Back to work nerves & the dreaded Daycare
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The home daycares are part of this online waitlist registry thing right? It's kinda confusing honestly.. It shows totlot or mothercraft for example which seems like home daycares through a company? Is there other sources for home daycares?
@Natalie I'm not sure if our counties have the same system. On my county's website, it has a list of licensed daycare centres and home daycares and it's up to the parents to contact each one individually. There are also people with home daycares who are not on the website. I'm part of a Facebook group for finding and offering home daycare spots, maybe your city has something similar?
I live in Toronto and my little one just started daycare this month. I had him on waitlist as soon as he was born and we got a placement at 3 daycare out of 8 that we waitlisted. We toured and asked questions and went with the daycare we felt most comfortable! We chose daycare that has cameras and it’s been a huge relief for me to able to see my LO from anywhere from my phone. Most daycare will update you via app on what/how much the baby ate/frequency of diaper change/send photos of the activities they are doing to keep you updated on things. Yes, your little one will get sick more often but that will only help them build stronger immune system. I on purposely signed him up a month before I go back to work so that transitional phase is easier. I went to pick him up after only 2-3 hours for the first week he attended. He got sick the next week so didn’t go at all 😅 after that we stretched to 4-5 hours a day. You got this mama!!
I'm on the one list, I've heard from other parents that they contact you when there's a spot close to your expected return to work date so you won't really get a spot early. and also in September when kids go back to school as some kids will age up to preschool or school spots open up. I was always babysat by family and wish I had the same option for my baby but sadly my parents and in laws are all still working and my grandmas that took care of me aren't well enough anymore.
I'm with you on the anxiety front... baby goes to daycare in 4 months and I'm already crying over it. You may want to look into home daycare as a backup if you haven't. I'm in Guelph and it would be impossible to find a daycare spot at this point (it may be different where you are). I went on 14 waitlists and have received one call for a spot, and it was the daycare I went on a waitlist for while I was still pregnant. Good luck!