https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 23:11:51 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601896 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 13:43:47 +0000 KayKay 2601896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd either switch them both next fall. Or, if you were REALLY set on keeping them at the current place, maybe you can find someone to help with school transport -- another parent at the daycare/same school who SAH, a nanny for a family with kids at school who has some "free" time during the day, etc.</p> <p>I would not put them at different places. Two drop-off/pick-ups is a pain. I did it this year out of necessity, but it wastes so much time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601781 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 11:46:19 +0000 MamaG 2601781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our Kinder is full day, I didn't consider something different might be the case for you, sorry. Yes, in that case I'd probably look at switching sooner rather than later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601751 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 11:18:31 +0000 Bluebonnet 2601751@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would start researching all options - talking to other parents in your neighborhood to see what they do for Kinder, touring other day cares (to understand their after school care capacity as well as understanding their waitlists/when spots open up/when move ups are between classes).</p> <p>If you absolutely have to move, then I think moving next fall would be best. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601720 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 10:53:05 +0000 catlady 2601720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's really tough. In your situation, I'd probably move them both next year. I've noticed that when people switch daycares around here, it's actually really hard to time it for 2 kids at once so there is usually a bit of overlap anyway. So I'd give yourself enough time to make sure both kids are in the new place before your oldest starts K.</p> <p>We are not in the same situation, but we're hoping to move to another city (basically adjacent to where we are now) but also trying to figure out when to do it based on daycare/Kindergarten/etc. So I commiserate! Right now we are also be planning to do it with one year of daycare left for LO1 and switch daycares for both kids around the same time if possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601694 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 10:22:46 +0000 Corduroy 2601694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would move next fall. I was surprised (naive) to learn how fall-centric all our preschool/pre-K programs are in my area. You absolutely cannot get in anywhere except in fall. I could only find two school that would give me a tour outside of the January/Feb registration period for fall.</p> <p>I think it's awesome that any daycares get Kindergarten pick up/drop off. I have no idea how we're going to handle that when the time comes. Before and after school care is impacted so they did a lottery based system here last year. Only 50% of the people that signed up got it last year at our local school. I hope they expand capacity in the next few years. If I could find a center next year to save my 3 yo a spot for when she's in K I would do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601684 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 10:06:47 +0000 littlebug 2601684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: That's what I mean - the SD busses pick up at our daycare, but only for the school the daycare is districted to. Which is not ours, unfortunately. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601664 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 09:28:35 +0000 avivoca 2601664@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does the school district have busses that pick up from daycare? That happens a lot at our daycare. They do not provide transport for any reason. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601646 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 09:06:42 +0000 littlebug 2601646@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaG: I did ask our director, and even gave her my "Oh, but I really hate to pull them from here because we just love it so much!" speech. She said they tried providing transport to our elementary school a few years ago. They had 5 families commit, but then only 1 actually followed through. So they were pulling a teacher out of rotation and using their van 2x/day for one kid. She did tell me that if I could rally some other parents and get them to REALLY commit to keeping their kids at this daycare and using their transportation to our elementary school, they'd reconsider. But it would be on me to find other parents and get them to commit to it. </p> <p>I'd have to look into disctrict-provided care. Is your K half-day or full-day? I can imagine they'd do something like that for full-day K, but not sure how they'd do that for half-day, which is what ours is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601641 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 09:03:47 +0000 looch 2601641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was also going to suggest looking into before/after care through the school district, it's available where I live but there's only a certain amount of spots. There are some programs where it's at the school, but there are also some where the kids are bussed to other locations.</p> <p>My son has been at his current preschool for 3 years now, he's attending kindergarten in the fall and I am not at all worried about the fact that none of the kids from his current school are attending. It's a new school, he knows he has to make new friends. I personally didn't choose the preschool with kindergarten in mind, I chose it based on what was appropriate for him at the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601640 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 09:03:30 +0000 Mamaof2 2601640@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: I would transfer them sooner than later. It would be nice for him to potentially meet some friends that will attending his K</p> <p>This was one of the reasons I moved DCP - the one we were at was close to my work and not his school - since K is only 1/2 day here I needed care for the other half of the day - so we moved him at 3.5 to a DCP that would take him to and pick him up from K - We sent DD here as well.</p> <p>Ended up loving this school so there were no regrets!</p> <p>DD is starting K this fall and once again they will do pick up for me and she will attend their Kindergarten Enrichment program in the afternoon.</p> <p>ETA: before and after care here is only available to kids grades 1 and up </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601636 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 08:58:21 +0000 MamaG 2601636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Are there options beside the Y or daycare for after school care in Kinder? Our district offers an extended day program at the school where the kids can stay until 6:00 without requiring transportation. We can also drop off at the school at least 30 minutes before the start of the school day. This covers our care needs so we don't intend to use "daycare" when we start Kinder this year. We will have to figure out our plan for summer later.</p> <p>We will have two drops/picks as our younger is in daycare for a few more years. I did it last year too relative to our Pre-K and it wasn't bad once we found a routine.</p> <p>I would not make a change now unless you are unhappy with your situation, two years is a long time. I would also inquire with your daycare if they intend to change their policy to transport to other schools since the district is removing that ability for families. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/changing-daycares-wwyd#post-2601607 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 08:25:17 +0000 littlebug 2601607@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have had D in this daycare since we moved back to the area 2 years ago, and with the exception of a few minor issues, we have been absolutely thrilled with it. D has thrived and he's made tons of friends and loves his teachers. A is also now enrolled, and while I haven't been totally in love with the infant room, I'm waiting it out because the older rooms have been SO awesome for D. </p> <p>The problem is that in 2 years when D is ready to enter Kindergarten (Fall 2018), we won't be able to keep sending him there. They do before and after school care, but they don't provide transprtation to the elementary school to which our address is districted. When we first enrolled him, I wasn't worried about it because I figured we'd just request an intra-district transfer to the school that daycare busses to, but the SD recently changed their policy and they now explicitly state "no transfers for daycare purposes will be granted starting 2016-2017 school year and beyond." So that's not an option anymore. There are a few daycares that bus to our elementary school, and the local Y busses to all the schools in the district. We COULD keep him at his current daycare, because they do offer full-day Kindergarten there, but Hubs is digging his heels in and saying no because he doesn't want to continue having to pay full-time tuition rates. </p> <p>I realize this is 2 years away, but we're thinking about it now because a) I'm worried there may be a lot of families in our position and there may be waiting lists and b) D will need time to get used to that change before also starting Kindergarten. If we change daycares for him, we will likely change A, as well, because I can't imagine doing 2 daycare drop-off/pickups every day. If we enroll him in the Y program, we have to wait until May before he starts school, and then if they fill up we're left scrambling and having to change daycares at the last minute. We plan to take a day off sometime soon and tour these other daycares and get a feel for their programs, tuition rates, and waiting lists. </p> <p>What would you do? Change daycares for both kids? When would you do it? We're absolutely not moving them this school year - D's been with his pre-school teacher since April and he loves her and it would kill me to take him from her. So the choices are move them next summer, next fall (when he starts pre-K), or Jan/Feb 2018 when A would move up to the older toddler room (but it would be in the middle of D's pre-K school year). Or would you leave A in this daycare and take the chance to get D into the Y program in May 2018? </p>