Searching for Day Care for Infant (6 mos) - Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, or Reston
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Anonymous
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Hi -
I'm currently pregnant and have been told to start my search early and to expect long wait lists. I am searching for a daycare center for my 6 month old (next September). We currently live in Reston, but will likely be moving towards the city soon as I commute to DC. Looking for full day infant care. I am interested to hear from anyone with recommendations in Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, Vienna and Reston. Prefer a daycare center over in-home care. All reviews (good and bad) are welcome! Thank you! -Struggling parent-to-be |
Anonymous
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Arlington has a map/list of providers here:
http://batchgeo.com/map/4ba82ff8bd161fde88e5e15dd1c199b1 Not all of those are for kids under the age of three, they used to have a more succinct list with ages but I couldn't find it. If you are looking for next September, then you have plenty of time to get on waiting lists. I would start calling now -- the waiting lists for most centers in Arlington are going to be over a year. I used to live in South Arlington and I work in North Arlington, so I have toured most centers in the area. There are a lot of things to consider when looking at places -- I am sure people will have lots of feedback for specific places once you tour them. Take the advice you get on this board worth a grain of salt though -- every place my children have had care from has horrible reviews according to this message board, which obviously I do not agree with. Sometimes people just write stuff because it's nice to vent on an anonymous board especially since with child care most parents are afraid to say anything that could be traced back to them. Just don't believe everything you read, there will always be negative posts and that doesn't mean the place won't be a wonderful fit for your child. |
Anonymous
| We are moving to the area. Are waitlists really over a year for 3 year olds to go to day care? |
Anonymous
| We love the YWCA Children's Center (in Vienna on Gallows Rd) and September is actually a good time with this particular center as they try to move up entire classes at the same time each September. The teachers follow the children from the infant room to the toddler room and it's been really helpful for transitioning. The teachers currently in the toddler room (who will move back to the infant room next fall) are fantastic. The lead teacher has been there for 20+ years. |
Anonymous
| Reston - Simon Center, Common Ground, Winwood |
Anonymous
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I think the wait lists are shorter the farther out you go. I got on the wait list at Kindercare Oakton (immediately outside the Vienna boundary) last October when I was 10 weeks pregnant, and at that time they had openings as early as June. Other centers in Vienna had similar availability, whereas centers along the Orange Line in Arlington had much longer waits.
We've been happy overall at Kindercare. The teachers in the infant room are loving, and the kids do a lot of different activities every day. I like that it has its own playground space so they don't have to go anywhere else, and I like the conveniences and standardization that come with a national chain (e.g., online bill pay, strict cleaning policies, reliably open for business). I wish that they had a pre-toddler room, because it's overwhelming for a young infant of 3 or 4 months to be on the floor with "infants" who are able to walk, but the teachers seem to do a good job policing interactions between the ages. I have been disappointed with the care in the very late afternoon (e.g., an hour before closing) after the regular teachers have gone home: I have no safety concerns, but the "floating" staff can't give me much info on what my kid did that day, and occasionally they seem to be not very good with babies. |
Anonymous
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For Arlington, I'd personally look at the in-home daycare providers. Arlington County has a special county division that oversees their operation, so I think the quality is higher than the rest of the area. When I looked around for my child, I initially wanted the daycare center but ended up liking the in-home providers more.
And, i have one i'd highly recommend - Rosa Huaman who operates Rosita’s Family Daycare in Arlington, VA. My daughter ‘graduated’ this summer when she turned 2 ½, moving on to preschool, so she is no longer there. My daughter loved it there and deeply misses Rosa who did an amazing job taking care of her for over 2 full years. During this time, I never had a single complaint. You can tell just how much Rosa truly cares for the children she takes care of. They become part of her family! Rosa exceeded my expectations for in-home daycare. Rosa cooks homemade healthy food, teaches the kids as much as they can learn, instills great manners, and more. My daughter learned A LOT! She even learned Spanish, in addition to English. When she graduated at 2 ½ years old, she knew the entire alphabet, could accurately count to around 15 (in English and Spanish), and was very prepared for a preschool education (she actually knows more than many older kids). Rosa is very professional and college educated. The age range is infants to 2 1/2. Rosa has up to 9 kids at a time, with 2 full time assistants. Tell her Sophie’s parents recommended you. Rosita’s Family Daycare 6088 8th Place N Arlington, VA 22205 703-241-2806 She is located off Wilson Blvd in Arlington, near the Falls Church border. |
BallstonParent
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Rosa is AMAZING! |
Anonymous
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Visit www.Just like my home daycare.com
Located in Vienna Va |