Searching for a daycare

Melissa72777 · November 2013

Hi there it has been a while since I've posted. I've been lurking on my birth month board but not been on this one lately. Anyway, DH and I have begun looking at daycares for our LO and the first two have not been good. I'm finding it extremely stressful and I'm so worried the only place I will feel comfortable with will be super expensive and out of our price range or worse I won't like any at all. Anyone else going through this or have a past experience looking for a daycare?

DTNZ4Ever · November 2013

Go with your gut. I looked at a few places and was disappointed. Then I found our center and loved it from the start. It was actually the cheapest that I looked at. DS is 4.5yo and had been there since 12w. DS2 will also go there too. Keep looking you will find something you love. What was it about the 2 you didn't like?

Melissa72777 · November 2013

The 1st one I had to make an appt. to visit and when we got there the director was totally flustered cause a teacher had called out and she told us she forgot about our appt and didn't even have time to look at her schedule that day. Then when we saw the infant room the two women seemed to be overwhelmed with the 6 children in there. There was no separation between the play area and the kitchenette area. While we were there we saw a little boy who was about 12 months wander over to the cabinets cause no one was watching him and he got he finger slammed in the cabinet door. Plus the changing area is at the end of the kitchen counter. Like seriously they set up a changing table pad on the very end of the countertop. DH said he didn't think it was so bad but I don't know I just didn't get a good vibe.

The 2nd was even worse. The infant room was literally a closet. They currently have 4 babies but only 3 cribs. When I asked if they shared cribs they just said they don't share linens. The whole daycare itself is small, no doors separating any of the classes, and they seemed understaffed. Security is also an issue. We were there when other parents were picking up and were able to just walk in with the other parents without having to buzz in. A child also wandered out of one of the rooms and came right up to me and my DH. Again not a good vibe.

kelley72 · November 2013

We haven't visited any yet... I am not looking forward to it. I am drawn to a smaller in-home type and my dh prefers the idea of a larger/commercial day care. I wish you well, don't really have any experience with infants going so I am very nervous!

Krisd6 · November 2013

Good luck! My husband and I have to start looking. We are due at the end of May. I plan on taking 3 months of leave so the baby will not go to daycare until Sept.

Anyone know when you need to start looking?

DTNZ4Ever · November 2013

Krisd6 said:

Good luck! My husband and I have to start looking. We are due at the end of May. I plan on taking 3 months of leave so the baby will not go to daycare until Sept. Anyone know when you need to start looking?

Depending on your area I would start to call around. I know in my area there are a lot of places with waiting lists. So the sooner the better. We are staying at our center and I put in my deposit in September 13 for a June 14 start date.

DTNZ4Ever · November 2013

Melissa72777 said:

The 1st one I had to make an appt. to visit and when we got there the director was totally flustered cause a teacher had called out and she told us she forgot about our appt and didn't even have time to look at her schedule that day. Then when we saw the infant room the two women seemed to be overwhelmed with the 6 children in there. There was no separation between the play area and the kitchenette area. While we were there we saw a little boy who was about 12 months wander over to the cabinets cause no one was watching him and he got he finger slammed in the cabinet door. Plus the changing area is at the end of the kitchen counter. Like seriously they set up a changing table pad on the very end of the countertop. DH said he didn't think it was so bad but I don't know I just didn't get a good vibe. The 2nd was even worse. The infant room was literally a closet. They currently have 4 babies but only 3 cribs. When I asked if they shared cribs they just said they don't share linens. The whole daycare itself is small, no doors separating any of the classes, and they seemed understaffed. Security is also an issue. We were there when other parents were picking up and were able to just walk in with the other parents without having to buzz in. A child also wandered out of one of the rooms and came right up to me and my DH. Again not a good vibe.

Those are all legit reason to be concerned. Also if you are touring during pick up or drop off times it is more chaotic and less structured activities going on. Also at the end of the day they are often combing classrooms as children leave so it is often more hetic. Keep looking I also recommend doing 2 visits to a location one scheduled and one not scheduled to get a good ideat of what the center is like.

jbelle · November 2013

DTNZ4Ever said:

Krisd6 said:

Good luck! My husband and I have to start looking. We are due at the end of May. I plan on taking 3 months of leave so the baby will not go to daycare until Sept. Anyone know when you need to start looking?

