Day Care

[MrsK]

Ok, I know this is incredibly premature as Baby K's birth is still 22 weeks away. The hospital where DrK will be working has a day care for children of hospital employees only. There is a long waiting list so we are signing up but I don't know whether we want to use the day care or not.

We took a tour the other day and I must admit that my brain froze when they showed us a "classroom" with 9 babies crawling around. How do I know whether it is a good one? What do I need to know? What should I be asking?

I don't think it is early at all. Having some extra time will help you find a good fit. It has been a little while since I looked for infant care so I'll let someone else offer their suggestions. You might be able to find some checklists for things to look for on-line. You might want to also ask around about smaller in-home businesses. I think I got a list from United Way, of all places, by zip code. They don't do any sort of screening or recommendation but it is a starting point. I found a fantastic daycare and preschool at a synagogue by our house. I wouldn't have thought to check there but a friend recommended it.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_daycare-...overview_49.bc

http://www.babycenter.com/0_home-daycare-overview_46.bc

(both have top questions, including what to look for)

[MarissaNicole]

It is never too early as often the good places (or the popular places) have a waiting list.

Make a list of questions so you ask the same things everywhere, here are a few suggestions:
1. How long are they in the infant room - do they move kids up based on age or on development?
2. How many childcare workers per baby?
3. Do they charge you per week/month/day (this may be important if you will not take babyK every day)
4. Do they have the babies on a certain schedule?
5. What kind of cleaning schedule do they have (how often do they clean toys, tables, floors, cribs, etc).

I don't have any advice as far as choosing a daycare but I would recommend making appointments to see quite a few and get on all of their waiting lists if they have them. Going to see a bunch will give you some perspective of what you like and don't like... some places you will just get a gut feeling about.

[MrsK]

Here is what I know so far. . .

1. How long are they in the infant room - do they move kids up based on age or on development?

The babies are in the infant room until they are walking. Then they move them up to the "1-year-olds." They move them to another group once they are potty trained. They have no more than 9 babies in a classroom.

2. How many childcare workers per baby?

1 to 3 for the infants; 1 to 4 for the 1-year-olds; 1 to 5 for the potty trained.

3. Do they charge you per week/month/day (this may be important if you will not take babyK every day)

They charge daily and extra for after-care. We'd have to commit to either twice or three times weekly. Pick up/drop off are flexible and I can take BabyK out during the day and bring him/her back later if we have activities. Their hours are 6AM-6PM. After care is from 6PM-8PM.

4. Do they have the babies on a certain schedule?

Didn't ask about this. Looked like the 1-year-olds had naptime. The babies were all crawling about and doing their own thing. They had "art projects" even with the smallest babies.

5. What kind of cleaning schedule do they have (how often do they clean toys, tables, floors, cribs, etc).

Dunno. I'll have to ask. I was wondering at the time but didn't ask. They did say that they clean the changing table and wash the babies' hands every time a diaper is changed.

[moonlight]

Here is what I know so far. . .
4. Do they have the babies on a certain schedule?

Didn't ask about this. Looked like the 1-year-olds had naptime. The babies were all crawling about and doing their own thing. They had "art projects" even with the smallest babies.

5. What kind of cleaning schedule do they have (how often do they clean toys, tables, floors, cribs, etc).

Dunno. I'll have to ask. I was wondering at the time but didn't ask. They did say that they clean the changing table and wash the babies' hands every time a diaper is changed.

I worked at daycares/preschools while I was in college.... Be sure to ask about 4 and 5 at all the places you visit.

A center that doesn't take sanitation seriously is a big red flag. I quit a center after a week because they were ok with filthy toys, etc.

I'm not sure how other centers deal with schedules. The place I worked at babies were on a four hour schedule. We'd start with play time (all that roaming around/floor play you saw), feeding, sleeping, wake-up, change diaper. Repeat.

Also ask what is the age range for the baby room. Did I read your answer right, they put all babies 6 weeks through 1 years old in the same classroom? I worked at a larger center that had three baby rooms: 6 weeks through about 4 months, then 4-7 months, then the last room was 7-12 months (or walking). I really like that set up because the 2 month old baby wasn't messed with by a 11 month old baby that was much more active. That might not matter to you, but it was just something I liked as a teacher.

BTW, 22 weeks early is NOT too early. Good centers always have long waiting lists!

[HouseofWool]

I worked at daycares/preschools while I was in college.... Be sure to ask about 4 and 5 at all the places you visit.

A center that doesn't take sanitation seriously is a big red flag. I quit a center after a week because they were ok with filthy toys, etc.

I'm not sure how other centers deal with schedules. The place I worked at babies were on a four hour schedule. We'd start with play time (all that roaming around/floor play you saw), feeding, sleeping, wake-up, change diaper. Repeat.

Also ask what is the age range for the baby room. Did I read your answer right, they put all babies 6 weeks through 1 years old in the same classroom? I worked at a larger center that had three baby rooms: 6 weeks through about 4 months, then 4-7 months, then the last room was 7-12 months (or walking). I really like that set up because the 2 month old baby wasn't messed with by a 11 month old baby that was much more active. That might not matter to you, but it was just something I liked as a teacher.

