MOMania

By Jenn

August 15, 2006 08:51 AM | Link to this

When my first child was born, I struggled with going back to work and finding a day care center close to work. We ended up chosing The Goddard School at Johns Creek after visiting daycares near my office and on my ‘route’ to work. We chose this daycare after both my husband and I visited and were pleased with the staff and the facilities. We were happy with the care she received there, but it was a long way from our home in Stone Mountain, but near my office. Logistically it was hard if I had to go out of town on business or had out of the office meetings to arrange getting my daughter to and from ‘school’. The teachers there were quite loving and she thrived in their classroom settings. I spent many lunches over in her classroom spending time with her and observing the classroom. I would recommend this ‘school’ for those in that area. I was paying $950/month for an infant in 2003.

Lo and behold I became pregnant with my 2nd baby and was concerned with disrupting my daughter’s schedule during maternity leave and a 2 hour round trip to her ‘school’ and began to investigate other options closer to home. A close friend recommended my current child-care provider (whom she had used for her son) during my search, and we couldn’t be happier!

I HIHGLY recommend my child care provider! I use Lynnette Jones who is in Lilburn (Cedar Creek subdiv. for those familiar with the area). She is a licensed in-home day care provider. I found her through a friend who had used her for her son. She is FABULOUS! We moved my daughter to Lynnette 3 months before the arrival of our son. Our daughter gelled well with the other children in her care and loves Lynnette! Lynnette did a great job of helping my daughter with the transition to big sister! She’s gone through potty training there and did a great job - it wasn’t rushed and we did at my child’s pace! It was a transition to go from a more rigid schedule at the daycare center to the in home childcare - but our daughter has continued to learn and thrive in a playing and loving environment! Our son started there at 8 weeks. I have never once felt anything ‘off’ or uncomfortable about anything. He’s now 1, and doing great! One thing I did notice is the amount of time I spent out of work with a sick baby - with my daughter who was exposed to A LOT I was out A LOT in her first year - with my son, who was exposed to only 5 other children (including his sister) he was really sick only once this year. That was definitely a perk to being in an in-home rather than a center facility. One drawback is that if Lynnette is sick, I have to find other means of care for my children usually at the last minute - this one inconvenience is minor in comparison to the worth all the other benefits that we get from being in an in home day care.

Lynnette keeps kids 6 weeks through afterschoolers. We pay $135/week for each child. When our little guy was under 1, we paid $150/week for him. This was a significant price break from the Goddard School (especially for 2 children!) - and the quality of care if second to none!

In choosing a good daycare, in my experience and from talking with other mothers you can get a ‘vibe’ not only from your children, but just how the environment is around them - TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS! If you child is resisting ALL the time (not because of separation anxiety or because they want to stay at home), take note, drop in unexpectedly to check on your care provider. Go and visit during lunchtime - this is traditionally a very crazy part of the day - if things seem ok and under control at that time you’re probably going to be ok at other times.

Another thing you can do is check out the website for Bright from the Start from the Ga Dept of Early Care and Learning. You can check out people’s licenses and their past reports. You can do this for in home providers as well as centers.

By scv

August 15, 2006 09:12 AM | Link to this

When we moved to Atlanta with an infant, the first place I looked for was a Bright Horizons facility. All of their locations are affiliated with a corporation, so you know they want to make sure the parents are happy as many are employees of the sponsor. Cisco, IBM, Wachovia, etc use them throughout the US. So we’re at the one on Windy Hill. Great staff, reasonable turnover rate (except they are taking forever to get a new director), close to my office. And it is NAEYC accredited, which was important to us. Low ratios. GA law says there needs to be 1 caregiver for 6 infants. That was just crazy to me. At least NAEYC is 4 to 1. The major downside is our facility is very expensive. I think an infant now is over $1200 a month (it was $1075 in 2003). It will be over $1000 starting in Sept. for our 3 year old. We’d love to move him, however there are only 2 decent daycares near our house with 2 yr waiting lists. The bright side is they have a GA preK which is free! I do like him 5min from my office, though. I was able to feed him every day at lunch when he was an infant, and I have lunch with him now 2x’s a week. Plus, the 20min commute each way is a time for us to chat and play games.

