When you visited daycare centers, did you schedule a visit over the phone/online or drop by unannounced? If you scheduled a visit, how much notice did you give them - hours, days?
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The daycares here don't let you come unscheduled. They say it's too disruptive to the kids to have strangers come through all the time.
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Visit them to check them out before enrolling? I scheduled.
Most had a specific date and time that someone would be able to help me. I think it would be weird if they just let people that knocked on the door in. I wouldn't like that once my kids were enrolled. After that initial visit many invited me to come back unannounced but I never did.
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Scheduled. If you don't have an electronic keyfob to get in, unless you are clearly a delivery person, you're not just getting into the building.
You also speak with the director on the tour, so that needs to be worked with her schedule, and they don't give tours during times that would be super disruptive to the kids (ie nap times, getting ready to naps, etc.)
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I scheduled a visit. They were usually able to meet within a day or two. They usually tried to avoid busy pickup and drop off times.
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I called ahead and they told us to come any day after 2pm
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One center (the one we ended up enrolling at) only offers tours once a month so you have to schedule way in advance. No random drop-ins. Another had weekly tours, and another was ad hoc but you had to make an appointment, you couldn't just show up. I don't know if any daycare around here that will just allow people to show up unannounced.
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All the ones we visited had specific times so as to not disturb nap time and other schedules. I get the sneak attack, but I would think any daycare worth it's salt would turn you away and make you come back at a scheduled time simply for security purposes. I wouldn't feel comfortable if my daycare allowed drop-in tours.
That being said, I frequently do the sneak attack at our current daycare since my kid is there!
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Similar to what's been said, we scheduled our initial visit since we would be meeting with the director- (I am assuming she needed to make sure she'd be available). Once she begins, they said I can drop by anytime!
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We scheduled ours a week or so in advance. You can't get in the building without a passcode, so new parents need an appointment.
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I called/emailed them and some would want you to come during an open house they have and others would say come any day in between these times.
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Ditto to everyone about scheduling. I remember looking and thinking it would be a great idea to drop in unannounced. But now that I'm a daycare parent I would hate that and completely understand why centers can't accommodate that usually.
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You need to schedule! They can't just let anyone drop in anytime, that seems super dangerous.
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Ahhh yes all your comments make sense now. Don't know why I didn't think of those aspects before. Thanks everyone
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We called but they said just come by anytime before 4.
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We wouldn't have just been able to drop in. We called and scheduled a meeting with the director (I had a list of questions for her) and a tour. We were able to go in the next day. Security aside, they like to schedule visits around meals/nap time.
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All announced. I can't imagine being well received just dropping in. However, most were open to same day visits when we called.
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Scheduled, although the daycare we ended up going with just scheduled a day and told us to come anytime that day. Most daycares, you can't even get in the door if they don't know you're coming, so it's important to call ahead! I scheduled all of mine days in advance, but probably some of them, you could call the day of and it will be fine.
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I called ahead. Some just said stop by during visiting hours while others said come in at a certain time.
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scheduled with the director a few days or weeks in advance!
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Scheduled for all; only one we dropped by since it was an open house.
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So I ended up calling the three I was interested in and two said to just come by anytime, and one said anytime before 11 or after 2. Good thing, because I only have today and tomorrow available! I only need childcare for 8 weeks and I also have two SAHMs I might use instead so it wasn't a high priority for me.
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