How to evaluate day care in DC?

[Anonymous]

I'm 12 wks preg with my first and my husband and I are starting to evaluate day care options. ANy advice on how to evaluate them? I expect to take 3 mon leave. How do you determine what is and isn't a good infant day care? We are feds, so if anyone has any particular shout-out's for particularly good/bad options there, it would be especially appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Go on a tour, ask questions. check with friends.

[Anonymous]

Hours of operation - you want to make sure you'll be able to get to daycare after work, no matter what happens during your commute. ours is open till 6:15; we typically do pickup between 5:30 and 5:45 but it's nice to know we have options if metro is having issues. Early dropoff is convenient too, if you have a day when you have to be in early.

Location - is the center easy to get to from a couple of different routes? Are there any portions of the commute that are particularly annoying? (Our center is 3 miles from home and 3 miles from metro but those 3 miles take FOREVER most days because traffic on that road is just terrible.)

Sick policy - standard is that babies must go home if they have a temperature above a certain number, or if they've thrown up more than once or had diarreah more than once. (once doesn't mean anything, necessarily.)

Holidays - what holidays do they take - any teacher work days you need to plan around?

Turnover of the teachers - you want a place where teachers have stayed a long time. Generally means they pay a decent wage, are careful in their hiring and it's a decent place to work.

What sorts of activities do they do for babies and kids of various ages? Is there a preschool program if your child stays in the daycare for several years? (it can be convenient not to have to switch your kid out of a situation everyone likes.) Do they take the kids outside to get fresh air?

Do they provide meals once the babies are eating solid foods?

You want to make sure you visit while the kids are actually there, if possible - you can watch the caregivers interacting with the kids. Do they seem caring? Do the kids seem happy? Is it chaos or somewhat orderly? How are naps handled - is there a separate room or do they dim the lights, or what?

I didn't waitlist at a couple of places I toured because I just got a not-great feeling about them. Trust your gut.

And have some backup options - consider starting with an in-home provider if necessary and then switching to a center when you get off the waitlist. Some of my friends have done that, and it's a tiny pain, but you do what you have to do.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

In DC, you also want to consider the parking that is available at the center. One place I toured was in a busy area with only two reserved parking spaces.

[Anonymous]

My kids are at the Department of Transportation daycare across Independence Ave from the Hirshhorn and I highly recommend it for all age groups. My older son started at another center and I was amazed when we transfered how completely contented the babies were here. The staff is very hands-on and the little ones spend very little time in baby-holders (swings, bouncy seats). They definitely get lots of tummy time. My older son is in the center's fully accredited kindergarten, and many of his classmates have been in the program since the infant room.