I think there are merits to having a nanny as far as they come to your house and can provide more individualized attention. However, I’m “somewhat” of a control freak and I love the multiple set of eyes you get at a facility. One teacher couldn’t get away with anything crazy. Everyone would know about it. There are great indoor and outdoor play structures on the premises so someone else isn’t driving your kid around. The food is pretty healthy and very varied, you don’t have to provide it, and its helped our son be a great eater. Lots of kids to interact with and it teaches tolerance, sharing, etc. We were lucky that our son wasn’t sick a ton but someone seems to always be sick.

Things to look out for…the place needs to be clean, and not chaotic from an administration standpoint. There should be high security, codes for the doors, an employee at the front office to see who comes in, childproof locks and alarms on the gates…play items should be age approprate and not too ragged out. The teachers should be engaged with the children when you tour a place, definitely not sitting in a corner.

By chan

August 15, 2006 11:40 AM | Link to this

Both my kids go to Sheltering Arms in Norcross. The staff is very warm and family oriented. The price isn’t bad compared to what I see the other 2 post have put. I paid 880.00 a month for both until my oldest became 4years old. The school give the child a good start with learning. I was really excited when my one year old came old doing sign language. Sheltering Arms is a non-profit organization. I wouldn’t change the daycare for the world. I have a long commute from Snellville to Alpharetta and my kids are in the middle in Norcross.

By chan

August 15, 2006 11:41 AM | Link to this

Both my kids go to Sheltering Arms in Norcross. The staff is very warm and family oriented. The price isn’t bad compared to what I see the other 2 post have put. I paid 880.00 a month for both until my oldest became 4years old. The school give the child a good start with learning. I was really excited when my one year old came old doing sign language. Sheltering Arms is a non-profit organization. I wouldn’t change the daycare for the world. I have a long commute from Snellville to Alpharetta and my kids are in the middle in Norcross.

By Single Mom

August 15, 2006 12:05 PM | Link to this

I have a 4 1/2 yr old daughter and a 3 yr old son. As bad as I hate to admit it my children have been in and out of alot of centers since they were born. We currently live in Douglas County and my children attend Cornerstone Learning Center. I pay $105.00 a week for my son, which is a special needs child(no extra cost, just extra care & love) and $55.00 a week for my daughter and $9.00 per day that the Douglas County school system is out. She is enrolled in the Pre-K Program at Cornerstone. However I am happy for the most part with their center. They are very clean and most of the employees are great. But you kind of run into the same program at all centers. If I could change one thing about all centers it would be that you have to at least be 21 years old to be employed in the childcare business. I just feel that teenagers should not work in a room alone. Many teenagers take their jobs at the centers as a joke and do not properly take care of your children. I beleive that the teachers should be required by state law to carry a certifcation in early childhood education which can be earned in high school in order to work with children and then they can earn more money then they do now. I feel that the teachers at all centers should enteract with the children more than I have seen in the past. What do you parents think????

By momtoAlex&Max

August 15, 2006 12:13 PM | Link to this

I am not sure this would qualify as child care since it is part time and for children between 18 mos and 5 years; but I have to recommend New Hope Preschool in Dunwoody. They are a very small preschool with only about 40 children in 4 classrooms. The staff is absolutly adoring! Not only they tought my children oodles of things, but most importantly they loved them, they nurtured them, they trullu cared for them. The curriculum is second to none and the facilities are great! The hrs are 9 to 1 from Mon to Fri with the option of an extra extended day hr Mon - Thu. I own my business and have beed able to use this facility for 5 years now and have no complaints! I actually cried rivers last spring becasue my 5 year old graduated and has to face public school now. (I am happy with my public school, though)

By Jennifer

August 15, 2006 12:18 PM | Link to this

I used Primrose Suwanee West and Primrose Buford and loved them both. They have different owners but both facilities were very clean, friendly and nurturing. I cried when switching my daughter at 14 months from Suwanee to Buford (due to a change in job location), then I cried again at 22 months when I stopped working to stay at home with my newborn and toddler. I got detailed reports daily showing naps, diaper changes, feedings and daily activities. I still miss seeing the faces at Primrose and love running into them out and about!

