Skipping the waitlist and getting a spot?

[Anonymous]

With all the families deciding to keep their children home even if their center reopens, has anyone been able to move up on waitlists far quicker than expected? A friend who has been on the waitlist for a highly sought-after center in Bethesda for only a couple of weeks just got the call, and I read that Bambini has immediate availability at one of their locations, which is unheard of. Would it be OK to call centers that I haven't signed up for, just to see if we hit the jackpot, or would it seem like we are taking advantantage of the pandemic?

[Anonymous]

I would certainly call. There seems to be a lot of movement places, we’ve also got two emails from places we didn’t think we would get a spot.

[Anonymous]

Maybe. Ironically, it may be easier to get a younger kid spot because they are less affected by new numbers requirements.

Also, not everyone goes “in order” on the waitlist. Our highly sought after Bethesda place (maybe the same as you mentioned) gives the spot to people who have consistently and recently expressed interest. It isn’t necessarily chronological. We just happened to follow-up at the right time.

[Anonymous]

Maybe, but some centers that cut numbers also cut staff and won’t be able to easily increase the numbers.

[Anonymous]

Why wouldn’t you call?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn’t you call?

It could seem opportunistic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn’t you call?

It could seem opportunistic?

Call as much as you can to be persistent but shy of annoying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn’t you call?

It could seem opportunistic?

Do you want the spot or not?

[Anonymous]

Definitely call. I'm a center director and we have a few infant and toddler slots open due to parents not feeling comfortable about returning their children.

[Anonymous]

If there are spots, then the daycare wants to fill them. I would call ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely call. I'm a center director and we have a few infant and toddler slots open due to parents not feeling comfortable about returning their children.

Makes sense, thanks.

[Anonymous]

I guess I don’t understand the point of the waitlist if they aren’t going to go in order. They take money for the waitlist with the assumption if a spot opens up they will contact you in the order you applied. To not do so seems wrong and shady.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I don’t understand the point of the waitlist if they aren’t going to go in order. They take money for the waitlist with the assumption if a spot opens up they will contact you in the order you applied. To not do so seems wrong and shady.

I'm sure the waitlist is the first place daycare centers with open spots go to, and waitlist families have a shot at those spots, in their order of priority date, before they are annouced to the general public. If spots get offered to the general public right now, it means there were not enough families in the waitlist willing or able to take (or reserve) those spots right away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I don’t understand the point of the waitlist if they aren’t going to go in order. They take money for the waitlist with the assumption if a spot opens up they will contact you in the order you applied. To not do so seems wrong and shady.

I'm sure the waitlist is the first place daycare centers with open spots go to, and waitlist families have a shot at those spots, in their order of priority date, before they are annouced to the general public. If spots get offered to the general public right now, it means there were not enough families in the waitlist willing or able to take (or reserve) those spots right away.

I used to direct a center that had a waitlist - and our infant waitlist was LONG and it took forever to get in (like you had to go on when 3 months pregnant, and you might get an offer when you were in your 2nd month of maternity leave but maybe not until your child was 6 months old - LONG. I was religious about going down the list in order of going on the waitlist (we had a few clients who had first priority, but on their priority list I was also rigid about using their going on list dates). EXCEPT if someone told me they wanted a space in March, and the space I was filling was for November, I would skip that person who wanted February and move on to those who wanted Oct, Nov and Dec and early January. Because some of those who had wanted October were still looking for November, and someone who wanted Dec or first week of January might pay to hold a space (might not, but it wouldn't hurt to call). someone whose baby wouldn't need childcare until February would NOT hold a space from November. So I wouldn't bother calling them, which means I might skip them this time, but in a few months when I'm filling a January/Feb spot I would call them.

See how that works? I wasn't shady, but some people had 6 months of maternity leave, some had 6 weeks, etc....

ALSO - I do know that many directors are shady and/or really unorganized and just call the person who has been calling them the most recently. That's unethical, I think. Except if you have limited time in your day to make those calls, and parents don't bother to call you back unless they need care, and you have 40 people on your waitlist, and in 15 minutes you need to go run breaks or step into a classroom because yet another teacher called out sick or is leaving early, sometimes you just need to GET THE SPOT FILLED because every moment the space isn't filled, we are losing money, because we pay our staff whether the room is full or not.

So once your baby is born, call the centers, tell them the baby was born, name, date of birth, and tell them when you are looking for care - like the exact date (might have changed since you went on list). Then once a month call them and just 'check in'. Nicely, don't be annoying, but do make them know you are still very interested in the center.