Daycare

[Anonymous]

When do people sign yo for daycare? As in what trimester, etc ? In Arlington currently and work in dc as a fed.

[Anonymous]

Try the daycare forum, OP.

[Anonymous]

As soon as you find out you're pregnant.

[Anonymous]

For centers, ASAP, because the waitlists are like 12-15 months long. For in-home, we found that they would only really talk to us with a couple months lead time.

[Anonymous]

We signed up at 12 weeks both times, but we are outside the beltway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For centers, ASAP, because the waitlists are like 12-15 months long. For in-home, we found that they would only really talk to us with a couple months lead time.

My son is almost 4 and I’m still on some waitlists.

[Anonymous]

When you get a positive pregnancy test.

I have clients let me know they are thinking of trying for another and to pencil them in for the next available spot around then.

[Anonymous]

Infant spots are nearly impossible to get in a center. We signed up one week after I found out I was pregnant and my daughter finally got in when she was 15 months old. We used an in home daycare up until that point which doesn’t need as much lead time.

[Anonymous]

You get your positive pregnancy test, you tell your husband, you call your mom and then you call all the day care centers and put your name on that list. Another words you need to move really fast.

[Anonymous]

As soon as you confirm you are pregnant you need to get on multiple wait lists. You are often on wait lists are a year or more

[Anonymous]

Caveat to what everyone is saying above, it depends on whether you want an in home daycare or a daycare center (e.g., Bright Horizons, Kindercare, etc.). In home centers generally know their availability 3-4 months in advance. Still, best to reach out ASAP.

[Anonymous]

The second the stick turns pink for a center. We are in an in-home and the provider could only confirm the spot 3 months before we started, though we contacted her much earlier.

[Anonymous]

When we finally have our baby in December we are moving from MoCo into DC for the free prek3 and preK4. We are already scouring rentals. It could take a while find the right place I am going to stay home for 6 months anyway. Then get an Au Pair thru age 2. Then DC Prek for 3 and 4, then move back to our home in Silver Spring for K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When we finally have our baby in December we are moving from MoCo into DC for the free prek3 and preK4. We are already scouring rentals. It could take a while find the right place I am going to stay home for 6 months anyway. Then get an Au Pair thru age 2. Then DC Prek for 3 and 4, then move back to our home in Silver Spring for K.

What?! You are leaving your home for free preK and prek3?!

And ay pairs aren’t recommended for newborns, OP. And you’re talking about two au pairs for 1.5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When we finally have our baby in December we are moving from MoCo into DC for the free prek3 and preK4. We are already scouring rentals. It could take a while find the right place I am going to stay home for 6 months anyway. Then get an Au Pair thru age 2. Then DC Prek for 3 and 4, then move back to our home in Silver Spring for K.

Good luck with that. As a DC resident who participates in the lottery, I’ve had no luck for the past 2 years of getting into any of the schools I wanted. We tried our neighborhood school and even as a free option, we were not pleased. Took our LO out and have been paying ever since.