Anyone else looking into daycare already?

spaceykatie · August 2014

According to the few mom friends I have out here, there is such a shortage of infant daycare slots that people get on waitlists as soon as the pee is dry. I didn't quite believe it, but I called a center yesterday and they said that in fact, a year on the waitlist is not uncommon for infants. WTF? We aren't even through the first trimester and I really don't want to be calling around for registration refunds if we have another loss. This seems insane to me.

So now I have to get my butt in gear. I thought I had time to research this. I don't even know what I want in a daycare center yet. Is anyone else dealing with crazy day care waitlists? I'm in the SF bay area (mid peninsula area).

almeyer2013 · August 2014

Yeah, we are discussing if it's better for me to just work part time, and just hire a nanny to come in on the days I am gone, which would only be 3 days a week.
The day care centers here in central Illinois are good, but I just have a hard time with paying almost an entire paycheck to watch our child. It's stressful and a lot to think about. It's also about a year wait list for one of the ones I want to send out child too if we decide we need to do that.

beatlesgal4 · August 2014

I think we will legitimately start looking as soon as we hit the second trimester. I hope that's not too late! (We are in DFW.) We have had one loss too, and that just seems like a really big step this early on. Although so far, it seems like everything is looking up, so hopefully it continues to, and for you as well!

finallyourturn2 · August 2014

I have looked around on the internet, but not made any contacts yet. We are unsure what we want to do yet. Since the baby is due in march I will be off work until may so we would only need DC for a month before I go on summer break. We may have someone privately watch the LO until summer, then he or she would be home with me through the summer and start regular daycare when I go back to work in August. Guess I better start looking.

johnson617 · August 2014

Depends on where you are looking. When we began our search last time, some places has long wait lists and others couldn't tell me this openings until about a month before I needed the care to start. It doesn't hurt to research and ask but I started seriously looking and setting up meetings until 7 months prior to needing care.

copperrose · August 2014

I am meeting with someone who does a nanny share. We won't need her until August of next year but I'm an over planner and I just told her if it's too early we can talk later.

MrsLaurenandDan · August 2014

Unfortunately, yes. With my oldest I waited until second tri, and couldn't get into my first choice. If you get on the wait lists now, you will most likely just pay an application fee, which is usually nonrefundable.

honkytonk_kid · August 2014

kristenmhall24 said:
I think we will legitimately start looking as soon as we hit the second trimester. I hope that's not too late! (We are in DFW.) We have had one loss too, and that just seems like a really big step this early on. Although so far, it seems like everything is looking up, so hopefully it continues to, and for you as well!

I'm in DFW (Arlington) and it does not seem like places fill up/have wait lists like other areas. Only 1 of the probably 10 I called (a range of chain centers to small independents to church preschools) had a wait list and it was a small church affiliated daycare. He was a bit older, 10 months, but still considered an infant.

I would think 2nd tri should give you plenty of time around here.

brown101 · August 2014

I'm going to tell our. Current provider as son as I hear the heartbeat... She's at home and can only have so many infants. She's already told us when we know to tell her and she'll make sure to have a spot open...

ark83 · August 2014

My daycare provider is in high demand (she's seriously the best), so I let her know a few days after we found out we were expecting. While it would be hard to "untell" her, it would be even worse if we didn't have a spot there for our baby.

lifeisnot2fear · August 2014

We toured one center so far. It's located on a college campus and it's highly rated. Since it's run through the college/state the fees are less than local franchise centers. Of course, there is already a waitlist for Aug 2015 which is when we need care. So we paid our $25 and put our name on the list. The director seemed to think space will open up for us since the waitlist is short for now. We will look into other local centers as a source of comparison, but we were happy with that center and hope it works out for us.

beatlesgal4 · August 2014

honkytonk_kid said:

I think we will legitimately start looking as soon as we hit the second trimester. I hope that's not too late! (We are in DFW.) We have had one loss too, and that just seems like a really big step this early on. Although so far, it seems like everything is looking up, so hopefully it continues to, and for you as well!
I'm in DFW (Arlington) and it does not seem like places fill up/have wait lists like other areas. Only 1 of the probably 10 I called (a range of chain centers to small independents to church preschools) had a wait list and it was a small church affiliated daycare. He was a bit older, 10 months, but still considered an infant. I would think 2nd tri should give you plenty of time around here.

Thanks! I am in Arlington too. That is good to know!

Lady Leigh · August 2014

Nope, as soon as this baby gets here I am opening my own daycare

PuppyLove84 · August 2014

There is a daycare at my work, but it is currently a 16 month wait. 16 months! WTF. Plus it would be pretty out of the way for him if DH needed to take the kid. We're going to start looking into a few places near us pretty soon because all of them have waitlists (although hopefully not that long!). Ideally I'd love to do a nannyshare but I feel like it's pretty early to be thinking about that since we haven't even told extended family yet!

Connell2 · August 2014

Im 8 weeks and were making our deposit this week. We have 1-1 1/2 year waiting list here in New Hampshire. Never thought id be stressing about daycare this early!

052806 · August 2014

No, thankfully. I don't think I am going to go back to work until January 2016 so I have a while to figure it out.

My first 2 did daycare and I had no problem getting them in- Neither of them are there anymore though so I'll have to start the search again when I'm ready.

jap618 · August 2014

I haven't. I can't until the 2nd trimester. I haven't even accepted that this is really happening yet.

@copperrose you're in my area. Is it necessary around here this early?!?

copperrose · August 2014

@jap618‌ it depends. Youth and Family Outreach has a two year waiting list for infants (this was maybe six months ago so they may have added more space since then). I'm not even sure how you can get on a two year waiting list for infants but they have one! I don't think many other places fill up that fast-they provide city subsidized preschool at age 3 and give priority to low income families so it's tough to get in. We will send LO to DDs preschool but that starts at 1.5 years and has a long waiting list.

lmc929 · August 2014

We live in Denver where it is difficult to get into the daycare of your choice so we are already on the waiting list of where our niece and nephew go. So yes.

lmc929 · August 2014

etoille I notice the Spartan baby, same here! Go Green!

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