Decision 2008: Daycare Providers
September 5, 2008 by Geoff Manning Comments (4)
What kind of factors go into your decision making process for picking a daycare provider? We have two options in front of us, both of which we are comfortable with, but differ in price and location.
We live in Boston and there is a provider just south of us that we are very comfortable with. The issue with this option is that we only have one car and we both work in Boston, MA (well I work close by in Cambridge). So I would commute out of the city just to come back in for work. If we want to split the drop-off and pick-up, we will need two cars. We could drop her off, leave the car at the train station and commute via train to work. And reverse that to pick her up (thus splitting the responsibility). Downside there is we can’t get to her in a hurry if we need to, nor can we pop in to say “Hi!”.
Another option is to use a great provider in Downtown Boston that is on the way to work if I rearrange my commute slightly. More importantly my wife could walk up (or cab it) during the day to say “Hi!” or in the case that little girl is throwing a nutty and needs her momma. Issue with this option is that it is (about) $800/month more expensive than option 1.
We are comfortable with both providers in terms of comfort level. So it boils down to:
- Convenience of drop-off/pick-up.
- Closeness to get there in emergency or for a mid-day pick-me-up (baby smiles are good for you).
- Cost.
Always a big decision, but sounds like you have a couple of great options, mainly because you are comfortable with both.
For me, it was (and actually still is) all about proximity. I never wanted to be stuck in traffic or on a train if one of my boys needed me for anything. And actually that has happened on a small scale through the years (a broken arm on the playground and a few other small mishaps)
I was also glad that I was able to walk over and pick up both my boys on 9/11 and walk them home.
So I always had them nearby, and I still go and drop in on them at school to this day, even though they are 13 and 10.
It just gave me a better peace of mind knowing I could get there quickly.
~ just my two cents, and best of luck!
Almost 6 years ago we were faced with a similar decision. Our options were a fairly inexpensive daycare close to home or a daycare close to my wife’s work that was on the expensive side but also had some nice benefits.
Option 1 was close to our home and was “no-frills”
Option 2 had a few nice benefits. They provided a morning snack and lunch. They also provided a web cam in all of their rooms. At anytime during the day we could log onto their site and see live video of our little angel. We loved this idea.
We weighed our options and put a tremendous amount of thought into our choice.
At the end of the day we went with our “gut” feeling. It’s similar to the feeling you get when you buy a house. You almost know the moment you walk in a house that it is “THE HOUSE” . It’s an instinctual feeling I guess. We knew the moment we walked into option 2 that it was our first choice. After almost 6 years we’ve never regretted our decision.
Oddly enough as of 2 months ago we have moved boys in the original option #1. They have been there a few months now. It also seems like a fine daycare. (option 2 did not have an after school program so we were forced to make a change).
Ugh - this is one of the toughest and most stressful decisions out there. We made our initial decision based on price and proximity (and of course we really liked and trusted the person) but in the end, we realized that we were never really 100% sold on the quality of care provided. Ironically, today is Ben’s last day at that sitter, and I couldn’t be happier!! After what seemed like a million interviews, we finally found the RIGHT fit - someone that we know will teach Ben while also providing him with loving care. It’s a little more expensive, but in the long-run, the piece of mind is totally worth it. This is the one thing in life you really can’t skimp on, you know?
Good luck, dude - it sucks having to leave your kid with someone else
We only looked at two daycare providers before deciding one one. It was a pretty easy decision…the one we choose gives us a corporate discount (it is subsidized by my employer), it’s not too far from work (only about 10 minutes away) and is one of the best one’s here in Memphis. It also didn’t hurt that they gave us “priority” on the waiting list. Who knew that parents actually put kids on waiting lists before they are even pregnant! WTF?
Anyway, we have been very happy with our decision. There are a few days here an there that really get under my skin and wish that she could stay home with the wife. But, there are far more days that she learns and experiences things that she never would at home.
I’d go for the one that’s more convenient for you if you’re comfortable sending your little one there. I can’t imagine my daughter being too far away during the day, plus it’s never too much of a hassle dropping her off if we’re running a little late (which happens all the time!)