The Daycare Search

Despite the rain, Dana and I toured nine daycare centers around our area and Dana’s workplace. We narrowed down to two choices: Horizon Child Development Center in Fairfax and Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia.

Both facilities are the cleanest. What sets Horizon apart is that it is the only place that has a full-time nurse on site and the cheapest fee ($270/week) out of all the centers. The staff appeared to be passionate and the kids looked happy. They waved and smiled as we entered (with our shoes off). When it was nap time, some of the kids just laid down with a bottle in their hands. They seemed to behaved well. They also get to learn sign language, music and Spanish. The only down side is that it is not too convenient for either of us. The traffic from our house to the facility is a bit crazy and the late pickup fee is $5/minute.

The Jewish Community Center, on the other hand, is a bit more convenient for us, but the tuition is also a bit higher ($1,350/month plus $70 monthly membership fee). The caregivers seemed care-giving and the kids appeared to be happy to be there. It had a good vibe. Jewish folks seemed nice and friendly, my only little worry is that Duke is the only none-Jewish baby. Is that even an issue?

We still have a bit of time to decide since grandma has extended her time until next summer. Grandpa worried that January would be too cold to take Duke to the daycare so he asked grandma to stay a bit longer. How sweet of him? We still want to get Duke to the daycare though so he’ll learn to get along with other kids. Unlike his daddy, Cu Dao seems to be a very outgoing baby. He loves to go outside and meets other people.