Daycare rec in Bethesda, not liking what I have toured

[Anonymous]

I am newly pregnant, like 8 weeks, and have toured about six daycares in Bethesda. To say I am unimpressed would be an understatement. This is my third child and the first that will be in daycare so I went into this knowing I would need to check some of my expectations at the door, but I truly can't imagine leaving my child in any of these places. I have flexibility with work so I am not frantically searching for a spot but really want to find a good childcare options for him/her. My other children are much older so I would imagine there are hidden gems?

[Anonymous]

We liked wonders (above the metro) and have heard good things about children in the shoe. If you really dislike those maybe consider a nanny or nannyshare?

[Anonymous]

What did you not like? What are you looking for in a daycare? I think if you have toured 6 and you are not comfortable with them you may want to try a new approach. Like look at in-home daycares if you have been considering centers, or consider a nanny or nanny-share. I was also uncomfortable with some of the centers I saw mainly because the caregivers looked miserable, to en I found one where they were happy and engaged and turnover was low. But it had it's downsides (no separate nap room for example). Every option will have pluses and minuses.

[Anonymous]

We liked Children in the Shoe when we toured but this was right when Covid started so we didn’t end up going there.

[Anonymous]

What did you do for your other kids?

[Anonymous]

We've had the same issue but on Capitol Hill. We have just kept looking at more and more places, and (we think), we may have finally found something we like.

I have analogized the whole process to looking for a house. Just as there is no such thing as the perfect house, there is no such thing as the perfect daycare.

Each daycare has its pluses and minuses and it's a matter of balancing all the factors. What's most important to you? Cost? Commute? Quality/enthusiasm of the teachers? Quality of educational programming? Whether the daycare provides food or you have to pack the child's lunch? Whether the daycare has its own outside playground or the kids have to go to a park nearby? And on and on. You could make a list of what factors you consider most important and balance accordingly. And just keep looking until you find the one that's right for you.

Also, I recommend looking at the inspection reports for these daycare centers. I don't know what it is in Maryland, but in DC there's OSSE and OSSE maintains a database of inspection reports. I cannot believe how many of these places have been found out of compliance with respect to things like background checks, cleanliness/safety of the classrooms, etc. Having a recent clean inspection report seems like a decent indicator that the place meets the basic requirements. But of course not all such places meet our other criteria, and so I totally understand where you're coming from in agonizing over which daycare to send your child to.

Good luck with your search and I hope you eventually find the right place for your family!

[Anonymous]

Wonders and Children in the Shoe are the most well regarded in Bethesda.

And a question - would you be willing to drive/metro to Van Ness? If so I highly recommend checking out Franklin Montessori’s infant program. That school takes some heat on this site but seriously their infant room is lovely. So different than most daycares.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you need a nanny, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you need a nanny, OP.

+1

You could start with a nanny or a share and as you get more comfortable w/ someone other than you for primary care, then maybe a daycare down the road when you are more adjusted to the idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've had the same issue but on Capitol Hill. We have just kept looking at more and more places, and (we think), we may have finally found something we like.

I have analogized the whole process to looking for a house. Just as there is no such thing as the perfect house, there is no such thing as the perfect daycare.

Each daycare has its pluses and minuses and it's a matter of balancing all the factors. What's most important to you? Cost? Commute? Quality/enthusiasm of the teachers? Quality of educational programming? Whether the daycare provides food or you have to pack the child's lunch? Whether the daycare has its own outside playground or the kids have to go to a park nearby? And on and on. You could make a list of what factors you consider most important and balance accordingly. And just keep looking until you find the one that's right for you.

Also, I recommend looking at the inspection reports for these daycare centers. I don't know what it is in Maryland, but in DC there's OSSE and OSSE maintains a database of inspection reports. I cannot believe how many of these places have been found out of compliance with respect to things like background checks, cleanliness/safety of the classrooms, etc. Having a recent clean inspection report seems like a decent indicator that the place meets the basic requirements. But of course not all such places meet our other criteria, and so I totally understand where you're coming from in agonizing over which daycare to send your child to.

Good luck with your search and I hope you eventually find the right place for your family!

+1 this is the link to see inspection results for Maryland child care centers, family child care homes and preschools : https://www.checkccmd.org/

[Anonymous]

Based on this website, how is Primrose Bethesda and Bethesda Preparatory Preschool still in business? Their violations are many and serious? Primrose hasn’t even attempted to correct their issues? How does that hell the parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Based on this website, how is Primrose Bethesda and Bethesda Preparatory Preschool still in business? Their violations are many and serious? Primrose hasn’t even attempted to correct their issues? How does that hell the parents?

Parents should disenroll their children from these facilities and choose providers that are better at complying with licensing requirements. The Primrose complaint is pretty recent, so it's possible they have "corrected" the issue but the system hasn't updated. That being said I would never leave my child in their care.

[Anonymous]

Wonders is terrific. I sent two kids to Wonders Edgemoor for five years each. Have many neighbors who have used the Shoe and like it also. If those don’t appeal, the day care model isn’t for you. You aren’t going to do better on day care in this area.

[Anonymous]

OP sounds picky. Maybe stay home and abandon career?
I wish some parents did their psychological test.

Many family daycares and Daycare centers chooses the families they want and they won't choose you if you have an attitude.

You seem to not be ready. Your child might be but not you

[Anonymous]

Choose Maryland network LOCATE to find licensed Family daycares and daycare Centers in Maryland