let's talk daycare

marajay6 · June 2014

I know that there have already been a few daycare threads, but the search is being stupid and not letting me search just our N14 board. So I apologize if this has already been addressed...

DH and I have started looking at day cares. We have identified the ones that are most appealing geographically and there are no big red flags on their website. They all have a form on the website to fill out for information, but it seems that the information they are all willing to share with us via e-mail is sparse. They want us to come in for a tour, info, and presumably to apply sales pressure.

I see us having very few options to really get the info we need to pick daycare. There are 5 centers on our list. We can use our PTO and make a day of it - going on a day care tour of our area. Or I can spend more time than I want making phone calls trying to get the info over the phone. Of course we will still want to visit the 2-3 that we like the most. Has anyone else gone through this? What have you done?

Thanks!

missnacholover · June 2014

DH and I were just talking about this yesterday. Luckily I don't work on fridays and his schedule is pretty flexible so our game plan is to tour our top 2 in a couple of weeks. If we feel that neither one of them is the right fit (or is too expensive!), we'll move on to our next top 2.

I know, for me, I'd get overwhelmed trying to look at a bunch at once. Can you maybe do a couple of half days?

abbyful · June 2014

We visited 4 daycare centers when choosing for DS. DH & I both took a day off work and visited them all on the same day. None of them gave the high-pressure approach.

I think going in is the best way. There was one daycare, looked ok on paper, but when we left we looked at each other and we're like "hell no!"

The one we chose actually wasn't the fanciest or most modern (it's by no means outdated, but another one we looked at was a brand-spanking-new building), but it was the one we got the best "vibe" from both the teachers and kids. There's nothing super "wow" about it on paper or looking at the building, but it was where we felt the most comfortable sending him.

abbyful · June 2014

Also if you plan to cloth diaper, make sure to ask about that. We cloth diaper, only 1 daycare said "no" (and it was the one we hated anyway).

krgriffin26 · June 2014

DH and I have already picked our day care but I would suggest going on the tours. You receive the best information during them and you can see first hand. Centers usually aren't too pushy but they do like to show you the perks and not just list them out.

I would also suggest that if the center provides care to older children (infants through pre-k) to take a look at those classrooms as well. It's nice to know what the future will hold at a center. Book a tour during times that the older kids will be playing and not napping or eating. This way you can see them in action.

moroccojade · June 2014

Daycare and preschool are really competitive to get into here. (No sales pitch needed.) Last pregnancy, I applied for one preschool when I was 12 weeks. The earliest the kid could start was 30 months. And guess what.....

WE DIDN'T GET IN! lol. We did not apply early enough. WTF? Tell me that is not insane.

Anyway. The websites are ok... but I would start calling to talk to the directors, too. And touring is a must for your top choices. Also, reputation! Ask parents around town. Where do their kids go and what do they think of their centres?

GL. I was so stressed out about who would care for my daughter while I worked. But things all ended up falling into place. My situation is different this time, and I will be needing very little care for this new one. But I remember your pain all too well.

mb314 · June 2014

I would first makes sure that the places you're interested in have space available or get a sense of their wait lists. In my area, every decent daycare has a long wait list. I started looking at 4 months pregnant with DS, and seriously, some places had 2 to 4 year wait lists.

Definitely take the time and take tours. I cannot emphasize enough how much information you'll get from visiting a place - your gut feeling will tell you a lot, and it's really important to see the places in person. Really. Pick the top two or three that seem good/convenient and start there. I got strong gut reactions at a lot of places, and visiting them was key.

And I don't think you'll be pressured, and if you are, I would see that as a red flag. In my area, every daycare has a long wait list, so they really don't need to give a strong sales pitch. In fact, I had the opposite problem - a lot of daycares were hard to schedule a tour with them because they already had such long wait lists.

And when you tour a place, ask to see the toddler rooms too. You'll be amazed at how quickly your kid will grow and will be a toddler and you'll want to make sure you're comfortable with the entire facility.

Lilwatz · June 2014

Does everyone think this is the time to start touring? I am looking to stay home 3 months so am looking for a provider around Feb 1. I want to start deciding but don't want them to think I'm crazy for going too early...

mb314 · June 2014

@Lilwatz YES! Start touring now. Every area is different, but if your area is like mine, spaces fill up quickly (see my previous post where a lot of facilities near me have a 2 to 4 year wait list). You can always revisit facilities after the baby is born, but I would visit places and try to make a decision sooner rather than later. It doesn't hurt.

Lilwatz · June 2014

mb314 said:

@Lilwatz YES! Start touring now. Every area is different, but if your area is like mine, spaces fill up quickly (see my previous post where a lot of facilities near me have a 2 to 4 year wait list). You can always revisit facilities after the baby is born, but I would visit places and try to make a decision sooner rather than later. It doesn't hurt.

Thank you! Will do!

highbornhunter · June 2014

I have been researching daycare as well and I couldn't get a lot of info by email or on their websites. When I called though, they were able to provide me with rates. I would make some phone calls first. They were all very happy that I was calling over 6 months before I plan to need daycare.

krgriffin26 · June 2014

Lilwatz said:

Does everyone think this is the time to start touring? I am looking to stay home 3 months so am looking for a provider around Feb 1. I want to start deciding but don't want them to think I'm crazy for going too early...

