Finding Daycare for Early 2021

[Anonymous]

I'm pregnant with my first, due end of November. With daycares shut down right now and tours not possible, does anyone have advice on exploring and vetting day cares? Hard to judge whether to apply/get on a waitlist during this time. We live in the Fort Hunt area and hope to find a place nearish to Old Town Alexandria. This process feels really overwhelming, especially with everything closed. Advice and suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

I would recommend that you wait until late summer/early fall. So many daycares do not know when or if they will be able to open at this point. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Get on waitlists now. Lots of them. Even during normal times it is tough to get an infant spot. Most places have an online waitlist application, but if not send an email. If there’s a waitlist fee, ask if you can pay it once it is safe to do a visit, which is a reasonable request. Worry about vetting and visiting later. Some of the places where you get on the waitlist now won’t be in business in 2021.

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

I got on a bunch of waitlists for my July 2020 baby who would have started daycare in Jan 2021. Get on waitlists now. But I echo everyone that I'm not sure if they will be open... I ended up deciding to delay her start date until Spring 2021 for this reason.

[Anonymous]

To the PP with a July 2020 baby-
I also have a july 2020 baby on the way and am on a couple waitlists. Have you already gotten off a waitlist and know where you’re going for daycare?

[Anonymous]

I'm also expecting my first in November! I'm already on several wait lists and plan to do tours when things reopen -- hopefully over the summer. It's a bummer to pay wait list registration fees before even seeing the daycare and knowing if it's a good fit, but I'm willing to eat the cost to ensure I have childcare come March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm also expecting my first in November! I'm already on several wait lists and plan to do tours when things reopen -- hopefully over the summer. It's a bummer to pay wait list registration fees before even seeing the daycare and knowing if it's a good fit, but I'm willing to eat the cost to ensure I have childcare come March.

^ Me again. Realized I should have shared more about my process.

I did a ton of research on options near my office (downtown DC) and home (Old Town Alexandria). I scoured the archives of this forum, read blogs and review sites, and poured over daycare websites. I started a list of my favorite options with details on distance to work/home, tuition rates, and registration fees. Then I narrowed it down to my top four (I might need to add one or two more actually) and emailed each center to get information on application process, wait times, and fees. I heard back from all of them within a week with instructions on how to submit the application and fee. None of them provided a concrete timeline for admission (to be expected), but I asked anyway Then I submitted the forms and payment (via phone, mail or online). And now I wait!

Happy to answer any questions.

[Anonymous]

I would get on a few waitlists of places you think are viable options and then vet them to narrow down preferred versus backup options. I put my sibling preference infant on a waitlist at our daycare for a date over a year out (I have a longer maternity leave) back in January/February 2019 when presumably some of those infants looking for same entry date weren’t even conceived yet and we were already 50+ wait list numbers deep for 16 infant spots. This was pre-COVID but I’d still put yourself on lists..... you can get some good info on the local Facebook groups from actual not-anonymous people. The people on this board prefer the same 2-3 Alexandria daycares and I found we were more comfortable with a slightly less expensive, less well-known center (and less competitive wait list).... I definitely think in person visits helps but also ask to read the parent handbook, maybe interview or speak to the director on the phone with some key questions, etc. and that will also give you a good sense of the vibe before putting down non-refundable fees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the PP with a July 2020 baby-
I also have a july 2020 baby on the way and am on a couple waitlists. Have you already gotten off a waitlist and know where you’re going for daycare?

I’m not in the DC area but the daycares I’m on waitlists are on a holding pattern. They have no idea when they will reopen and if they will have spots. I’m hoping things get better in April 2021 when we plan to put her in daycare.