Toured a couple daycare infant rooms - a bit disappointed

[Anonymous]

We are expecting later this year and started to look at daycares in the area (Bethesda/Rockville).

I didn't see any issues as far as being mistreated etc., but in none of the facilities did the care givers seem happy. They may be holding, rocking or feeding or changing a diaper, but no smiles. I can understand that it is just a job to them and it gets old after awhile, but it made me sad that only basic needs were being met. This was at 3 places we visited and 2 of thm we had gone to twice.

I was expecting the caregivers to be goo goo gah gah in the baies faces, or singing and swayingin the rooms and talking to the babies. FWIW - all these center s are pricey with waitlists. Any recommendations for warm happy places???

[Anonymous]

Have you been to Family Academy in Bethesda ?
We are very ,very happy with their caregivers.
They are different from the rest !

[Anonymous]

Have you been to St. James Children's School? Great teachers with extremely low turnover, which tells you something.

[Anonymous]

I found the same thing when I was looking 2 years ago, and ended up finding a warm, nurturing and stimulating home daycare. My child is still there and is flourishing. Very educational, yet they treat her like family.

http://www.internationaldaycarebethesda.com/International_Daycare/Welcome_1.html

We have a daycare at work, so that would have been the obvious and easiest solution. But the caregivers seemed so impersonal with the babies and acted like it was just a job. I just couldn't bear to leave her there. Other places were so loud.

Keep looking! I'm sure you'll find a place you are comfortable with eventually. If I were you, I would not discount home daycares. I had not even considered that realm when I first started out (had some fear about it). You'll know when you find the "right" place.

[Anonymous]

Many daycares pay their employees very low wages so I can understand why the employees didn't exactly seem enthusiastic about what they were doing. They charge big bucks to parents so I am not sure where that money is going.

[Anonymous]

Definitely try in-home daycares. If you don't know where to start, call Monday Morning Moms - they have a bunch of daycares in the Rockville area at least, not sure about Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

I love Montrose Christian Child Development Center. The infant teachers have been there for something like 7 and 10 years.

It's possible you caught the teachers in moment of chaos or they may just have been a little shy. I almost always do drop off and pick up, but my DC's teacher once told me she feels shy around my husband because she thinks her English isn't very good (her English is actually QUITE good).

Its also possible the teachers weren't happy at the day care you visited. I know visited a much newer and flashy day care in the area, but it just didn't feel like "the right place", for reasons I just can't quite identify.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all - I hadn't considered an in-home center, but I will now. I am just so bummed because we had our hearts set on the one that is 1/4 mile away from my house. We walk by the older kid rooms and those seem like fun, but once I get to the infant area - it is just so impersonal (as another poster perfectly described it).

[Anonymous]

I had the same experience when I toured a couple of the top bright horizons near my work. We found a center close to home where the workers seemed happy and engaged (head teacher in infant room had been doing it 10 years) but ultimately went with a home provider and assistant whom we LOVE. an important question is turnover rate--there's a high rate in general, since it is a poorly paid field, etc, but my experience was that the home centers and one of the non-corporate centers we looked at had lower rates of turnover.

[Anonymous]

I have a small in home daycare, my oldest daughter went to work in a center and only stayed for a few months. Her issue was "they don't love the babies like you do mom, they are just there". In home daycare is such a small group, and speaking for myself I really bond with the children in care (most are with me until school age) so I think there just is a big difference, especially with infants. Take a look at some in home daycares, I would be willing to bet it's more like what you are looking for.

[Anonymous]

I agree - exactly why I decided on a nanny even though it kills our budget.

[Anonymous]

I believe that you can get good care at an in-home, daycare center, OR nannie (and obviously, SAHM), but there are also bad caregivers out there for each of these too.

Are you just visiting the big chain daycares (Kindercare, Minnieland, Chesterbrook)? A lot of these big chain places pay very low wages and have constant turnover. I pass by 3 different Kindercare facilities from my house to work, but I would never use them because I've heard too many bad experiences. (Nothing horrible, but indifferent caregivers, dirty toys & constant illnesses, etc). Obviously, this varies center to center, but I find you have a much better chance of finding good care at a independant daycare center.

I love our center. It's pretty expensive ($1570, and we're out in the burbs) and they don't have the newest playground equipment, and we are always being asked to donate to fundraising efforts quite a bit, but the caregivers have been around for 10+, 20+, even 30+ years. In the infant room, I see genuine affection between the babies and the caregivers. Every morning, DS is greeted with a hug and a kiss, and he is always happy to be there.

Bottom line, yes, there are good places, but you have to keep looking. The bad feeling you get from the places you've visited means you haven't found the right one yet.

[Anonymous]

Definitely try Kids' Corner in Kalorama - VERY warm teachers and dedicated staff, low turn over.

Kids also get the added plus of Spanish language immersion and they have large indoor space (great for bitter winter days, though they go out almost every day) and they have a cafeteria where they serve hot nutricious lunches!

[Anonymous]

There are some fabulous daycares in Bethesda downtown if you can afford them! I have had my 2 kids since the were 6 weeks! They are terriffic. Beyond comparison.
Probably you have not done your search !
Good Luck.

[Anonymous]

I have heard nothing but good things about Kids' Corner. Unfortunately, the wait list is very long. Another to consider is First Baptist at 16th & O.