled in many things and they are teaching her so many new things every day. The problem is I am not happy with the director, she is barely ever there. She has hired new teachers in the 1 & 2's rooms that I am not impressed with at all and I have to think about my youngest will be moving up after may. The whole place has seemed to change since we started there. I can't pinpoint out just what it is but there is just something. I have looked into other DC but as they always say "the grass isnt always greener on the other side" So were going to say for awhile and see what happens once DD#2 turns 1 and we see what the new teachers are really like. GL changing DCP is always such a big decision especially when you really like the teachers.
Think of it as paying more for the extra convenience and confidence in the facility.
I'd stay for now. If it turns out to be too much if/when you have another, you can always revisit the idea.
We use a center and pay a little under $400 a week for 2 kids.
If you can financially afford to keep two kids at your current provider, I'd do it. I think having that peace of mind knowing I completely trust the caregiver and environment, and knowing my child(ren) are happy while there, is worth the extra $20-$30.