oona.schmid@gmail.com wrote:I really like my day care provider. That said, she is far from public transportation. All the places near metro stops had really long wait lists!!! This is a small inhome day care provider.

Some specific things I am very grateful for:
My day care gives me a written "report card" each day with the times my baby slept, ate (and how much), pooped, etc. Because he's on demand and not scheduled, it's really important for me to know what his day was like , so I know if he's tired, hungry, etc. Plus I like the little notes about cute things he did and what "activities" he had that day.

My day care provider prefers that she mix the formula (he's FF) and I really appreciate not having formula go to waste and not having to make 5 bottles in the morning, which would be another hassle in getting myself and my LO out the door.

She brings in a singer to sing to the kids one day a week and has beautiful outdoor space. One of the arguments for day care is that you want your child to have as much experience with different stimulation as is practical. She plays with puppets with them, reads them books, finger painting when they are older, etc. I am a big believer that all these activities are what distinguishes quality day care from at home care.

Finallly, my day care provider does continuing education. This was an important consideration for me in assessing places. I wanted someone who wants to stay current with best practices and wants to keep learning about child development. It does mean there are 3 days a year I've agreed to pay her for (as well as vacation and federal holidays) when daycare is closed. I feel this is a fair tradeoff, because of the advantages for my child in terms of the quality of his care. But I know not everyone would agree with this.

At any rate, my fundamental message would be: the wait lists are ridiculous. More entrepreneurs should open day cares in this area. GL to your new business.