$500 for one kid now probably means close to $1,000 more a month once you have both kids in daycare? There is much better ways to spend that money than in upgrading daycare when the current one isn't giving you reason to complain. That said, we did make the switch (to Montessori even) and it was well worth it and I'm so glad we did, but the price difference was more like $200 a month and it was from an in-home DC would have outgrown before starting DC pre-K to a Montessori preschool. But a fed daycare will be developmentally appropriate and keep your children engaged and happy until pre-K/kindergarten. Definitely don't pay more to fix what ain't broke.

For me it was well worth the peace of mind to have a “sibling spot” at the daycare my older daughter attended - and a single drop off - than to switch her to a slightly less expensive preschool when we had the chance. No way I’d pay more to have kids in separate places and be less likely to find infant care unless my older child were unhappy.

The one thing to consider is with two kids will it be 1k more a month for both of them? It'd be a pain if they were at different places.

Make sure the full extra cost is clear.

Anonymous wrote:If it ain't broke, don't fix it. A good daycare that works well for your family (and has a spot for both kids and is within budget) is not that easy to find so hold tight to it. "Montessori" and play-based and all that are great in theory but at that age, kids really just need loving care, fun activities and engagement more than "learning."

+1 to all of this.

I would definitely switch. As your child gets older he/she is going to need more stimulation and activity. These are crucial years in development.

I'm also a big fan of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Things can look okay but you get a bad teacher or management and it can be tougher. You're also talking 6k more a year.

Also, I know my daycare hopes to bring hot lunch backhand, boy, am I looking forward to that (hot lunch was quite good there and he tended to be more adventurous because the other kids were eating the same thing). If the other school never will have lunch but the current one might, that's worth considering.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. A good daycare that works well for your family (and has a spot for both kids and is within budget) is not that easy to find so hold tight to it. "Montessori" and play-based and all that are great in theory but at that age, kids really just need loving care, fun activities and engagement more than "learning."

We faced a decision like this when my older DD was 2.5 and I was pregnant with DS. I agree you can’t really crowdsource it, but it’s a great idea to tour the new place again to get a better sense of your current gut feeling. And get a definite answer from the new place on whether you’ll be likely to get an infant spot in the spring before you switch. The new place won’t be worth it if you also have to drive the baby somewhere else.

In our case, our DD was happy at her daycare but we got off the long waiting list at a fancier, highly recommended facility that was slightly more expensive. I agonized over the decision for a long time but ultimately we switched her. It was great and I have no regrets (she’s now in elementary). But I think she also would have been perfectly fine at the original daycare.

For what it’s worth, these were the key factors in my decision:
- New place had nicer infant rooms for the new baby. They were smaller and had a lower teacher/kid ratio. It was SO worth it.
- There was even less turnover among teachers in the new place - people had been there 10 and 20 years.
- The Pre-K room at the new place was better for older DD as it tuned much more into a preschool.
- Much better outdoor space at the new school, plus they took the kids on walks in the neighborhood.

Your key factors will vary or course! Good luck!

I just experienced a similar scenario. I was hesitant to disrupt her routine and make her adjust to a new place when she is clearly happy where she is. I worried I was just trying to give her the popular "best" option when she was fine where she was. Unless you need the better hours, I'd keep her where she is. But it was a hard decision for us.

It would be hard to convince me to switch when you're generally happy with the current daycare and a switch would cost $500 (and, ostensibly, with a second on the way, $1000 a month soon)

Couple of key questions I would ask myself:

1) How confident are you in the spot for another kid? This would be an absolutely dealbreaker for me - infant spot are so hard to come by! If chances are better at one than the other, that would really sway me.
2) Has your current daycare discussed when they're re-extending their hours? Have you asked?
3) You say the current daycare is close to your work, and the new one would be near your husband. How does that affect pickup/drop off? Does that mean you go from you doing 100% of drop offs to him doing 100% of drop offs? What does that mean, logistically, for everyone's mornings and evenings? If this makes things easier (ex: you're the one who cooks, so getting home first and getting a start on dinner before they arrive home would be awesome) then that's something to think about.
4) What's the opportunity cost? What would you be doing with that $500 a month otherwise?
5) I'd dig a bit more into the Montessori vs. traditional play based distinction. Your husband "remembers believing in it" - why? You actually have a kid now, do you think that'd be a good fit for him?

Hw old is your child now? How many years till K?

This isn’t really something you can crowdsource. They are clear pluses and minuses to either situation and you and your husband just need to figure it out.

FWIW, I wouldn’t pay an extra $500/month if you are reasonably happy where you are at. Put that $6K in the 529.

My daughter has been at the same daycare center since she was 1 and seems happy there. The daycare is very close to my office, but has reduced hours and stopped serving lunch due to COVID. She's had the same teachers (low turnover) and since I'm a fed, the rates are subsidized and reasonable. Curriculum is "play-based" and seems like pretty standard daycare fare. The facilities are decent but not ideal--they are in the basement of a federal building, though there is an outdoor playground.

After years on the waitlist, we were offered a spot at a local Montessori that has a good reputation, is right next to my husband's office, and has a beautiful building/playground. It costs significantly more (on the order of $500 extra per month) and we loved it when we toured it--but that was over two years ago. The hours are better, but they also don't provide lunch.

My husband wants to take the Montessori spot because remembers loving the tour and remembers believing in the curriculum. I'm hesitant to move her when she's happy at her existing daycare. The other wrinkle is that we are expecting another baby and will need another daycare spot starting in the spring. I think we would definitely get an infant spot at her current daycare if we stayed, and we would have a pretty good shot of getting an infant spot at the Montessori.