BTW, 22 weeks early is NOT too early. Good centers always have long waiting list!

The center we had Sophie at (at 9 wks) was fantastic about cleaning and diaper changes.

They also let the little ones go on their own schedule (more or less), they napped when they napped and ate when hungry.

This became more structured as they got older so that by the time they were walking they were pretty in sync with the one year old room.

[ladymoreta]

Just wanted to add - when you have it narrowed down to a few, do a couple of unscheduled visits, just to make sure it's the same as your scheduled visits.

[MrsK]

Moonlight - you read that right. They put all infants, 2 weeks until they are walking in the same classroom. However, possibly due to the waiting list or starting after maternity leave, it appeared that all the babies in the room we saw were about 5-11 months. There weren't any tiny babies. We'd probably wait until Baby K was about 3 or 4 months old before starting day care.

As for the schedule - we saw two infant classrooms. In the first there was one sleeping baby, one eating baby, one changing baby, and 6 babies roaming around on the floor. Of those, two were standing with support and were playing together, three were sitting with support or in swings, and one who appeared to be a little younger was playing on a mat a little away from the others.

The second classroom appeared to have fewer babies. One was being changed, one was sleeping in a swing, and the rest were crawling on the floor. (It was cute, they all came to the door to look at us.)

The one-year-olds/walkers were napping and there appeared to be about 5 or 6 in that classroom.

[oceanchild]

Maybe have DrK scout out co-workers who use the daycare? See if they're satisfied.

[GrayMatterWife]

Here is what I know so far. . .

1. How long are they in the infant room - do they move kids up based on age or on development?

The babies are in the infant room until they are walking. Then they move them up to the "1-year-olds." They move them to another group once they are potty trained. They have no more than 9 babies in a classroom.

2. How many childcare workers per baby?

1 to 3 for the infants; 1 to 4 for the 1-year-olds; 1 to 5 for the potty trained.

3. Do they charge you per week/month/day (this may be important if you will not take babyK every day)

They charge daily and extra for after-care. We'd have to commit to either twice or three times weekly. Pick up/drop off are flexible and I can take BabyK out during the day and bring him/her back later if we have activities. Their hours are 6AM-6PM. After care is from 6PM-8PM.

4. Do they have the babies on a certain schedule?

Didn't ask about this. Looked like the 1-year-olds had naptime. The babies were all crawling about and doing their own thing. They had "art projects" even with the smallest babies.

5. What kind of cleaning schedule do they have (how often do they clean toys, tables, floors, cribs, etc).

Dunno. I'll have to ask. I was wondering at the time but didn't ask. They did say that they clean the changing table and wash the babies' hands every time a diaper is changed.

First, it's not too early to be worrying about this stuff. If you're only 22 weeks away, you're actually a little behind in terms of getting on a wait list at a highly desirable facility (at least, you would be here in STL, which is hardly the Upper East Side).

The above-description sounds about like DD's facility--the same place where DS went. It also is a hospital-staff-only facility. We LOVE it. Both DS and DD have benefited a great deal from the exposure to so many other kids. MUCH better choice for us that an in-house nanny, given that we live in a nearly kid-free area of STL. They are much better socially adjusted.

[Cumberland]

I put my now almost 7 month old on a waiting list at a place walking distance from our house when I was around 16 weeks pg. We JUST got a spot for this September. That is over a year on the wait list!

So it is not too early. I am a fan of the machine gun approach- get on the WL for a bunch of different places, that way you will have some options when the time comes.

[alison]

I put my now almost 7 month old on a waiting list at a place walking distance from our house when I was around 16 weeks pg. We JUST got a spot for this September. That is over a year on the wait list!

So it is not too early. I am a fan of the machine gun approach- get on the WL for a bunch of different places, that way you will have some options when the time comes.

So, basically you have to get on a wait list BEFORE you even become pregnant!

Good luck, MrsK. I hope you find a place that you like!

[GrayMatterWife]

So, basically you have to get on a wait list BEFORE you even become pregnant!

Good luck, MrsK. I hope you find a place that you like!

In Dallas, where we lived before STL, several of the "premiere" (read: pretentious) childcare facilities accepted "proof of conception," so that you could get on the list before you were showing. I am not sure what that meant, exactly, but I'm assuming it meant a statement from your MD or a sonogram...not a used EPT stick. Gross.

And, of course, you needed to bring a big, fat non-refundable fee with your "proof of conception"--and that was just to submit an application.

[MrsK]

They told us we have to wait until DrK starts on Oct 1 to get on the WL. So we'll be calling as soon as we arrive. My belly practically doubled when I was in KS -- seriously, I gained 4 lbs overnight -- so I guess we had our "proof of conception."

[madeintaiwan]

DS was on the WL for over a year at two places before getting in. Definitely not too early. My cousin put her DD2 on the WL of a very desirable program when she was 6 weeks pregnant with her. A spot opened up 2 weeks after she went back to work. They had to arrange alternate care for those first 2 weeks but were glad that they got on the WL as early as they did.