By Mom to Sam and Shelby

August 15, 2006 12:41 PM | Link to this

I currently have a 16 month old and a 4 year old at the Children’s Center at All Saints, just a mile or so from my office in midtown. It is a Bright Horizon’s facility, thus NAEYC accredited, which has value to me. It’s not cheap, but not the most expensive either. And when it comes to the care of my kids, I am not about to cut costs. There is fairly low staff turnover here and the director, Norma Luster, is top notch. The center is always getting new things for the kids to play with, and new furniture, etc. They have great enhancement programs on site (music, sports, dance, Spanish). The staff genuinely cares about the kids and they really seem to enjoy watching them grow up as much as the parents. I am lucky enough to work part time but knew daycare was always an option. I am not a fan of inhome care for a few reasons - 1) there more eyes at a center, 2) kids are exposed to diverse people at a center, 3) kids are exposed to many more arts and crafts, music, etc, at a center, 4) kids are exposed to a variety of foods (menu is varied and great here!) at a center, and 5) kids are very socialized at a center. All Saints has a CORE curriculum and offers the kids choices throughout the day for activities. While there is routine, there is not overwhelming structure. I am a firm believer that kids learn more through freeplay than anything else.

When looking for a center, I think word of mouth is important, NAEYC accredication is important and your gut feelings toward a facility and its staff is important too. The director and staff at All Saints are very accessible, helpful and do what they can to make my worklife balance as smooth as possible. I would never pick a center because it was the cleanest, neatest, or had the shiniest toys. I picked a center that I felt was safe to leave my children at. and when they sprint towards their classrooms in the morning, or want to stay and play at the end of the day, I know I picked the right place.

By Jay

August 15, 2006 12:41 PM | Link to this

Creme de la Creme at Haynes Bridge was excellent for years - then they went through a mgmt change and went straight into the toilet. That was a couple of years ago so they may have corrected the issues by this time. — over $2400 a month for two kids

Goddard at Crabapple is excellent. — can’t remember the cost but it was a little less than Creme de la Creme, I’m thinking around $900 a month for one child

We’ve also had live in Au Pairs. This is a wonderful avenue and is far more cost effective than most people realize. We paid less having a live in Au Pair than we did for our children attending Goddard and Creme de le Creme. I wish I had known about Au Pairs earlier. Its $140 a week plus room and board. Granted you do have the initial program fees but, when you calculate it over the course of a year, its far more economical than what we were paying previously.

By Marlowesmom

August 15, 2006 12:43 PM | Link to this

Hey Single Mom, I understand your situation. I too am single and have a special needs child. We are in Bartow County and I had a very difficult time finding childcare for my two daughters. I was at my wits end and found an agency called Childcare Resource and Referral and they were extremely helpful. Each daycare center that I called refused to take my oldest daughter upon learning of her disabilities. I was referred to Little Lambs which is actually within a mile of where my girls attend school. I have been very pleased with the care my children receive. My oldest who is 12, can’t speak, wears diapers, is in a wheelchair and has a feeding tube, but yet is very loved and taken care of at her daycare center. The wonderful lady that owns this center even attends my daughter IEP meetings at school to make sure that she is doing things as consistently as the school and at home. This is a Christian daycare so I am comfortable with the values and morals that are being taught there. The other children at this center are also very kind to my daughter. There always seems to be a group of little ones gathered around her and trying to help take care of her. I pay $170 a week for both during the summer and $90 a week for afterschool care.

By chan

August 15, 2006 12:43 PM | Link to this

Both my kids go to Sheltering Arms in Norcross. The staff is very warm and family oriented. The price isn’t bad compared to what I see the other 2 post have put. I paid 880.00 a month for both until my oldest became 4years old. The school give the child a good start with learning. I was really excited when my one year old came old doing sign language. Sheltering Arms is a non-profit organization. I wouldn’t change the daycare for the world. I have a long commute from Snellville to Alpharetta and my kids are in the middle in Norcross.

By Chandra

August 15, 2006 01:07 PM | Link to this

ARMS—Arms Round My Shelter located on Camp Valley Road off Old Mational on the Riverdale College Park city line is an excellent in home daycare facility. Theresa Simmons is the owner and director and she has a beautiful spirit and treats my child like her own. My three year old child learns, has fun, and gets home cooked meals daily. The set up of the daycare is like no other in home daycare that I’ve visited. Mrs. Simmons has an excellent curriculum for the children that prepares them for Pre-K. There have been times when my work schedule has changed and she has kept my child over night. I am a single mother that works and goes to school full time and Mrs. Simmons helps as if she is a second mother to my chuld. ARMS is 24 hours and very convenient and affordable for my family. I highly recommend this in home daycare to anyone. The number to ARMS is 770-996-6879. Please call and set up an appointment and see for yourself.

