i currently have my 19 month old in daycare mon, wed, fri from 9:30a-2p. he loves it and so do i. it is affordable and close to home/work. i have been lucky enough to be able to bring my baby with me to work (i work out of my mother's home). i just recently accepted a full time job in the oaklawn area, and now need to find fulltime / affordable daycare. i would prefer the facility to be in the richardson / plano area so that my mother can help with car pooling. the few places i have checked on are about $10k a year. is that what the going rate is? that is just too much. any suggestions?
I'm in Richardson and have used Octopus Garden, registered homecare, and my daughter is now in Montessori School of North Dallas. I recommend all, but sometimes moms prefer care that is near their office and you will be downtown so not sure if you want to look in Richardson.
We have our 8 month old at Park Cities Day School. It is a great program and is average in price at around $600 for toddlers. Hope this helps!
That sounds about right for center-based care. Of course, it often depends on the location. I'm guessing the $10k per year comes to about $180-190 per week. My 3 year old's preschool is near Oak Lawn and we pay $170 per week x 50 weeks = $8500 per year. They give two weeks tuition-free vacation.
Something you might consider that's more affordable is home-based care. This is usually a family's home where the mother takes in children to care for in their home. Many home day cares are licensed.
A good way to find one is to go to the state licensing website which is Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (or something like that). You can do a search for something near you and also see what their most recent inspection says.
You can also call childcare group. They are a refferal agency and all you do is tell them what you're looking for, what location and what price range and they give you referrals.
Good Luck.
Hi J.,
That does seem close to the going rate. The only thing I could suggest is to look into church based centers. My 4 year old attends full time for about $8k a year.
M.
My daughter is in a home day care, and it costs about $7000 a year($135 a week), but when she was enrolled at Children's Courtyard it was about $10000 a year. (for an infant. she is now 11 mos old. I think it may have been slightly less for a toddler.)
I would highly reccommend a home daycare situation as opposed to center based. It is cheaper, and if you find the right one your child may get more one on one attention, IMO!
