Anonymous wrote:We also have a family friend who took their young toddler out of Flagstone and got a nanny share in Alexandria until he got off the SADS waiting list. Whoever said SADS had a three year waiting list...not true. We got in after a year.

I would say getting off the waitlist in a year is the exception not the rule...based on my own experience and on the experience of other families in the neighborhood. SADS is also very secretive about the list and your place on it, which makes planning around such rather annoying.

Anonymous wrote:We also have a family friend who took their young toddler out of Flagstone and got a nanny share in Alexandria until he got off the SADS waiting list. Whoever said SADS had a three year waiting list...not true. We got in after a year.

We left Flagstone. The head teacher in the infant room was cruel to parents, and I always left after the drop off in a horrible mood. Administrators were never there. I rarely saw the director. We are at SADs now, and it is as different as night and day. We are thrilled that we finally got in.

I've heard that there is a Great Beginnings that is recently opened in Alexandria. Anyone know anything about that?

We also have a family friend who took their young toddler out of Flagstone and got a nanny share in Alexandria until he got off the SADS waiting list. Whoever said SADS had a three year waiting list...not true. We got in after a year.

Anonymous wrote:We have a good friend who sends their 2 yr old there and loves it. The only way to find out for sure is to do a tour. When I called to set one up they were not available that day. But I am hesitant to even try to reschedule.... took a long time to answer the phone, heard screaming children/noise in the background. I don't know, didn't leave me with a good feeling. Go do a tour, find out for yourself and go with "your" feeling.

Btw I was talking about Flagstone.

We have a good friend who sends their 2 yr old there and loves it. The only way to find out for sure is to do a tour. When I called to set one up they were not available that day. But I am hesitant to even try to reschedule.... took a long time to answer the phone, heard screaming children/noise in the background. I don't know, didn't leave me with a good feeling. Go do a tour, find out for yourself and go with "your" feeling.

We had a terrible experience with the infant room at Hopkins House. I would not recommend that place to anyone.

Can you share why you pulled your child from Flagstone?

We pulled our child (as did three other familes) from Flagstone. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

how about teddy bear day care in 22304 is it good?

I know people who have been on the St Anthony's waitingist for 3 years.

I'm on the ADS waiting list, have been since March, and still have a ways to go before I'll get a spot (unless I get fantastically lucky and everyone ahead of me has made alternate arrangements).

You can try Flagstone or Hopkins House as well. I haven't toured HH but I liked Flagstone. It doesn't get the rave reviews of some others, but I walk past it often, and the kids always look happy. I've talked to a few parents who seem happy with it. Their waiting list is also shorter and cheaper ($25).

Just toured St. Anthony's and American Day School. I'm 20 weeks pregnant. Believe the hype, it's all true what they say about St. Anthony's! It's clean, well organized, friendly staff, kids are smiling, laughing, happily learning, great curriculum/daily activities. We were there during a fire drill, the kids were all out in 2 mins. I think the ratio for infants is 3:1. I didn't get a straight answer on how long is the wait list. At least a year long, but of course siblings get priority, so expect longer. $20 wait list fee, Newborns and Infants are $350/wk. Crossing my fingers we get in eventually!

American Day School - we only toured the infant and toddler facility. The preschool is in a different building and they mentioned there are plans to expand/add a building, which is great. Alexandria needs it! The facility is clean, equipment (cribs, swings, etc) looks updated, babies looked happy during tummy time, ratio is 4:1 (I think?). This is probably where we will end up sending our baby. I didn't get the same 'wow' as St. Anthony's, but I got the sense that it is a professional, well run daycare. $100 wait list fee, Infants $358/wk.

I spoke to Bright Horizons Crystal City over the phone. They only do tours on Wednesdays at 10am. They emailed me info, Infant/Toddler Program $1998 per month, waitlist varies anywhere from 6-12 months. We've ruled this out due to price!

Also went to Kindercare in Springfield... absolute last resort. The facility is needs updating, not very clean/organized, noisy, seemed understaffed. I just didn't get a good 'feeling'. To me, the set up is odd. You walk in first to the 3-4 yr olds, then there is a door to infant room, then door into toddler room, etc. $330/wk, $75 wait list fee.

Called Great Beginnings and they said at this time, they were not adding to the wait list, booked until Dec 2012.

If anyone has another other recommendations, please let me know! Thanks!

Have heard excellent things about Innovation Station, but also that it's nearly impossible to get into unless your a PTO family. I was a Fed and couldn't get in there...got into SADS first.

20:54 again--I'm not PTO either, but a Fed also, and Innovation Station was the only center that had a spot for me when I needed it, which was funny, because when I went on the tour, the director told me the wait list was 2 years, and I left feeling certain I'd never get a spot there. I had more or less written it off, so I was surprised when I got a call saying they had a spot for me on available the day I was going back to work. I think a lot of it is all timing and luck (and some polite perserverence) which is why I always encourage my friends to get on the waiting lists for the places they really like, even if they feel like there is no chance of getting in!

Get on those lists right now! We got on the lists of every day care we were interested in when I was 20 weeks pregnant, and got into all of them before my son was one, including Innovation Station and SADS. We are at American Day School because it is right next door to our house, and have been very happy with it, for the most part. My son has been there since he was 6 months old. He really loves his teachers and enjoys being at school. Like any other daycare, there are things about it that are not perfect - for example, you cannot bring in outside food without a doctor's note that it is medically necessary once the kids hit the toddler room. So on days that they serve tuna salad, which my son hates, he doesn't eat lunch. But in general, it is a good place. They have music, art and spanish and an outdoor play area for toddlers and up.

Anonymous wrote:Have heard excellent things about Innovation Station, but also that it's nearly impossible to get into unless your a PTO family. I was a Fed and couldn't get in there...got into SADS first.

Yes, it seems like it is alot easier to get into Crystal City. More expensive too, of course. My employer is a corporate sponsor and so I get priority at all BH daycares. I got a spot easily at CC, but Innovation Station was having none of it That said, CC is a great place for infants too!