By Maggie

August 15, 2006 01:14 PM | Link to this

Jay:

Do you mind elaborate a little bit on Creme de la Creme at Haynes Bridge? I am taking the school into one of my considerations. I do not like their policy of wearing the uniforms… thinking it is just a way of making extra money.

Thanks,

By nicky

August 15, 2006 01:15 PM | Link to this

My 2 year old daughter goes to Creative Montessori School in East Cobb, and has been going there since she was six weeks old. The care and love she gets there is unparalleled, and she has thrived beyond belief in a Montessori environment. She knew the alphabet by sight, counted to 15 and knew all colors by sight before she even hit two years old.

The price is around $190/week and it’s money very well-spent. It is privately owned, and therefore not subjected to anyone’s “corporate” policies, like you’d find in a chain. They are accredited by the state and they are also accredited by the Montessori schools association (not sure what the official name is). All teachers there truly value the kids, (and are over 21 years old), and turnover has been pretty low overall, which makes it much easier on the children. Most of the teachers have their own children enrolled there, if they are of age.

The school takes children between the ages of 6 weeks to 12 years old (after-school programs are offered, as well as pre-k), and their hours are 6:30am-6:30pm, making it easy for working moms and dads to schedule around it. I would recommend this center to anyone!

By Lori Smith

August 15, 2006 01:30 PM | Link to this

When I began searching for childcare for my twins they were 3 years old. I spent a lot of time researching and visiting places all over East Cobb. I knew when I walked in the door of Primary Prep Acadamy I wouldn’t have to look any further. The facilty is new and is conveniently located to I75. Artwork covers the walls in every classroom. The staff and directors seem to know all the kids and all the parents by name. The place is always clean. The bulletin boards are changed frequently - always with childrens art and photos. My kids had a Spanish class every day. There is even a pool for summer camp program for 4 and up. We attended special events every other month or so - Easter parade, Halloween parade, a Hoedown, a sock-hop and more. Primary Prep is located off Sandy Plains near Highway 5 and I75 in Cobb County. They are NAEYC accredited.

By singlemom

August 15, 2006 01:50 PM | Link to this

I am so glad my child can stay home on her own now. The cost of day care and after school care are so expensive. My daughter is 15 and can stay home by herself, and has for awhile. The most I ever paid for her was $85.00 at Kids R Kids at Medlock Bridge & Peachtree Industrial. I was lucky enough to change my hours at work, so I could be home 20 minutes after she got off the bus, back in the Elementary school years. I had her go over to a neighbor’s house for 20 minutes every afternoon. It worked out quite well. She has not been to a “care” facility since 3rd grade. I think day care centers are ripping some folks off with these ungodly charges. Especially with the Pre-K program. The lottery money pays each day care something like $115 per child, but yet you still have to pay $90/month at some places for lunches. They will NOT let you bring in lunch for your child, you have to pay the lunch fee. Another friend was unable to get his child into Pre-K because of the $90 lunch tab. That’s $4.50/day for a four year old to eat. In my opinion, that is just too expensive, and it’s a rip off. I can send my 15 year old to high school with $2.00 a day for lunch, or she packs her own.

By amused

August 15, 2006 01:56 PM | Link to this

awww Claire, where are you when we need you!

By toepro

August 15, 2006 02:15 PM | Link to this

I’m only 2 years old and I’m sitting at home alone, chatting away on Blogs :)

By Single Mom

August 15, 2006 02:42 PM | Link to this

CONTINUED… I agree with the other singlemom…I work a full time job 40 hours per week @ $10.00 per hour rasing two small children on my own. I only bring home $370.00 a week and I pay $160.00 a week in childcare. Now my kids do get morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack but not breakfast is provided at all. I struggle each month to make the bills after childcare. It is almost like I am just working for the kids to go to school. But yet some parents get to sit home on their tail and collect money from the government that is not needed. If they would only go to work.. but the government does not provide much help for single mom or dads that are trying their best to do all they can.. LIFE is not fair. To bad we can’t always stay a kid with no worries…..

