I was chatting with a proud soon-to-be poppa today about daycares. He was telling me that he and his wife are trying to find a daycare for their baby, who’s expected shortly after the first of the year. Already, he said, they’re being put on waiting lists. Eek.
I wasn’t terribly surprised though. Most of your really good centers will book up at one time or another, creating the need for the dreaded “waiting list.”
This couple was definitely thinking though. They started early. I feel bad for couples who don’t start looking until their last trimester.
So once you begin the search for a daycare, what are you looking for? As you’ll see in the pregnancy checklist on WellPreparedMommy.com, the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care has put together A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Safe and Healthy Child Care. It can give you a good start. Some states also offer information online about licensing requirements, center violations, etc. Check to see if your state has a department of social services or a department of jobs and family services. You might find some helpful info there.
Finding a safe, nurturing environment for your child is most important, but I also would recommend at least considering the following:
**Does the daycare provide food? It might not seem like a big deal at first, but after a year or so (or having another child), you might grow tired of making lunches. That was certainly the case for my husband and me. Every night (because mornings were way too busy) for about four years, we washed lunch boxes and plastic containers from the day’s lunch and got meals ready for the next day at daycare. It became too much, and we finally switched centers. Another reason we left ties into the point below.
**What are the center’s hours? At our first daycare, in order to make it to work on time, I had to be at the center waiting when it opened, drop my child off and race to work; if there was bad weather, there was no leeway. The school we now go to opens an hour earlier. I don’t need an hour, mind you. I only drop my kids off about 10 minutes earlier than before, but that 10 minutes makes a world of difference.
**Do you have to take your own linens? (e.g., blankets and sheets for the baby’s cribs) Again, just something to consider. Some really fine centers provide this, saving you from one more load of laundry a week.
**Location! Location! Location! If your work is close to home, this probably isn’t a big deal. You’ll likely pick a daycare near there. However, if you work a distance from where you live, think carefully about where you choose a center. Do you want one close to work? Or do you want one close to home? There are pros and cons to both. Having your child close to work might mean you can visit occasionally during the work day, and you’d have her around you longer – even if it’s in the car on the ride there. On the other hand, if you want to take a day off to do some things around the house or whatever and you still want to take your child in, it would be easier if the school was closer to home. When considering location, also think of this… if you have to pick your child up early from daycare because she’s sick, make sure you don’t have to head in a complete different direction to go to the doctor’s office.
It’s a lot to think about, I know. The most important thing, of course, is that you’re finding a center that will provide your child a safe environment – one where you’re not worrying about her during the day and know she’s being taken care of. At the same time though, it doesn’t hurt to also find one that will offer you some conveniences that can allow you more time to focus on your child when you’re home.
