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D.C. Area Babies
Should we switch daycares? Farther from home, but lower cost?
I'm having a little bit of a dilemma. First, I'll say that I don't have any major problems with our daycare, and the reason behind this is purely financial.
I have a strong preference to use a daycare close to our house, which is what we do now. DH drops M off in the morning, and I pick him up in the afternoon. I really like that we share this responsibility, and that I can go into work a little early if necessary, and DH can stay late if he needs to. It's also much more convenient if one of us works from home.
But now I have the opportunity to move M to a daycare close to my work (it would actually be on-site at my work), 20 minutes away. At first, I had zero interest in doing this, but then I found out that the tuition is almost $500/month less than what we're paying now. That is a lot of money! It would be more of a headache, and I'd have to commute with a toddler every day, which would kind of suck. But $500/month!
WWYD in this situation?
The new daycare hasn't even opened yet (it's scheduled to open in early 2012), but that leads me to another question: How would you vet a brand-new daycare? Obviously I can't find reviews or references from other parents, which is the main way I found our current daycare. I can tour the building and probably talk to the director (after he/she is hired), but I don't know what else I could do. I could also put this question on hold for a few months and then talk to my co-workers who use the daycare.
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Re: Should we switch daycares? Farther from home, but lower cost?
My first reaction here was to stick with something as close to home as possible...but considering that you're just talking about 20 min from home, the $500 savings is HUGE and I think that tips things in favor of going with the option near work.
How close is your work to DH's? Would he still be able to take LO in if you were staying home one day or on a different schedule?Waiting to see how the new daycare gets set up is probably wise, since it is so new. The danger with waiting too long is that it might fill up.
I didn't really answer your question did I? It looks like you have a good thing either way--you know and like your current daycare and it's convenient...the new day care would be cheaper and potentially not that much more of a hassle to get to.
My husband works in the opposite direction, so he would not be able to do anything daycare-related unless it was absolutely necessary, like if I was out of town. My office is kind of in the "middle of nowhere," at least as far as the DC area goes. We're in a residential neighborhood, and there aren't many other employers in the immediate area. I'm guessing that's a major reason why the tuition is lower.
The other thing I didn't mention is that I don't know how long I'm going to be working here. I don't have plans to leave immediately, but M will be in daycare for at least the next 4 years, and I don't know if I'll still be here then. So then we'd have to switch him yet again. I don't know if I should give that any consideration.
At first I was also going to say to stay close to home BUT, $500 is a lot of money. Also, a 20 minute commute isn't that bad.
I drop off two kids at the DC in my neighborhood most mornings. I don't think it would be too much more of a hassel if I actually took them to a place near where I work. Here are the main things I would consider:
1. Does your job require you to come in early or stay late sometimes? Would DH be willing to come out and drop them off or pick them up?
2. If they get sick at DC, you'll be the more likely one to have to pick them up since you are so close. Would your DH be able to share in this responsibility?
3. How often do you work from home and what will those days look like?
5. Will you resent DH for having to do almost all of the dropping off / picking up? What I would recommend is striking a deal with DH that if you do this, he starts dinner each night (that's what I do with my DH). Also, my DH helps me load up the kids and stuff in the car each morning.
As far as vetting the DC, I guess all you can really do is meet with the director.
Man, that's a tough one.
Also think about what will happen if you're teleworking. You'd have to drop him off at work, and then telework? hmm.
Based on what you said here, I think you're probably better off leaving him where he is...$500 is a lot, but the pain of switching day cares (which I just went through) is one to avoid unless it serves multiple needs, IMHO.
Yes, that would be annoying and kind of pointless, right? But $500/month! LOL. You see my dilemma?
I could talk to DH and see if, hypothetically, he would still be willing to do drop-off on my hypothetical telework days.
I also need to make sure the $500/month discount is the same for the older classes. I know that's the price difference for his current class.
this was going to be my question, I would find out the prices for the older classes 1st.
hmmm - tough decision! I think I'd like having DS nearby so I could drop in and play with him during lunch on a slow day, etc. but I totally agree with the other conveniences of having DC close to home too. If you don't absolutely love your current DCP I'd probably lean toward giving the new one a try.
pps gave great advice already, but a couple more questions:
what are this daycare's hours? if they're longer that probably makes the shared drop-off/pick-up responsibilities less of an issue because you could still drop off early or pick up late when needed.
If the new center didn't work out or you did leave your job, how hard would it be to get back in at your current DCP? (or find another place you like)
if you're thinking of a second child, how does the discount stack up against current DCP's discount for a second?
hmmm - tough decision! I think I'd like having DS nearby so I could drop in and play with him during lunch on a slow day, etc. but I totally agree with the other conveniences of having DC close to home too. If you don't absolutely love your current DCP I'd probably lean toward giving the new one a try.
pps gave great advice already, but a couple more questions:
what are this daycare's hours? if they're longer that probably makes the shared drop-off/pick-up responsibilities less of an issue because you could still drop off early or pick up late when needed.
If the new center didn't work out or you did leave your job, how hard would it be to get back in at your current DCP? (or find another place you like)
if you're thinking of a second child, how does the discount stack up against current DCP's discount for a second?
I have dealt with this for 1.5 years now! DS goes to daycare by my work (I teach) - which is 35 minutes from home. The main reason we went with it is that a lot of teachers that I work with have used DCP and had great experiences, and ultimately I couldn't find anything close to home I was as happy with.
DH works 45 - 50 minutes from DCP, then they have to drive 35 minutes back home. Clearly, he hardly ever does drop off or pick up. If I have a special event (back to school night, etc) he does pick up, but we're talking maybe 6 times a year. My parents live right by DCP, so they pick him up for us sometimes too.
It is a PAIN on days when I am sick. It hasn't happened often, but when it does I drive him all the way to daycare and then go to my parents house to sleep/rest.
We're moving about 5 minutes from my work, so this is going to be a non-issue in about 3 months (woo hoo!). Honestly, if you're happy at your current DC I'd probably stay there for a while, let the new place open for 6 months or so and then go check it out. and see what you think. $500 is a lot of money, but there are definite downsides to consider too.
Do you have to decide right now?
I'd be very hesitant to make any decisions about any new place "sight unseen." You're assuming that the new place is going to be at least comparable as the current place but there are a million ways it could not meet your expectations. The people running it could be idiots The teachers could be mean or inexperienced. The place could be filthy. They could run up code violations within a week of opening.
I lean waaay towards having daycare close to home rather than close to work, but on top of that I can't imagine making a decision based on geography/cost, without knowing what gut feeling you get when you walk into the new place.
I think the best case scenario is the place opens, you visit, you get a gut feeling, then you decide.