Ugg... on a wait list at 2 daycares.

TaraGoldenCO · August 2014

I'm looking for infant to start in December and there's already wait list for my top two choices.

There is a more expensive daycare a little further away from us that has a spot, but I don't want to pay $200 registration fee, if a spot opens up in the other ones... It would end up costing us $1500 more a year at the more expensive one.

Money is tight, so I don't want to waste the $200. But if I don't pay it, I might have nothing come December. (Luckily I can use my mom for a few weeks buffer if that happens, but that's for a few weeks).

mb314 · August 2014

Where I live, I started looking at 4 months pregnant for daycare, and the only reputable place near my house had a 4 year waitlist! Every single decent place in my city has a waitlist, but what happens is that everyone goes on so many waitlists, that the long lists can become short quickly (although the place that had a four year waitlist ended up being more like 2 years for my friend, still a long time)/. It's really stressful. With DS1, we ended up starting at a daycare I didn't like that much, but he was only there 3 weeks before we got off the waitlist at an in home daycare that I love (and thankfully we can send DS2 to that daycare too). I've had friends who've used nannies until they got off of waitlists.

Do you know people who have experiences with these waitlists? Can anyone give you a sense as to how long you may need to wait? There may be turnover at the beginning of January.

I think you have to decide how desperately you need daycare and how realistic it is that you're going to get off a waitlist within a few weeks of needing daycare. It's hard to know what to do, but I personally would choose to register with the sure thing and then switch your kid if a spot opens up at one of your preferred places. The $200 registration fee is cheaper than getting a nanny for that time period or having to delay going back to work (that is, unless your mom really can watch your LO indefinitely).

PrimRoseMama · August 2014

I'd pony up the dough. It's better than the alternative.

sandrabrooke · August 2014

Yeah I wouldn't take the risk either. Definitely pay the fee. Its a small fee for piece of mind.

britab · August 2014

We liked one local center but couldn't afford it. I found a couple good in-home providers on Craigslist and interview both of them. DD goes to one and so far, so good! Might be something to think about.