Karasik and Park Street have a great reputation but they have a lot of families knocking on their doors for spots and aren't super responsive to people on the waitlist. Doesn't hurt to try but I would not hold my breath that you can get something with them soon.

We moved to four corners from out of state when kids were 2 and 4. We found Karasik based on recommendations from others and lived it. It is right in four corners. I know families who still have their kids there but mine are in later elementary so it has been a few years.

MCCA Park Street isn't far from Aspen Hill, and they take infants.

https://mccaedu.org/centers/park_street.html

We live in Northwood park and sent both kids to the ymca. I doubt they have spots for 2yo but you can get on the waiting list now.

Buenos Amigos is a family daycare in the Forest Glen area, with good reviews.

There aren't a ton of daycare facilities between Northwood and Aspen Hill that accept infants. A few are Karasik (closest to Northwood and with the director turnover, there may be spaces available), Bright Eyes at Glen Haven ES (starts at 12 months), Bright Eyes at Viers Mill ES, ABC Learning Center locations on Wimbledon Dr and Randolph Rd (both a little out of your way), and Childtime (in White Oak and also a little out of your way). I don't know much about any of the daycares, and I loved Karasik under the former directors, but I have no experience with Karasik under its current leadership.

I've heard decent reviews from friends of Yedidya's Family Daycare and Michaelle Vaughn's daycare, both in Northwood. They're both child care homes, not facilities, but they're both very close to your new home.

Anonymous wrote:Four corner’s area. I work in Rockville, near Aspen Hill.

Near Four Corners is Silver Spring Presbyterian Church Children's Center. It is a great school that often gets overlooked. The program is non-religious BTW. The challenge for you would be that they only take kids in in January, June, and September.

Anonymous wrote:You will probably enroll the older kid at age two, when spots open up, and then use that kid’s sibling preference to get the baby a spot around his one year bday. That’s super common.

+1. I'd look for an in-home where you can enroll your 20mo and secure a spot for the future infant. Not saying this is guarunteed but I had to find a spot last minute with my first when our original plans fell through, so it can be done. Call anywhere and everywhere. I would contact Monday Morning Moms- IIRC they had a lot more providers in the Aspen Hill area than closer in Silver Spring. But I'm sure it varies.

I'd say there's a good chance you could get the older child into a center next fall, since they will be 2 by then and that's when there tends to be the most openings. That will get your foot in te dor for the baby.

My kids overlapped for exactly 3 months at their in-home daycare before the older DC moved on to a preschool center. Not ideal, but it is what it is.