Daycare-When to Decide

asratliff · July 2013

Hey there!

This is my first post on this board. I usually post on my bm board, but thought this question would be appropriate for here as well. I'm a FTM who is due in November and I am wondering when I should begin my daycare search.

I know that daycare enrollment is usually in the fall so I'm wondering if it's too early to begin shopping for one, or if I might possibly need to reserve a spot. Would it be silly of me to contact daycares now when the baby is not due until November? Or will I be kicking myself when places are full once November rolls around? I don't have friends with children in daycare so this is a tricky one for me to figure out.

mariamaria · July 2013

Not at all. I say go for it. You can never start too soon to find one that fits for you and your budget and comfort level.

jf198400 · July 2013

This is very much dependent on where you live, how long the wait lists will be. I would definitely start calling around now. You can tell them on the phone when you are due and when you plan to start daycare. They'll be able to tell you right away if they have a wait list and how long it is. Its better to find out now, in case the wait is long. In some areas you practically need to reserve a spot before you are even pregnant, but in other areas there is no wait at all.

9fraulein · July 2013

I started 5 months ahead of childcare start date. I changed my mind about type of childcare a lot, went from checking out family daycares to nanny shares to child care centers, so it was nice to have a lot of time to check out everything I wanted.

MNgirl326 · July 2013

I started searching for daycare when I was three months pregnant. I had a spot reserved by the time I was 19 weeks. I live an area where things fill up fast, so I wanted to be on a list ready to go.

Pips09 · July 2013

I would start looking. Around here, most places have waitlists. I put a deposit on a spot down when I was 3-4 months pregnant. I never even heard back from some of the places I was waitlisted.

Mrs.RockyM · July 2013

I signed up for both girls right around 16 weeks for DD1 and 18 for DD2 (we were waiting to tell her first and didn't want any of the teaches to accidentally tell her) and when I signed up for DD2, I found that there was only 1 spot left in the class.

It really depends on what you're looking for (in home or center) and your area. I know lots of places have wait lists and folks need to sign up as soon as they find out they're pregnant. As far as I see if, if you want the best, the only way to ensure (or come close to ensuring as you can) is to sign up and reserve a spot for your LO early. You don't want to wait till your LO is already here and just get stuck with whatever is open.

ras26 · July 2013

I'll probably talk to DD's daycare around 12 weeks to reserve a spot. I know that 2 other toddler moms in DD's class are also expecting within 2 months of me, so that is 3/6 infant spots already taken!

jbatch · July 2013

I run a daycare and we have close to a year wait list..

Alexames · July 2013

to be very honest, the earlier the better. don't wait around.

it was quite stressful looking for the ideal daycare for my LO right before she was even born. if you can have it all set up way earlier, it is one less thing for you to think/research/stress about after your LO arrives. best of luck and follow your instincts.

TheBorg7of9 · July 2013

You should call around TODAY and find out what the waiting lists are like in your area. In Chicago, waiting lists are around a year, so I got on the list when I was 12 weeks pregnant.

cedenton · July 2013

asratliff said:

Hey there! This is my first post on this board. I usually post on my bm board, but thought this question would be appropriate for here as well. I'm a FTM who is due in November and I am wondering when I should begin my daycare search. I know that daycare enrollment is usually in the fall so I'm wondering if it's too early to begin shopping for one, or if I might possibly need to reserve a spot. Would it be silly of me to contact daycares now when the baby is not due until November? Or will I be kicking myself when places are full once November rolls around? I don't have friends with children in daycare so this is a tricky one for me to figure out.

Daycare enrollment doesn't really have anything to do with the time of year, that would be Kindergarten +.

Start shopping now. There's no such thing as too early, but there ARE places with waiting lists so why wait?

skyejo · July 2013

The earlier the better, You'd hate to find a great center only to be told they are full. I was 12 weeks when I signed the daycare contract for DD1. I found the perfect center and didn't want to risk losing our spot.

youenjoymyself · July 2013

We knew where we wanted LO to go, and we got put on the waiting list for 6 months before a spot opened up. If demand for your #1 center is high, go ahead and get signed up now!

jnnfrrose6 · July 2013

I started looking when I was 4-5 months pregnant and couldn't get into any of our first choices. LO ended up at the fall back option for the last year and now that he's about to be a year old, he's getting into our first choice. In my area, you basically need to get on the wait list the week you find out you're pregnant. We'll know for #2.

LoCarb · July 2013

Some DC's have wait lists. I would begin looking now and narrow down your choice in case there is a wait list. Bring a list of questions with you, read online reviews, read state audits and trust your gut. GL!

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