October 2017 Moms
nhoover88
member
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Daycare / Childcare
nhoover88
member
I'm not sure if this is too early, but I know some daycare's have a waiting list. I'm a FTM, so this is all new and kinda scary! The fact that someone else....more than likely a stranger is going to be caring for my baby when I go back to work! Are there any other moms out there looking into daycare options for their LO already? STM+ what are some good questions or information to get from caregivers/daycare centers?
Re: Daycare / Childcare
Married 9/27/2014
TTC Since 1/1/2017
BFP: 2/6/2017
Due Date: 10/13/17
Now DD is in preschool, but that preschool also has classes starting at infant - so I told them yesterday to go ahead and put us on the list for 2018 since they give preference to families with kids already there. I'm due mid-October but planning to spend 3 full months at home, so it'll hopefully be at least January before LO goes there. We'll keep DD there throughout and I think I'm going to like having them together. Their classrooms will actually be across the hall from each other - DD talks about the babies now
My advice - get multiple options, interview, do tours, dig online for reviews and if at all possible, get personal recommendations from people you know. We're new to our area, and we took the recommendation for this preschool based off a neighbor who had just put her newborn in the daycare section. I figure if this woman (who had two older children already) who is a nurse was that excited about her daycare choice, it must be a good one. And we have not been disappointed!
BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!
TTC #1: March 2011
Fur-children: 3 dogs + 2 cats (all rescued)
dx: Endometriosis and Fibroids
2 Laps and 1 Abdominal Myomectomy
6 rounds of clomid
5 rounds of iui
IVF #1 Gonal F, Menopur and Cetrotide
ER 12/1/2016:Retrieved 22 eggs 12 fertilized, developed moderate OHSS
4/4 day 5 embryos were normal for PGS!!! 2 boys/2 girls
FET 1/10/2017
Gallbladder surgery 1/10/2017
FET 2/2
BFP 2/7/17
Having a girl! EDD 10/21/17
Not everyone will find this necessary, but to narrow down my list I checked out NAEYC and wanted a center that was accredited through them. You can also check your state's department of children and families, which should give ratings and scores on any daycare center in the state. In WI, you can see when a center was last reviewed, how they did, and if they had any violations, what the violations were. Most of the places had some sort of violation; however, in my mind it was less important for me if they were downgraded because they didn't an updated form on file for one particular student vs. if they were downgraded for cleanliness, treatment of children, etc.
As far as wait lists go, it really depends on the center and your area. For example, at DD's first daycare, we toured and enrolled her when I was about 7 months pregnant. When we moved (just to a suburb of the same city), we had the hardest time finding somewhere for her. Everyone was at capacity for her age group (2 yo). The center that we really wanted her in, but couldn't get her in, is where LO will likely go. It's crazy, but I emailed the director when I was 5-6 weeks pregnant to get LO on the list, because I have several friends that use this center and they all recommended contacting her that early. So, it may not be a bad idea to start looking into your options now.
in home - i do like this type of care for newborn/under one. the problem is after that. while the place we went to did a good job with activities, it is hard to accommodate the age range from newborn to 5 yo with a small staff of 1-2 people. once your kid turns 1 (i mean before that too but really at 1) learning really starts to snowball, and i never felt like each individual age was getting full attention. also you kind of get "stuck" in in home ones. you get a relationship and its not like there are a zillion kids there so you feel bad pulling out.
Nanny - i nanny share with my sisters. this is a great option for newborns. the down side with this is socialization/curriculum. NB doesnt really matter they are getting that one on one care you probably want. and nannies come and go they have a pretty good turnover rate bc kids go to school. so it isn't hard to break up with them. and you may still use them afterwards too.
Family - TAKE WHAT YOU CAN GET! i remember before kids being like no way do i want MIL all up in my grill. now i am so resentful she doesn't give us any days. i do try to limit the days so i don't feel so guilty. but seriously...just take what you can get.
DC center - this is my preference. right now we do a mix of school and nanny. but each age group is split up and they are getting what they need. i like that there is a lot of people to be accountable. like i am not worried "did i pick a psychopath nanny!?" there are 2-4 teachers in the room plus directors walking around. you dont have to worry about vacations and sick days, they are always open. germs, i mean yes? but germs don't bother me. build up that immune system kids! haha. but truly i havent noticed that big of a difference of illness going from in home to center with getting sick. a slight one yes, but honestly i dont mind getting a sick day here or there with them.
General advice - PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS! each nanny/place we ended up with. we didnt tour/interview a million people. we got personal recommendations from people we trusted and we haven't been disappointed.
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails
Our backup daycare for when his regular daycare is closed is an in-home place, and he loves it there too -- the caregiver is SO sweet. I met her through a friend whose son goes to her full time. Maria (the in-home lady) is also open longer hours each day and doesn't close for breaks and holidays like the center does. But we don't have him go there full time because of what @carries2018 mentioned, it seems like he's getting more age-appropriate attention and activities at the Waldorf place. Plus the Waldorf is close enough to walk or bike to which is huge for us. So I guess my point here is that there are pros and cons and tradeoffs for each choice!
By the way, we got on the waitlist for the Waldorf daycare before he was born, and it took that whole year to get a spot. So do not hesitate to get on some waitlists!
1) Ratio of infant to teacher
2) Are food/diapers/wipes included?
3) what type of curriculum do they practice? Any enrichment activities during or after school?
4) max number of hours allowed per day?
5) sick policy
6) vacation days?
7) holiday schedule
8) charges/fees for late pick up
9) discount for multiple kids?
