How do you find a good day-care?

[ribbit1019]

MIL just called DH and while screaming at Nephew stated that DD was all wound up and wouldn't go down for a nap. 5 sec later FIL screams at nephew and DD starts scream crying. Gee I wonder why. Then she tells DH "It is days like these that having the pacifier is very helpful!" Yes, that way you can shut her up and she can listen to you scream more at her cousin because you and FIL are too lazy to stand up and redirect nephew like a normal person would.
Argh, I am putting her in day care. It breaks my heart but I am tired of her not getting naps and being around all the screaming and hitting and dirt. I can't take it anymore. I am so upset. I am at my breaking point with all this and I just don't know where to turn. I'm sorry, I know this should be in the bitching post, but really I need to know where to start to find good day care for DD.

Thank you for any advice.

Christy
Maddy - binkie free as of 6/28/05

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[deborah_r]

Hi Christy,

Sorry to hear this. I remember some of your past posts too, and I know this is a hrad decision for you.

A place to start is to see what daycares in your area are accredited by NAEYC (I think it's Nat'l Assoc. for the Education of Young Children) I'm not saying this is a requirement, it just might be a criteria you are interested in.
http://www.naeyc.org/

A lot of moms in my playgroup researched many daycares and preschools in our area, and they were not happy with some that had the NAEYC accreditation, so it doesn't necessarily make it the perfect daycare because it is on this list. You have to go visit and see how you feel about the environment.

My little guy is just starting next week (he's 2 years old) and we have had some test runs this week and so far it is going great. I worry about him not getting as much one-on-one as he does with me, but he is so excited to play with the other kids and explore all of the toys, and they have a classroom pet (rabbit) that he is just crazy about. So he will be exposed to some different things. They also have a nice play area that is mostly shaded in the morning, so he will spend more time outside (which he loves) than he would if he were with me because I hate being out in the heat!

Good luck in your search!

[missym]

Oh, Christy, just what you need right now, huh? Big hugs.

We used our state's child care licensing agency to find our provider. They have a searchable database which shows the type of daycare (in-home or center), # of kids they can accommodate, complaints filed against them, inspection history, etc. Then we interviewed several in our area. You might see if Ohio has something similar.

Missy, mom to Gwen 03/03... and #2 due Sept 05!

[Jen841]

I started with recommendations, then ended up using a search tool my employer offered for my search. Our first and third DC were the best (we moved 3 times.) I love where we are now. I think an unplanned visit to schedule a real visit is priceless!

Think about some of your requirements before going on your search. Thing to think about:
Location- close to home? Close to work? Between your work and DH's work?
Hours- Is your job flexible, or do you need a place with flexible hours?
Are you charged a flat weekly rate, or an hourly rate?
Is lunch included?- I personally did not want to pack a lunch daily for Jude, especially with our transitional living (temp housing for 3 months.)
Ratios
Activities
Staff Turnover
Religious affiliation

Other Moms are great resources! Ask around!

[amp]

Christy - I don't have much advice, but wanted to tell you to go with your gut on this. I know it's hard to leave a place when it's family and you don't want to ruffle feathers, but your daughter shouldn't have to be exposed to that! Hugs to you!

My best advice would be to ask around at a moms group or friends or neighbors. If that all fails, start looking online and you're sure to find a bunch. Start w/ a phone call seeing if they even have space and to ask a few questions. Then go see the place and take a tour. It's not a bad idea to show up unexpectedly, but lots of places will make you make an appt, which can be frustrating. They want to be prepared for you, and to give you their full attention, which is fair, but you want to be able to see how things function when they aren't planning for you. Good luck!