Anonymous wrote:PP, that's exactly how I feel!

Can anyone recommend a pre-k in the silver spring/Bethesda area? I guess I'll start with a list and then will start contacting the schools to visit.

What type of school are you interested in? Full-day, 5 days per week or part-time? Do you want a co-op? Is a church or temple based program ok? All things to consider.

PP, that's exactly how I feel!

Can anyone recommend a pre-k in the silver spring/Bethesda area? I guess I'll start with a list and then will start contacting the schools to visit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As crazy as it sounds, I've been wondering if I need to get on the wait list of a pre-k now? My daughter is 14 months old but bc childcare situation is so difficult and wait lists long.....I just need some advice as to what to do as I wouldn't want to be in the same situation when I was looking for infant care.

OP, I applied to a traditional (full day) pre-school for my 18 month old in October. The program starts in September and she will be almost 2.5. At this particular school it is almost impossible to get in to a 3's class so if you want your child to go they start at 2.

Same.

A lot of the schools we are looking at have a lottery and then a wait list, so I am applying now for next year for a child who is currently 18 months. It's my first, too, OP and we are new to the area so this feels like a trial by fire. I haven't felt this completly clueless since I brought home a newborn.

Anonymous wrote:As crazy as it sounds, I've been wondering if I need to get on the wait list of a pre-k now? My daughter is 14 months old but bc childcare situation is so difficult and wait lists long.....I just need some advice as to what to do as I wouldn't want to be in the same situation when I was looking for infant care.

OP, I applied to a traditional (full day) pre-school for my 18 month old in October. The program starts in September and she will be almost 2.5. At this particular school it is almost impossible to get in to a 3's class so if you want your child to go they start at 2.

9:17 here - I would suggest you start making a list of pre-schools in your area and see when their open houses are scheduled. Some have open houses once a month and some have them only 2 or 3 times a year. Some do tours by request. This forum is a good resource for getting opinions and recommendations for pre-schools.

I have found that applications typically start being accepted in January. In our school the applications secure your spot on the waiting list. The current parents are asked to complete their re-enrollment forms by the end of February so the school can start doing enrollment interviews from the waiting list in March.

Visit 3 or 4 schools at least. All schools, even those with a Montessori doctrine, are run differently and you and your child's personalities will mesh differently with each one.

OP here, I live in Silver Spring and I'm not sure about the type of care I need. I want a nuturing environment that will stimulate my daughter's development. She's my first, so I really don't know much about these things and I'm looking for guidance.

Where do you live? What type of program are you looking for? There is no universal answer to this question.

If you want to get into a Montessori pre-K program that starts at 18months you want to start calling and asking about wait lists and open houses now. There aren't many Montessori programs that take under 2s and the ones that do have limited spots.

It depends. If you are applying to a traditional "preschool" that starts in September, then you should ask now what the application procedure is. Some are taking applications now, others not until early 2013. If you want a year-round, full day preschool that doesn't "start" in September (ie, that takes kids whenever there is an opening) then they may have a waitlist that you would want to get on now.

Anonymous wrote:Things clear up for older kids. Infants are the hardest to find care for, but daycare spots open up at 3 as there are more options.

This. Our daycare is impossible to get into for an infant, but there were actually spaces open at the start of the session for the 3YO class.

You apply in the fall the year before you want her to attend. So if you want her to attend in September 2013 at the age of 3, then you apply now.

OP here, does this mean I have to "enroll" her at 2? In the hopes she makes it at 3?

Things clear up for older kids. Infants are the hardest to find care for, but daycare spots open up at 3 as there are more options.

The process for pre-k is different than a daycare wait list. Pre-k generally has an application process each fall/winter where they select the class for the next year. There generally aren't wait lists except for people whose children weren't accepted that fall, like a wait list for college.

As crazy as it sounds, I've been wondering if I need to get on the wait list of a pre-k now? My daughter is 14 months old but bc childcare situation is so difficult and wait lists long.....I just need some advice as to what to do as I wouldn't want to be in the same situation when I was looking for infant care.