10) emergency preparedness plans
11) background and training of staff
12) vaccination policies
13) technology capabilities (apps, video monitoring)
14) Payment options
15) procedures (cleaning) to prevent spread of sicknesses (but it's inevitable)
That's all I got right now. Good luck!
ETA: had DS1 in daycare starting at 3 months, happy to answer any questions
BFP in September 2014, DS born June 2015.
TTC x2 months.
BFP January 2017.
We chose a daycare because of the structure and learning environment. I love he's with kids his age as most kids learn to do new things when they see others their age doing it. He calls it school and the caregivers his teachers. He truly loves being there and can't wait to see his friends.
Also we don't have a back up if we used in home and they had to take a sick day. The daycare does close two days a year for teacher training days but they are the same two every year so you can plan ahead.
It is very costly but so far it has worked for us. Ours includes 2 meals and 2 snacks a day. They are a level 4 daycare and also have a couple of other accreditations. In our state you can look online to see violations and to see if they fixed the issue.
This is what works for us. If you lean towards in home, one thing I would ask is how much TV time they would get. Trust me, I'm not one who limits what my child watches at home, but I'm not going to pay someone to plop them in front of the tv for the day.
Finding what works for you and our child is a hard process and we had a lot of daycare struggles (the one we LOVED shut down after about 9 months of being there), so I feel for you! Good luck!
In our town, there is only one center that accepts children under 18 months. I put William on the wait list when I was about 30 weeks pregnant. He's now 2.5 and we still haven't gotten a call.
The first year I was back at work, he was in home care, obviously out of necessity. I pulled him out for the summer and this past September we put him in a center. It was the perfect mix. I thought that home care was a great way to "introduction" him to being away from me. He was still in a home setting with someone who could give him lots of attention. As he got older, I wanted more interaction with other kids, which is what the center is offering us.
At the end of the day, you'll know when you find a place you're comfortable with. The others just won't feel right.
Now that DDs are in school, DS is in a certified in-home daycare. He loves it because he has a bunch of boy playmates who will wrestle with him, etc. This particular in-home daycare happens to be run by a former nanny of ours, so that is an extra bonus.
Preemie ID DDs; then DS; then natural M/C; now due 10/17
High risk for pre-term: weekly Makena injections
I do withhold and pay taxes. Where I am, that means withholding social security and medicare tax (7.65% and paying my required match amount), federal income taxes (based off of a payment table that you can print out), state income taxes (printed table again), and school district taxes (flat percentage here). I also pay for workers' comp coverage and unemployment compensation taxes, which are required by law in my state if a domestic employee is making more than like $1,000/quarter. I chose to do all of this myself because I could not find any reliable and affordable paycheck companies when I started, but care.com is now connected with a service that will do it all for you - you just need to report to them your nanny's hourly rate and hours worked. I also write paper checks from my personal checking account which is a bit of a hassle for me and the nanny (possibility of getting lost and 3 day hold at the bank because it is a personal checking account); a good paycheck company will go a direct withdrawal and deposit. If you are thinking of doing the taxes yourself or if you just want to know the extent of it, you can learn more here: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p926.pdf As for the state and local taxes, you will need to go to your state department of taxation and the other separate agencies to learn about it, but care.com's system deals with the local issues as well.
Note that for most families, when you do withhold taxes and pay properly, you can get a tax credit; there is a point at which your household income may be too high to get the credit, though. You can also get reimbursed from an employer dependency/flexible expending account so that you are paying your nanny with employer perks or income-tax-free dollars.
Side note: Technically, if you are in the US, you should not being paying a salary to a nanny under wage and hour laws. But as long as you are paying them at least the minimum wage in a given week for all hours under 40 and at least 1.5 times the minimum wage for all hours over 40 in a week, calling it a "salary" is probably fine. So, for example, you could do a flat salary of $475/week for 40 hours at $10/hour plus 5 hours of overtime. I know a lot of people feel that the respectability of their job goes up by simply labeling it a salary.
Preemie ID DDs; then DS; then natural M/C; now due 10/17
High risk for pre-term: weekly Makena injections
In my area, there's a lot of under the table going on. It makes me nervous, and I wouldn't do it. A lot of DH's family does, though.
BFP #2 3/18/19 * EDD 11/25/19* DS born 11/30/19
Don't forget to ask about how they approach food allergies and food allergy emergencies
#foodallergymom
BFP in September 2014, DS born June 2015.
TTC x2 months.
BFP January 2017.
Sometimes those 2 days fall on a weekend, or partially on a weekend, so we may not even need childcare one week, or we'll only need someone for one day as opposed to 2. I'm at a total loss on how to find daycare for a schedule like this!
Your schedule does sound unique. Is there are a college in your town? If so, I think your best bet may be to have two or three college students lined up and rotate them in as their schedule permits. You could certainly find that type of help through care.com. Alternatively, maybe an in-home daycare (which can sometimes be more flexible) could take on your child on that occasional and rotating need schedule.
Preemie ID DDs; then DS; then natural M/C; now due 10/17
High risk for pre-term: weekly Makena injections
For my 14 month old, we use a nanny at our house about 15 hours per week (I work half days 3x per week) and an in-home daycare nearby for the other two full days (which she loves). Our nanny has been with us since she was 4 months old, gets paid $13/hr and we found her on Nextdoor.com which is basically a community website for all things. Our daycare is $80 per day for full days. We live in San Diego if that is helpful.
As for OP i wish I could add to the great advices ive just read on this thread but luckily my MIL has been a daycare owner for 10 years now. She has just closed her inhome and kept DC.
BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!