[WinterIsComing]

I really didn't expect to find myself in this position but I think I am unable to send my child off to a childcare just yet. I have seen two stellar centres, namely Jigsaw and Only About Children chains, which I have no hope getting into for some time, but everything else just makes my hair stand up at the thought of leaving my boy there. There is a vacancy at an OK centre, purpose built, with large outdoor area, long term staff, but my impression of people was that they didn't necessarily provide loving care, ykwim? A bit rough around the edges, a bit strict with the little ones, not the soft spoken smiling staff playing with children on the ground I saw elsewhere. I also saw children crying, alone. May be it was a bad moment, it was late in the afternoon and a really hot day, I don't know.

I have to go back in Jan, part time, when DS is almost one, but now I am thinking since DH wants to change jobs anyway, he should leave then and stay with DS until a better centre comes up. By the time, he might be 14 - 15 months, I hope I will feel better about it then?

Has anyone freaked out and changed their plans like that? What did you do and did you start feeling better later on?

Edit: what were your criteria when choosing a centre? Did you go by your gut feeling?

This post has been edited by WinterIsComing: 02/12/2012, 11:20 AM

[Sunnycat]

My DS has been on the waiting list at a really good centre since January. He was going to be looked after by a friend in the mean time, but when that didn't work out I explored the other day care centre in my area who had a place for him.

They were okay but something didn't sit right with me. Mainly that they couldn't really say how they would get DS to sleep. They just said "oh he'll go to sleep", the other centre said they would do whatever you do at home within reason ie if he's fed to sleep they'll feed him to sleep, if he's rocked to sleep they'll rock him to sleep etc.

In the end I decided to wait until the other centre has a vacancy and my mum would take him for the two days.

DS now has a vacancy to start at the good centre in January and I'm still freaking out about my baby boy being in the care of virtual strangers. Of course they won't be strangers for long but I think it's normal to be apprehensive about sending them into care. DS will be 15 months in January.

I don't think I could send DS to a centre that I wasn't totally happy with it, and while the other centre I looked at was okay, I just wasn't 100% comfortable with it.

ETA I'm not sure what i would have done if I didn't have my mum as an option of looking for him. I probably would have had to send him to the other centre or would have delayed going back to work (which we couldn't really afford for me to do).

My criteria was pretty much what sort of routine do they have? How do they get DS to sleep since he's always been fed to sleep by me (funny though that he doesn't need to be fed to sleep by anyone else), can I use cloth nappies, what sort of food do they serve, but the good centre I like is a government one where the parents are on the board and make all the decisions so that was a selling point for me. The other one was privately run.

This post has been edited by Sunnycat: 02/12/2012, 11:27 AM

[2bundles]

January is generally your best hope of getting in. Keep calling the centre you want.

[epl0822]

I was talking to a mother who has been working in a childcare industry for 20+ years, who now runs a very successful daycare herself. She told me that you know in the first five minutes whether you want your child to attend a daycare you visit - and I think this is very good advice. So far most of the daycares I've visited were great but like you I am joining a long waitlist. The two that did offer me a place, I've declined them. One was awful - I didn't realise until I got there but it's an "unofficial" daycare where one woman looks after multiple kids in her garage with no natural light, the kids watch TV all day. Another one was so so but for various reasons I turned them down. I would have probably taken it if I was desperate but I wasn't, and I can fortunately afford to wait a little longer for somewhere better to turn up. I don't want my child to attend a daycare that is less than fantastic.

[lizzzard]

I was talking to a mother who has been working in a childcare industry for 20+ years, who now runs a very successful daycare herself. She told me that you know in the first five minutes whether you want your child to attend a daycare you visit

This was definitely my experience. OP which city are you in?

[WinterIsComing]

This was definitely my experience. OP which city are you in?

Sydney. Need CBD preferably, to share commute with DS.

[cinnabubble]

We only applied for one, because my colleagues who used it raved about it. My daughter took instantly to the director. It's in the Sydney CBD but incredibly hard to get into because it's employer based. Even staff have trouble.

[countrymel]

When my sister was looking for a centre she asked the early childhood students (she works at a Uni.) for their opinions.
They have to go on various placements during the term of study so if they hadn't actually worked/placement there a classmate had.

She got unbiased (no vested financial interest) opinions of every centre in her city.

Due to what she heard she actually went with a different centre than the one that was most physically convenient to her and which had been the 'obvious' choice on paper.

Their family could not have been happier with the care they received.

[lizzzard]

Have you looked into the Montessori on the cnr of George & King? Both my children attend/attended this one and we've been very happy there.

[WinterIsComing]

When my sister was looking for a centre she asked the early childhood students (she works at a Uni.) for their opinions.
They have to go on various placements during the term of study so if they hadn't actually worked/placement there a classmate had.

She got unbiased (no vested financial interest) opinions of every centre in her city.

Due to what she heard she actually went with a different centre than the one that was most physically convenient to her and which had been the 'obvious' choice on paper.

Their family could not have been happier with the care they received.

It's very fascinating but unhelpful unfortunately:-) Do you care to share what to avoid/prefer via PM?

Have you looked into the Montessori on the cnr of George & King? Both my children attend/attended this one and we've been very happy there.

No but I will.