With this kind of rate, especially 2 kids, why don't you hire a nanny?

we looked at Bright Horizon and paid to be on a waitlist when I was 8 weeks pregnant. My baby is 14 months old now but we are still on the waitlist.

i just feel with this crazy demand, what motivates the center to be better? i am happy with nanny share.

Anonymous wrote:I have my doubts about the "3 free " list. I got on 3 lists 3 years ago. Ive heard severl times from my top choice center (which i think is lso the most popular one). But to this day ive never heard from #2 or #3. Good thing we have since found other care, but it annoys me that they just took my money for nothing. This was in arlington.

We were offered spots at all 3 of the Bright Horizons centers we listed within about 2 months of each other. I checked in regularly with all of them to find out the state of the waitlist and re-express my interest. Based on what I have heard from other parents, it seems that -- regardless of center, Bright Horizons or not -- it ups your chances of being offered a spot if you do this since the centers are more inclined to call #2 on the waitlist if they haven't heard anything from #1 in months and months to save time.

jindc wrote:Hm, energy is close to my husband's work....do you metro there? What was your wait list like if you don't mind me asking?

We typically drive, but we have also taken DD on the metro when our car has been in the shop. A lot of the parents seem to take the metro with their kids. We live about a 30 minute walk from the center, so on nice days we sometimes take her in the stroller.

We were on the waitlist for about a year.

Anonymous wrote:I applied to FTC as my first choice, Triangle Tots, and another facility on L street. That was 2 years ago, and I haven't heard back from any of them. I'm a fed and my agency is a sponsoring agency for FTC. I've repeatedly called FTC to see where my spot is on the waitlist and have never gotten a call back. I really believe that it's a scam to get your application fee. I bet they tossed my application out as soon as they received it. They were quick to get back to me when I was submitting my application and check, however.

That said, someone is getting into these day care centers. So my advice is to send out as many applications as possible and to seriously look into nanny shares. Ultimately, I had to go down the nanny route. My mistake was to apply only to a few daycares that were conveniently located. What I should have done was send out mass applications so there was a chance of getting into something.

You are not the only one who feels this way. I have always thought that the BH application process was a joke. Good luck to you.

No, I'm in DC. I spoke with the woman at the Dept of Energy Bright Horizons and she said that if you call your other two top choices, they can confirm that you are on the wait list a couple weeks after you submit your main application. So, I gather I'll be following up.

our second choices will be FTC and Energy because the others were "years and years for non-agency families" OR were over $2k a month. If i'm spending that much, it'll go to a different company or a nanny. Energy isn't even that convenient - I like the idea of one more central so I can stop by and nurse or whatnot, but at this point a priority is making sure my child has some sort of care.

We're going to apply at CCLC in Foggy Bottom, too.

Someone was asking about costs - here's what I found out:
Bright Horizons Triangle Tots $1,714
CCLC @ 2200 Penn $1840/month
Bright Horizons FTC Kids $1,685
Commerce Kids $385/week
Bright Horizons @ 1111 Penn $2,112/month
Bright Horizons @ 2101 L Street $2060/month
Dept of Energy Bright Horizons $1647/month

Where do you live? If outside of DC you will probably find less expensive options closer to home.

I applied to FTC as my first choice, Triangle Tots, and another facility on L street. That was 2 years ago, and I haven't heard back from any of them. I'm a fed and my agency is a sponsoring agency for FTC. I've repeatedly called FTC to see where my spot is on the waitlist and have never gotten a call back. I really believe that it's a scam to get your application fee. I bet they tossed my application out as soon as they received it. They were quick to get back to me when I was submitting my application and check, however.

That said, someone is getting into these day care centers. So my advice is to send out as many applications as possible and to seriously look into nanny shares. Ultimately, I had to go down the nanny route. My mistake was to apply only to a few daycares that were conveniently located. What I should have done was send out mass applications so there was a chance of getting into something.

I'm DOJ and we just got a spot at Commerce Kids for our infant, so it's not impossible. I think it's only a waste of time if neither of you is a fed.

Thanks for the constructive comments, PPs....New Carrollton won't work as I work at the pentagon. Downton or foggy bottom is ideal because I can do nursing drop bys and all tht.

Interesting abut the doubts regarding the top three choices....I gues th only way to know is to continually follow up?

We're applying to commerce kids as well...and also trying for tiny findings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were at the IRS bright horizons for years and thought it was great. There always seemed to be a fair number of non-IRS fed parents there.

+1 to downtown IRS. And I work at 7th and Mass.

Granted, my husband picks up from that building often, but the center is great and would be worth it for me to do that 1mile walk there and back every day. I also did it for nursing too through the first year.

+1 on the New Carrollton IRS facility. It's a very well run facility. Have been there since 3 months old and we are very happy with the care. The director runs a good team and there is at least one very experienced person in each room, often with an early childhood education background. We interviewed 6 different daycares and this was our first choice. We got in because my spouse is an IRS employee (and they do have preference), but there are several families with no affiliation with IRS there.

Although it is at the end of the Orange line, it is very metro accessible with the daycare just across the street from the metro station.

I have my doubts about the "3 free " list. I got on 3 lists 3 years ago. Ive heard severl times from my top choice center (which i think is lso the most popular one). But to this day ive never heard from #2 or #3. Good thing we have since found other care, but it annoys me that they just took my money for nothing. This was in arlington.

Anonymous wrote:Why would anybody put their kid in a bright horizion?

Thank you for your super helpful contribution. Now move along, troll.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would anybody put their kid in a bright horizion?

Because they have a lock on daycare centers in this area and families get brainwashed thinking they are a wonderful company.

They are so clearly horrible I just don't get. To each his own

Um, you've personally evaluated every one?

I am one of the IRS national office boosters where we have rock star toddler teachers and a bunch of kids who are entertaining and whip smart and engaged. Yet it is a bright horizons which is "clearly horrible."

Anonymous wrote:We were at the IRS bright horizons for years and thought it was great. There always seemed to be a fair number of non-IRS fed parents there.

+1 to downtown IRS. And I work at 7th and Mass.

Granted, my husband picks up from that building often, but the center is great and would be worth it for me to do that 1mile walk there and back every day. I also did it for nursing too through the first year.

I put myself on 8 waitlists in my second trimester. I got spots in two after 10 months (just before my leave ended). One was Commerce Kids, and the other was a federal Bright Horizons (GSA). I am a fed, but don't work for either of those agencies. I was eventually offered a spot in most of the other centers, including my first choice, but was on the waitlist 1-2 years in each of those cases. The impossible waitlists are the ones for centers down by L'Enfant - some many employees, so few slots.

Call every couple of months to reiterate your interest. Also consider First Baptist at 16th and O. You could also consider an in-home provider. I don't know much about that market though.