I would look now. You might be surprised at the "wait lists" that you can run into.

runningmama14 · June 2014

I had trouble getting places to return my calls. One place never called me back, the other I called again and got a real person, who answered all my questions. I toured that one and liked it, so for now, that's what we are planning on.

sunflwra · June 2014

I also recommend checking out your state's department of child services site for daycare ratings- they have to report any issues that are found on site visits. Some are relatively minor but others will make you run in another direction.

I'm not sure how much you want to know up front- a lot of the basics are the same across the board and you're not going to know how you feel until you see it and do the tour. I found that I could get pricing and some general info (do they have a video feed for parents, etc) over the phone but everything else was in person. Ask you want to over the phone and let them know that you don't have time to take off right now and need some basic answers so that you can narrow things down and then come in and get the tour. Hopefully you'll get what you need to narrow things down to what you can see in person.

sweetbabyrahe · June 2014

With DS, I narrowed it down and called the top 3 places asking main questions like: cost? what they provide? hours? wait list/availability? Then DH and I drove around to each on a weekend and just peeked at the building itself, outdoor space, cleanliness, etc. Then we picked our top two. Around us, most places will tour later in the afternoon because staff is there until closing. I left work a little early to tour our top choice. We knew immediately that it was a good fit for us. The space, the teachers, the curriculum, etc. They weren't very pushy at all. We actually only toured that place, and DS has been attending their since 10 weeks old. We are just sending N14 baby to the same place.

ccam · June 2014

After doing some research online and by speaking to a few other parents, we picked our top few choices and toured them. I was able to get prices over the phone but you really won't get a feel for the DC until you take a tour. I never felt any pressure from the centers that we toured.

Love4Science · June 2014

I started calling and visiting daycares the day after my 12wk NT scan because 1) I'm nuts and 2) affordable, convenient daycare around here is impossible to get if you wait too long. I didn't want to be forced into a place I didn't love, since I love my job and being a SAHM is not an option, so we started early.

I started by asking friends/acquaintances where they took their kids and what they had heard. Then I called all those places and immediately eliminated one because the price was absurd. It would have been more affordable for me to quit and be a SAHM than to pay the fee (I'm a teacher). The other three places were similar in price, so I visited all three, starting with what was my top choice based on what I knew. I hated place 2 and didn't love place 3, so place 1 it was. All of that was based on feel and talking to the staff.

All my daycares were able to accommodate me for a late afternoon tour. They only take about 30 minutes. If a daycare isn't open late enough for you to tour, how are they going to be open late enough for you to pick up your kid? Instead of taking a full day off, could you see about leaving work 30 minutes early on different days and making up the time on another day (I don't know if that's possible in your line of work).

marajay6 · June 2014

Thanks everyone for the response. I know it is important to tour the daycares that we are seriously considering. I am just trying to figure out if I should tour all 5 on my list or just a few. And how to filter it done to 2-3. DH and I would really like to save our PTO for when the kid arrives, but it might be best to use a day to tour the different daycares.

And talking to coworkers and learning how much they pay has me pretty upset. It seems like the decent places around here charge $300-$330 per week for infant care. I knew daycare was pricey, but I was guessing that it was closer to $1000/ month.

marajay6 · June 2014

CatLady22 said:

You inspired me to go on a tour after work today. @sj+cm131‌ are you looking at ones in the carmel area? That is crazy high! I'm now thanking my stars that we didn't look into daycares in that area.

Yes I am looking in Carmel. From my research, there are some decent day cares around here, but they definitely come at a cost! We can afford it for this kid, but it will be stressful when we are ready for kid #2.

ed16564 · June 2014

I called several places in my 14th week and was put on a waiting list for all but one. I asked about the one on my Facebook and a girl whose not even a close friend messaged me and told me NOT to go there and ended up pulling strings at a day care she works at to get me in. I don't think these people are trying to sales pitch you- but they're probably booked or know they'll fill up so they only bother with serious inquiries. I ended up having to call to get the info I wanted- and to find out about the wait list. Good luck- I agree with the pps- make a day of it sooner than later and get it all figured out at once.

montella1064 · June 2014

When I was searching for a daycare for DS I spent a day going to all the local daycares. There is also a county website over here that gives you all of the reports on the daycares. All the information is public. What the daycare passed..or failed at if any based on cleanliness, safety, student:teacher ratio, accreditations, etc. That was really helpful as well.

ed16564 · June 2014

Our day care will actually be more than our mortgage by about 15%- so I feel you.

lincoln79 · June 2014

I would go soon and visit them all. I think you will just know when you walk in.

Good luck!

JamieK1882 · June 2014

Definitely tour soon. DH and I toured one and I didn't love it. A few weeks later I toured 3 others on my own, plus back to the original given that I now has a better idea of what to expect. I think we'll actually end up using the first one after all.

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