When should I start looking?

[Anonymous]

I'm due in November and I was wondering when I should start looking for either a nanny or family day care? I wouldn't need childcare until January. Thanks

[Anonymous]

About 2-3 months before you'd need them to start. It took me six weeks to the day.

[Anonymous]

Oh thats far less in advance than I thought! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Totally agree with 4/21.

Nannies who are currently employed aren't likely to be looking or available much more than a few weeks in advance, unless they know now that kids will be aging out w/ the start of the school year or something.

I had our kids in September, planning to go back to work in January. We interviewed in October/November - hoping for a December start. (We actually waited for the nanny we chose to be available so she didn't start until January.)

6-8 weeks ahead of when you'll need the childcare is kind of the sweet spot I think.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the nanny timelines, but you also mentioned day care. You pretty much can't start too early with day care. Many places have waitlists, and while in-home tends to be a bit less competitive than larger centers, it can still be good to get a sense of them sooner rather than later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with the nanny timelines, but you also mentioned day care. You pretty much can't start too early with day care. Many places have waitlists, and while in-home tends to be a bit less competitive than larger centers, it can still be good to get a sense of them sooner rather than later.

Yes - good point, absolutely true.

[Anonymous]

A nanny for sure.

Your child will be much much too young to be put in a daycare where he (or she!) will not be able to get the one-on-one attention that an infant needs.

[Anonymous]

contact daycares now. I put my unborn kid on 4 waitlists when I was 3 months pregnant (I really did not want to do it before then), by the time the baby was born and I had to go back to work none of them had a spot available. I was lucky to find one (mid August to start in October) that had a spot. this was in DC in 2005. I did not have any problems with the second child, because my daycare, like most, gives preference to siblings. so it is more difficult to find a spot for the first child, since siblings of kids alreadty enrolled get ahead of you. so apply as soon as you can. for a nanny is different, no nanny is going to wait for you 8 or 9 months