I was looking to enroll DS at a home daycare center and didn't realize most of them have wait lists. I've been looking mainly through craigslist for openings, but pickings seem slim. I didn't realize every place required being placed on a wait list. So, how did you find your daycare?
Also, if any Boston bees have a daycare recommendation that's north of the city let me know!
pomegranate / 3595 posts
We went with a center so this may be different for you but we looked at the naeyc website for accredited places.
Friends who have done in home have started with our local "childcare resource and referral" agency who can usually give you a list of places that meet certain criteria you provide in terms if location etc and should only include licensed homes/caregivers. I think this is a national thing so I would try googling your town and "child care resource and referral". Good luck!
persimmon / 1230 posts
My state, Maryland, has an agency that maintains a database listing credentialed daycare providers (centers, nursery schools, family daycares). I found this one for Massachusetts, not sure if it's any good: http://www.eec.state.ma.us/ChildCareSearch/EarlyEduMap.aspx
grapefruit / 4988 posts
I was lucky and found ours because I walk by it on my way to work (actually I walk by several).
How far north of Boston are you? Here are some lists of in-home daycares in Cambridge and Somerville (not sure if you are close enough for these to be helpful).
http://hrweb.mit.edu/system/files/Cambridge_Family_Day_Care_2014.pdf
http://hrweb.mit.edu/system/files/Somerville_Family_Day_Care_2014.pdf
I haven't tried this out, but here is a search engine through the EEC:
http://www.eec.state.ma.us/ChildCareSearch/EarlyEduMap.aspx
There are lots of yahoo list-servs for parents in various towns around Boston, as well as Facebook groups too. I'm in one for Cambridge/Somerville, and it's particularly helpful for things like this.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@Eko: are you on the garden moms list serve? I bet that could be a good resource? And yeah, I've heard the wait lists in and around boston are crazy. Like as soon as I started telling people I was pregnant I was told to start looking. I was already planning to sah but I do hear it's crazy.
nectarine / 2148 posts
@Foodnerd81: no I'm not. I'll look into that! It seems to be harder too since I need part-time days.
nectarine / 2173 posts
We use a center, but my DH's work offers discounts at about a dozen day area so we started by looking at those. I also asked friends who had kids in daycare not only where they ended up but what other places they toured and what they thought.
pomelo / 5258 posts
We bought a house in a new city when LO was 8 monthd and I had an awful time finding her a spot with 30 days notice. I called the local places, checked out CL, and asked every place that was full for a recommendation for another lead. It still took us 4 months to find her a permanent spot. Now I know about local FB groups and the local Mother's club. I would also post on those asking about openings.
Good luck!
pineapple / 12566 posts
Where I live there is a city-wide website that shows all daycare vacancies by district. I just used that and found both daycares that way.
pea / 11 posts
Try joining the Somerville moms email list on yahoo groups. There are lots of recommendations about home daycares - very active list. I live in cambridge and use it for all sorts of local questions
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
I found mine through word of mouth/personal referral. But I would have suggested going to state/county list of licensed home providers and starting there- but I see someone else said that already 
Hope you can find something quickly!
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
I went through the state list of in-home daycares, but they all had waitlists. But each lady who said she was full, I asked if she knew of anybody with openings. Sure enough, one lady did, which is how I found T and J! Also, the lady who lives by us is a real estate agent and knows EVERYBODY in our subdivision; she knows a few people who run small in-homes, too.
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
I pulled up the Family and Child Protective Services website and narrowed my search to day cares within my city. I liked they show you which are certified and which aren't, and if they had any violations or deficiencies. If so, what were they and when they occurred.
pomelo / 5524 posts
A coworker referral here too. One of DH's coworkers sends her son to our center, and we couldn't be happier with them.
persimmon / 1427 posts
@Eko: You mentioned you need part time days. In our area, there are a lot of part time or Mother's Day Out programs - it might be worth investigating too.
grapefruit / 4066 posts
I joined a moms group on Facebook for my town and asked for in home recommendations and then looked into all of them.
cherry / 220 posts
I am in Mass too and used the EEC website that was previously mentioned and had great luck, even when I had to transition my son at 8 months old.
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