Ask:
I have about 10 weeks left until my baby arrives. I was wondering:
When did you started looking for a day care provider? (I am trying to use the full 12 weeks I get under FMLA)
What questions were most important to you to ask?
Did you have a flexible dependent spending account at work that you used for daycare and do you feel that was worth it to take advantage of?
I have looked at my department of health website and the complaints for day cares in the area. There is one located 1 mile from me that has the best reputation on the website and also my nieces went to 8 years ago. They also have great hours for our work schedules. So, I am pretty confident that this is where I want to go. But I also don't want to get trapped by having already made my mind to try to get her in this day care provider (out of the woman's home) and not seeing the potential problems with this provider.
Answer:
Start looking now, start interviewing now, it is never too early to start.
If you find one that you like, most ask for a deposit on the spot........if the daycare that is a mile from you is good, she might be full and/or have a waiting list.
Answer:
The best time is as soon as you find out you are pregnant!! My daycare provider is full of infants until next spring. When I first found out I was pregnant with my 3rd child (13 yrs ago) I worked at a daycare center and I still had to go on the waiting list!
Answer:
We used the flexible spending and according to my MIL and tax lady this was the way to go. We didn't spend a lot in daycare since my mom watched ds 4 out of 5 days, but my MIL figured out we were saving about $8 dollars per day. We did go to a center so it was a little more expensive.
Answer:
Thanks for all the info. I will call my sister-in-law and get started on the day care thing now. (She knows and talks to the lady who runs the one I want to go to)
Answer:
Here is a website with great questions to ask
I think it pretty much covers everything. Start looking and interviewing now.
Definately look into flex spending. We did not do it to start because we wanted the tax break at the end of the year but we found out it was just a tax credit on our federal taxes not state taxes. It also reduces your taxable income so less FICA and other things are deducted as well. It is a great savings.
Good luck
Answer:
I started looking for a daycare when I was 5 months pregnant. My co-worker, who was a former daycare provider, urged me to start early because you really never know how long it will take to find just the right one who can take your baby at the time you need.
My county has a free service for finding daycare providers in a particular area. I called them (I think they are with the local board of childcare) and they gave me names and phone numbers of providers in my area. They also sent me information which included questions to ask. For instance, I wanted to breastfeed, so I asked plenty of questions about that- would there be a private place for me to do that? Was the provier comfortable with breastmilk and how to properly handle it?
We did not use a FSA for the first year, but we did for the second and it came in helpful. We made sure to do the full amount, but we chose it so that the amount that was taken out of DH's paycheck biweekly was the same amount we were paying daycare biweekly. It only lasted for about six months, but it did help.