April 2019 Moms
batmama31
member
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daycare/childcare
batmama31
member
I did a quick search and didn't find a thread dedicated to this subject. please ask your daycare/childcare related questions here!
Re: daycare/childcare
so I'm trying to get a backup plan in place, in case we don't get placed on base. but I'm having a hell of a time researching anything online! how do you research daycares?? word of mouth? do you just have to physically tour any one you come across? is there some certified database that I'm unaware of?? help, please
@batmama31 I took the online reviews of daycares with a grain of salt as it's not that common to find the positive reviews for some reason. What I did was a combo of word-of-mouth and googling what was around me. I called a handful of centers that interested me, and based on those phone calls and the vibe I got, made a decision whether or not to tour.
The one I ended up selecting encouraged me to come tour at my discretion rather than a scheduled tour, which is honestly the best case scenario, and I would not pick a daycare without touring it - that's just me.
Daycares are rated with a star system in my state, you can go to your state's government website or google the rating system in your area if you need a place to start
DD born: 3/31/19
The daycare that we are currently on the waitlist for is opening next month, but is part of a company that has a number of centers in our area. It’s kind of cookie cutter, but they seem to have the daycare game on lock. Plus it’s like 3 blocks from our building and near the train that DH and I use for work.
I know most most would think about being close by. But DD hates the car and there were days I took off or worked from home where I would had to drive way out of the way to bring her to daycare
BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
I second the advice on picking one close to home. Jobs change and move but finding new daycares can be hard. Plus if you travel or get sick for a week it’s easier for your spouse to do drop offs and pickups.
@kosmo86 & @saucentoss, I appreciate the advice about choosing a facility close to home, but we live in tornado alley, so on those few spring days when we get the word to leave early due to bad storms, we need to get to our kids fast, which is why we'd prefer closer to work. also, we don't live in a great part of town (lots of low-income apartments) so while I admittedly haven't even looked at daycares in our neighborhood, I just have very low expectations on what I would find in my area.
the DHS website is a great start, though. I've already found a daycare nearby that I'm going to arrange a tour with. thank you, everyone!
@batmama31 I'll be honest, I don't know if the star rating is national or state so it could be different for you, but in NC it's a 1-5 star system. 5 being the highest/best - I took this from our state's page but it may be helpful for you:
"It's also a good idea to visit your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCR&R). Child Care Services Association, which is a nationally recognized nonprofit agency working to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality child care to all families, provides child-care resource and referral services to the Triangle."
DD born: 3/31/19
My ob recommeded waiting 12 weeks if childcare is optional, from an infectious disease standpoint, but recommended asking my pediatrician instead of her.
The church I go to pushes for infants to be in childcare from 6 weeks old during adult small group and because I may not want to put DD in so early, I want to tell them "my doctor says..." as a legitimate excuse to keep her with me. :-) What do y'alls doctors say or recommend?
BFP: 8/11/18 Due: 4/26/18
Ditto PP who said to check with your state's website on daycares. But also beware, no daycare is perfect. If they have a write up because they didn't have a certain document (but were able to get it stat), that's one thing. If they are dinged because they didn't have safe sleep arrangements for all the kids, that's a different point.
Otherwise we are so fortunate to have SIL in town to babysit. She works retail so she gets exposed to a lot of germs but it hasn’t been a problem really.
Keep baby with you as long as you like. My church offers childcare from newborn+ but would never do more than let the folks know it’s available. Some people never use it and others use it as soon as possible.
Anyway, at 6 weeks baby is still pretty chill and quiet. Time for your church to learn about being flexible? Probably nobody will bother you.
I tend to to use the moby style wrap to keep baby comfy during church and away from those germs 🦠 and then I often go to the side room they have with a video of the service to nurse but I could do it in the worship center too.
if I were to be attending additional bible studies, choir practice, or meetings of some sort, DH would keep her at home, or when less than 6 months, she’d stay with me in a babywrap. Or, y’know, I’d consider whether it’s really important to me to be in choir this year instead of next (answer: no, even though I miss it). While I understand that the smaller groups can find the baby more disruptive, I very firmly believe that children are a vital part of church life and shouldn’t be hidden away during worship. I still find worship centering, even though it’s not as meditative as it used to be.
I would discuss with the small group leader the rationale behind the request and the philosophical approach to children in church...and even consider requesting a young family small group that is open to babies being present.