Congratulations, you’re expecting! Having a child is one of the greatest joys that anyone can experience, but there is a lot to get done between finding out you’re pregnant and welcoming him or her into the world. Those 9 months may seem like plenty of time, but they fly by fast. (Trust us!)
If you’re a parent who is going to need childcare, then one of the items that should be at the top of your list is finding a daycare provider. However, with options galore, long waiting lists, and applications to fill out, it can be stressful to try to figure out what daycare is right for you and how soon you should reserve a spot.
So, where do you even start? And when? Read on to learn the best way to choose a daycare when you’re expecting.
When to Start Looking at Daycares
You may be thinking: If my child isn’t even born yet, why do I need to start looking at daycares? Well, the unfortunate reality is that depending on where you live, daycares can fill up quickly. Child care facilities nationwide are limited, which is why it’s never too early to start looking!
The “right” time to start looking can depend on several factors, including:
- How soon you will need care once your child is born. Will you go back to work right away? Does your partner plan to take parental leave?
- The type of care you’re looking for. Are you looking for infant care, or do you want to wait until they’re in preschool?
- Whether you’ll need part-time or full-time care. Availability for full-time care may be more limited than part-time.
- The demand, availability, and wait times in your area. Some daycares have waiting lists that are over a year out!
- Your own unique schedule. You may have certain days, weeks, or months that require you to need childcare.
This means that in some instances, you may want to start looking for daycares shortly after you learn you’re expecting. In other cases, you can wait until your child gets a little older. Everything depends on your family’s needs and expectations.
How to Pick a Daycare
Here comes the hard part: actually choosing a daycare. If you’re feeling overly stressed out, it’s just a sign that you care about what’s best for your child! Follow these steps below to make the process easier:
Step 1: Gather a List of All the Possibilities
The best way to start the process of finding a good daycare is to take the time to look at ALL the possibilities in your area. This may seem overwhelming, and rightfully so: the truth is that there are a ton of options when it comes to childcare. If you were to conduct a simple search of “Daycares in Kenosha,” nearly 20+ options would come up!
However, it’s better to have more variety than less. Every daycare has different teaching methods, styles of play, approaches to discipline, and even open hours. The more daycares you look at, the higher the likelihood you’ll find the perfect option for you!
Step 2: Talk to Friends and Family
When it comes to children, everyone has an opinion. And while people may give you all sorts of unsolicited parenting advice that you simply want to forget (like the dreaded, “Don’t hold your baby so much!”), when it comes to daycare, you’re going to want to seek out advice.
Ask friends, family, and coworkers, or any other parents you meet, what they did for daycare. Where did they go? What did they like? Not like? What would they change or not change about their daycare experience? All those answers are going to help you start to narrow down your list or discover new places that you didn’t know existed before.
Step 3: Get Down to Your Top 3 or 4
Now that you have a nice, big list of all the childcare providers in your area, and you have gotten some recommendations, it’s finally time to narrow them down. Look at things like the daycare’s:
- Proximity to work or home
- Pricing
- Open hours
- Flexibility
- Curriculum
- Caregiver experience
- Online reviews
Once you do this, you may be surprised by how quickly your list will go from 15 or 20 locations to only 3 or 4 that are the best for your family.
Step 4: Schedule Tours
Tours are one of the most important parts of choosing a daycare facility! A tour will give you a sense of what your child will experience every single day, and allow you to get a good gut feeling about each location. You can witness firsthand what the classrooms look like and how the teachers are interacting with the children, as well as check out security measures and cleanliness.
Most places will want you to call ahead and schedule a time so they can prepare for you to come. However, at Cornerstone Academy, we do things a little differently. We want you to be able to see what it’s like at our facility during a normal day without any extra preparations, which is why we allow new parents to stop in any time we’re open to take a tour!
Come prepared with questions (even your most outrageous ones) so that every concern can be addressed. The more questions you ask, the better understanding you will get of each place and how they approach care.
Step 5: Use a Pro/Con List
Once you have all the information and have seen every location, the final step is to take all the information and create a pros and cons list for each. (We get it, everyone dreads a list! But we promise it will be super helpful.)
Divide a piece of paper in half and list out all the best features on the left and drawbacks on the right. Looking at these lists, determine which one has the best location, the most reasonable price, and the highest-quality of care. Don’t be afraid to factor in your gut feeling; after all, there’s nothing like a mother’s (or father’s) instinct!
From there, try ranking them from best option to least best option. If you still can’t decide, never be afraid to book another tour and gather even more information. Ultimately, in due time, you will come to a decision that is best for you and your little one. You got this!
Looking for a Daycare? Tour Cornerstone Academy Today
At Cornerstone Academy, we understand that the process of finding a daycare can be challenging. That’s why we’re here to make it as easy for you as possible! Contact us or stop in for a tour of our facility at any time; we’re always available to answer questions or to show you around. We pride ourselves on offering families in and around Kenosha, Wisconsin, a safe, educational, and fun experience that your child will love.
