You can search on this website. Click Family Day Homes and put in the city and/or zip code. My in home daycare provider is on there, but I found her through recommendations from co-workers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But with in home, you look three months in advance, no earlier. People only give 2-3 months notice that they're living. And you're more likely to get a spot in June, July, August, September or January

OP here - why those months? We wouldn’t need daycare until next February at the earliest…

That’s when people get preschool spots and leave.

Ok, so if I don't need care until February, what are my options? Because it's sounding like I'm already too late for a center (even though I just tested positive yesterday?!) and my timing won't work with an in-home. I can't imagine I'm the only person needing to start care between February and August.

You can tour and get on the waitlists for centers. You have a whole year.

The in home daycares are trickier. They book quickly whenever they have an opening. You should contact them closer to that time. In my experiences they don’t keep waitlists. Whenever I need a spot, I ask if they have space for a specific time frame, then if they do, I go tour and then enroll. It’s luck of the draw as to when a specific one has an opening at the same time that you need it. I usually don’t have any issues getting a spot, but that’s probably my child was a toddler when he started going to daycare. Spots for infants in these home daycares are harder to come by. I think they are only allowed to have 2 infants at a time. If you have 1-2 places you really like, you may have to pay to hold a space when you get closer to the date that you need care even if you don’t use it.

Sometimes people move or other situations change and an opening comes up at other times of the year. Some families end up having to pay for a few months where they don't use care just to secure care for the start time they need.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But with in home, you look three months in advance, no earlier. People only give 2-3 months notice that they're living. And you're more likely to get a spot in June, July, August, September or January

OP here - why those months? We wouldn’t need daycare until next February at the earliest…

That’s when people get preschool spots and leave.

Ok, so if I don't need care until February, what are my options? Because it's sounding like I'm already too late for a center (even though I just tested positive yesterday?!) and my timing won't work with an in-home. I can't imagine I'm the only person needing to start care between February and August.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But with in home, you look three months in advance, no earlier. People only give 2-3 months notice that they're living. And you're more likely to get a spot in June, July, August, September or January

OP here - why those months? We wouldn’t need daycare until next February at the earliest…

That’s when people get preschool spots and leave.

In home daycares typically know their openings 3 months in advance - unless you are looking to start care in August/ September because they may know which toddlers are “graduating” to preschool.

Janet Longmire watched my kids 5 years ago and my neighbor sent her 3yr old to Janet until just a few months ago. They only left because they got a spot at their older’s child’s preschool. I loved the experience of an in home daycare. It felt like a nanny share without all the hassle. Janet is a gem and my kids were loved and well cared for. She is just off Wilson between Ballston and EFC.

There is another in home daycare on a little cul de sac by Wilson and Patrick Henry. I don’t know the provider’s name, but neighbors use her now and she was a coveted provider when my 9yr old was a toddler.

Anonymous wrote:But with in home, you look three months in advance, no earlier. People only give 2-3 months notice that they're living. And you're more likely to get a spot in June, July, August, September or January

OP here - why those months? We wouldn’t need daycare until next February at the earliest…

Get on the center lists now, even if you’re not sure you want a center. The in homes don’t really keep lists and you have to wait until you are ready to go and keep checking in, even if they told you they keep a list.

But with in home, you look three months in advance, no earlier. People only give 2-3 months notice that they're living. And you're more likely to get a spot in June, July, August, September or January

Virginia DSS and MONA

Anonymous wrote:You’re 5 weeks pregnant? It’s way too early to start looking at in home daycares. They won’t have any idea what openings they will have when you need a spot. Wait until 2-3 months before you need the spot to look at in homes.
Start looking at centers 2 years ago, however.

When you’re ready, join Moms of North Arlington and ask there.

I guess the problem is that I don’t know if I want a center or in home yet…hoping to check out both. I don’t live in N Arlington, just close by so I don’t think they would let me in that group.

You’re 5 weeks pregnant? It’s way too early to start looking at in home daycares. They won’t have any idea what openings they will have when you need a spot. Wait until 2-3 months before you need the spot to look at in homes.
Start looking at centers 2 years ago, however.

When you’re ready, join Moms of North Arlington and ask there.

Not quite that area, but during COVID our child was with Janeth Torico and the Learning Beehive. She was awesome 703-998-8524

Care.com may have profiles with reviews. You can also look them up on the state childcare licensing website and search by zip codes. Then you can check out their address and see if they’re close to where you are. Some of them have websites/facebook pages you can search through for pics and see activities they do. I didn’t ask for references. I felt like through the interview/tour and the reviews, I can tell whether it’s a good fit for what I’m looking for.

I highly recommend in home daycare for a young baby. They often have openings in late August when some of the kids go to Kindergarten or to preschool.

We are starting to research daycares and it seems easy enough to find centers, but no idea how to find in-home daycares. I'm so early on (5 weeks) that I don't feel comfortable posting in a listserv where I would be identifiable. Any recommendations? Also, whether for in-home or centers, is asking for references typical? I'm very new to this and not sure how to vet facilities.