I would not waste money on a daycare consultant. Get on the waiting lists, visit the centers, see what you think. I commute by Metro and we ended up with a center near my office. I like commuting with my kid, I like that she's in daycare about an hour a day less, and I love not having to do the daycare dash at the end of the day. I also like being able to easily visit the center during the day and attend events. There are also advantages to a center near your home, of course, and how much they weigh will depend on your situation.

I'm the PP and just wanted to add, a lot of first time parents go through this dilemma. Definitely visit all the places (together if you can) and then, go with your gut. Speak with some of the other parents, if you can.

If either you or your husband has any chance at a flexible schedule, I would go for the daycare near home. It's so nice when one of us has an extra hour or two and can pick up our son early. Also, I didn't like the idea of commuting with my baby, why strap them in a carseat longer than necessary?

If you telework, a center near your home is a much better option.

Have you actually visited the centers yet? That's the first start

Our au pair contract is coming up and we would like to put our 2 year old in a quality daycare center.

We have an option to use the Bright Horizons (1111 Penn) near our jobs or a center (MCCA, Westmoreland, Petals) near our home in Bethesda.

Any thoughts on pros/cons of near work or home options?

At work we can visit her during the day and pick her up without the stress of traffic but not sure the Bright Horizons is better quality than the centers in Bethesda - how to tell?

At home the centers seem to be better quality but we will have the traffic wild card to worry about!

I wish there was a daycare selection consultant to help people like me - with a first child - assess centers and weigh the options.

Anyone know of that type of person?

Thanks for listening and any thoughts on this tough choice.