Depending on your area I would start to call around. I know in my area there are a lot of places with waiting lists. So the sooner the better. We are staying at our center and I put in my deposit in September 13 for a June 14 start date.

Our timing was nearly identical. I couldn't believe how quickly spaces filled up.

I'm a FTM, so OP, I can't give you much helpful insight. However, I will say I was surprised by my own choice for a daycare. I was fairly set on finding an in-home situation, but we wound up really liking a center!

I hope you can find a daycare that works for you and your little one.

playball13 · November 2013

Keep looking, you will find one that you are comfortable with.

Melissa72777 · November 2013

quinncat said:
The daycare my son goes to isn't much to look at and is quite small. The teachers though, love "their" kids. They go on all these fun field trips and plant a garden in the spring. They are all so excited to get twins when we have the babies. It is really hard, but don't just base a place on how it looks.

I understand what you are saying but if a place looks dirty or like it is overcrowded that is not someplace I would want my baby to be 9 hours a day, 5 days a week. If the room my baby is going to be in with 4-5 other infants is smaller than my baby's room at home I don't think that is appropriate.

akflutterby · December 2013

Are you only looking at centers or checking out homes as well? We have an agency here that will send a list of referrals and you can call around town an select providers you want to interview in person. Like a pp I totally agree with a scheduled and an unschedulef visit to get a better feel. I'm due in March and have already started making phone calls. Always go with your gut and it doesn't hurt to check out places that you might not necessarily have thought of initially.

Melissa72777 · December 2013

akflutterby said:

Are you only looking at centers or checking out homes as well? We have an agency here that will send a list of referrals and you can call around town an select providers you want to interview in person. Like a pp I totally agree with a scheduled and an unschedulef visit to get a better feel. I'm due in March and have already started making phone calls. Always go with your gut and it doesn't hurt to check out places that you might not necessarily have thought of initially.

We are only looking at centers. I would not feel comfortable leaving the baby at a private home of someone we didn't know. Just DH and my personal opinions. We actually even know a couple of people who watch infants now but we don't really like the way they care for the children they are watching currently.

sweetky_06 · December 2013

Do you have resources at work that can help with referrals or anything? What about local churches that might provide daycare?

We got pretty lucky and have daycare onsite at work - and they are fabulous. It is so huge to have good daycare - I've never once questioned my son's care or caregivers.

Melissa72777 · December 2013

sweetky_06 said:

Do you have resources at work that can help with referrals or anything? What about local churches that might provide daycare?

We got pretty lucky and have daycare onsite at work - and they are fabulous. It is so huge to have good daycare - I've never once questioned my son's care or caregivers.

Unfortunately I have no resources through my work. DH and I also are non practicing in our religions so church is out.

jbelle · December 2013

Melissa72777 said:

sweetky_06 said:

Do you have resources at work that can help with referrals or anything? What about local churches that might provide daycare?

We got pretty lucky and have daycare onsite at work - and they are fabulous. It is so huge to have good daycare - I've never once questioned my son's care or caregivers.

Unfortunately I have no resources through my work. DH and I also are non practicing in our religions so church is out.

FWIW, our daycare is affiliated with a religion that neither of us are or ever plan to join.

sweetky_06 · December 2013

jbelle said:

sweetky_06 said:

Do you have resources at work that can help with referrals or anything? What about local churches that might provide daycare?

We got pretty lucky and have daycare onsite at work - and they are fabulous. It is so huge to have good daycare - I've never once questioned my son's care or caregivers.

Unfortunately I have no resources through my work. DH and I also are non practicing in our religions so church is out.

FWIW, our daycare is affiliated with a religion that neither of us are or ever plan to join.

That's the route I was thinking - I actually have a lot of Jewish friends who use the local Presbyterian church's daycare. In my area, a lot of churches run daycares simply because its an existing space with enough room. Typically a church daycare only mentions religion in the sense of a prayer before meals and incorporating a short bible story into the day/week. Of course, if you are an atheist and don't want your child in that environment, then I understand.

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