Are there any daycares in Fairfax area that allow drop-in/back-up care?

[Anonymous]

I am wondering if there are any daycares in Fairfax (or within 10 miles of Fairfax) that allow drop-in or back-up care, where I could pay hourly for my child to attend for a few hours once in awhile? I'm a SAHM but sometimes I have to go to appointments, and my DH ends up having to take the whole day off for that as I have been unable to find a babysitter for daytime care for things like appointments and we have no local family in the area. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

What age?

[Anonymous]

Age 2

[Anonymous]

The daycare at Inova hospital used to take backups, not sure if they still do. I was going to use it but to sign up for backup care you have to fill out all forms as if your kid is going full time, including paying a registration fee. Wasn't worth it to me for a couple days of backup care when DS's school was closed.

Depending on how old your kid is, I would think hard about whether this is a good option. Kids can take a while to get used to a new situation so you may be setting your kid up for a rough day. When I have sent my kid to backup care in the past, I feel guilty because think how hard it is for you to walk into a room full of people you don't know (especially if they all know each other) - then extrapolate that to a 3 year old. Just seems really rough and scary.

that said... I feel like i've heard about mom's mornings out programs in FFX... never had to do too much research since I work full time.

[Anonymous]

No, there is nothing for age 2.

Try to find a mom's morning out or morning out coop. Churches often have them so check out the nearby churches.

[Anonymous]

You should try PB&Jack.

[Anonymous]

Is Alexandria too far for you to go OP????

[Anonymous]

OP here. I would love to find a mother's helper, but have not been able to find one. I guess the idea of drop in care at a daycare wouldn't really work. I did find one place that offered it, but you have to pay for the whole day and it would be too expensive since we would just need a few hours.

The issue is if I have an appointment my husband has to take the whole day off, and he is using up all his vacation days. But with no local family, and since I can't find a mother's helper because it's hard to find someone who only wants to work a few hours a week, it's very hard to get appointments, etc. done when you're a stay at home mom without any local family.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried care.com? I found it so intimidating to find a babysitter when my first child was little, but in fact there are tons of people who would love to earn a little money by babysitting. I have also found the childcare section of Craigslist a good resource. Place an ad, and then interview/check references, etc. You may have to interview a lot of people, but it's worth it.

[Anonymous]

This is what drives mothers to go knocking on neighborhood doors to meet other mothers - part desperation.