starting the day care search

[tina426]

It's so intimidating. I'm exactly 22 weeks. Living in a city I've been told I'm almost late to be looking, which seems crazy but i have encountered a few wait lists (looking for March 2016!). Tomorrow is our first your/interview...I'm off every other Friday so we have like 7 scheduled the 14th and 28th. We hadn't eliminated any option school, in home provider, nanny....its just a lot to take in.

Any tips, stories, etc?

 

[Nikie]

No advice as this is my first - but I can offer support as I'm in the process of doing the same thing! The nursery I want opens it's waiting list on 1 September and I have diarised for then!

 

[prettybirdy27]

No advice as this is my first also, but I have been seeing the same thing as far as places around us being booked up. One had a waitlist all the way through 2017!

 

[tina426]

Well one down, about 6 to go. And i cried. It was very nice, but the very idea had me in tears. Planning daycare is our august task (birth class in September, room in October, name and waiting in November lol). Going to be a long month.

 

[seaweed eater]

Honestly, if it's not cost prohibitive, I would consider just getting on the waitlists at places with a good reputation, and then visiting them if you get a spot after baby is born. That is what I did the first time, and in retrospect I can't imagine what I would have known to ask before I had my son. You will learn a lot about baby care and what is important to you once your baby arrives. (You may still cry about it, but at least you will know more about what to ask. )

And yes, it's crazy, but I'm a month behind you (due January looking for care in April) and I'm already on waitlists and probably won't get my desired start date. High quality infant care is a scarce resource, unfortunately.

 

[Nikie]

We have to pay a months deposit to secure a place....on average that's £1200!

 

[tina426]

That's insane! We've entered the application/wait list process for 2 and they were like $100 apiece. Frustrating but not entirely prohibitive. Fridays down to 5, one called me to let me know they had a sibling family inform them they're expecting and are now wait listing until July 2016...seriously...