Almost certainly not getting a spot?

[Anonymous]

My family and I will be moving to the area next month. Our third baby is due at the end of September. We had very little prior notice for this move, so I have just now been able to start adding the baby to wait lists for daycare (and, honestly, I haven't even been able to add her to all of the daycares I want because many of them require a tour beforehand). I have to go back to work in mid-December. Is it pretty much a guarantee that she's not going to have a spot at any daycare?

[Anonymous]

Where are you moving to OP? Which neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

We'll be in the Ballston/VA Square area. However, I'll work in Suitland.

[Anonymous]

If you're open to in-home care, you'll probably have better luck there.

[Anonymous]

Are your older children preschool age or older? If they are in preschool you can use sibling preference to get your infant in

[Anonymous]

I think you'll have better luck with in-home daycares, too. There are some very good ones.

Do you need your older kids to be in the same daycare, or do they already have a spot in a preschool or center?

If you don't have a spot, I think you could probably get a nanny for the period to cover the situation until something opens up. Look also for possible nanny shares. The biggest issue will be whether you can get into a place for all three kids -- if that's what you're looking for.

[Anonymous]

Good luck. I gave my fingers crossed for you just trying to find an OB willing to take you on if you are moving a month before your due date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We'll be in the Ballston/VA Square area. However, I'll work in Suitland.

That sounds like a horrid commute. Why'd you pick Ballston to live?

[Anonymous]

OP here-- We picked Ballston because I felt like the elementary school for the area was better than the one(s) in Crystal City or Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

I'd reallly assume you aren't going to get a space at a childcare center and start looking for other options.

You may look into Suitland childcare centers, though - Bright Horizons has one there, although where exactly I couldn't tell you. The commute with a baby might not be great, although depending on baby if s/he sleeps both ways, it would be fine, and baby would be in care fewer hours, and if baby got sick or needed you, you could get to the baby quicker than trying to beat your way through traffic to get there, worried.

I'll tell you, traffic around here (the DC, MD, VA area) is just a bear, no matter what time of day, I swear! You need to leave by 6:30am to not encounter horrible traffic, and leaving after 4pm from any where also means you'll hit horrible traffic. If you can telecommute one day/week that would help. I'm from Boston and I thought traffic there was horrible, but it's nothing compared to here. Not to scare you, just being realistic.

I'd look for a nanny who can be there with baby and then after school for the olders, and when the olders have no school due to holidays, teacher professional days, and when the kids themselves are sick. that would make your life so much easier given the commute will be long. And there is nothing more stressful than sitting in horrible traffic, watching the time tick away, knowing you have a deadline to get to a childcare center/after school program by 6pm. School age kids are out 1-3 days/month every freakin' month for some reason or another. And then there are 1/2 days for conferences, spring break, winter break, blah blah. But you probably know that, given your kids are already in elementary school. Still, I'd go with a nanny! And then your kids can do an after school activity once or twice a week because your nanny can drive to the class.