By eastcobbmom

August 15, 2006 02:53 PM | Link to this

We have our two at Kids R Kids on Johnson Ferry/east Cobb and love it. Would not call it a bargain by any means but it is worth every penny. They are accredited by NAYCE and have been named a center of distinction. One thing we’ve noticed is the low turnover for both teachers and children. My kids have, for the most part, been around the same 12-15 kids for the last 2 years and we are told it is not uncommon for many children to stay together until they go to kindergarten. Lead teachers evaluate the progress of the children every 6 months and hold parent/teacher conferences. They offer Spanish, dance, piano lessons and playball (sort of intro to sports) and provide music class for everyone once a week. They provide (included with tuition) “kindercam” cameras where parents can view their classes over the internet. Most of all, the staff is very caring they really love our kids. I see this everyday at dropoff, pickup as well as over the cameras and on some days, my kids don’t want to leave! The center is located a good distance back from the road against trees which is nice. Can’t say enough good things about the staff and facility. If we didn’t have such a great child care provider I would not be working. Thanks for presenting this topic!

By Mother of 3

August 15, 2006 02:59 PM | Link to this

I can agree with the price of after schoolcare, its a rip off, I don’t understand why its so expensive for a couple hours a day, 65$ a week for 20 hours. The welfare moms get so lucky to become nothing. I agree with the single mom, even though I’m married once you buy gas, pay daycare and the mortgage you have to eat crackers and water for the rest of the month. One sad thing about daycare, they want there money on Monday not Friday. The gov’t pay for the Mexicans health bills, they should help honest working people w/daycare also. I didn’t know the state pay so much for each child in Pre-K and they’re still being ripped off w/after schoolcare. Who only works during school hours of 8-2??? I work 8-5…. The system is so screwed up, its like that to make money.

By singlemom

August 15, 2006 03:19 PM | Link to this

I always wanted to open a day care facility that catered to single parents, and I would price it accordingly.

One of the problems in this big city of Atlanta is once the kids are too old for “day care”, they are still too young to stay at home alone. I think we need places where the “tweens” can go and stay out of trouble. I tried the Boys and Girls clubs, but there was absolutely no supervision, and kids were in and out of the building. One 18 year old sat at the front desk, but read magazines all the time. When I would ask where my child was, she had no idea. She didn’t even know who my child was. We need places where these older kids can go and be safe in the afternoon hours.

By Jesse's Girl

August 15, 2006 03:22 PM | Link to this

I have to ask a quick question. For those of you who are married and paying these incredible childcare costs….how do you do it? My husband and I discussed the whole child care issue at length. We were WAY better off with me trying to work from home or just flat out staying home all together than to try to justify paying for childcare that was nearly $2000 a month! You guys must be bringing home awesome salaries to have this be an option.

By gracie's mommy

August 15, 2006 03:27 PM | Link to this

If you are in the Peachtree Corners/Norcross area, Primrose of Peachtree Corners is the best. My daughter loves it. I visited every place in the area - Childrens World, church daycares, Goddard, Sunshine House, etc. and I left most all of them in tears, their infant rooms were totally unimpressive and seemed gloomy and sad. This does seem like an area where you get what you pay for, good childcare isn’t going to be cheap but I don’t expect it to be. The only other place I considered was Creme de la Creme, it was good, but in the end after considering everything I chose Primrose. It was just the best fit and I liked the management staff. How well they are managed is very important in making you feel comfortable trusting them with your child, and the Director (Mary Petrush) and owner (Simon Edwards - also owns the Primrose Pleasant Hill location) are great. It is SACS accredited (unusual for a preschool) and is an educational daycare, they don’t just play all day, they also learn a great deal. I highly recommend it over all others in the Peachtree Corners area.

By Jay

August 15, 2006 03:38 PM | Link to this

Maggie, sure, I’m happy to provide more details. First, while I agree the uniforms are a way for the school to make more money, it takes out any and all peer pressure (yes, it CAN happen starting very young) and it makes it real easy to dress them in the AM! You are dealing with a wide range in family finacial status at this facility so the uniforms definately level the playing field. Also, I didn’t find that I really spent more on clothing as the quantity of “non uniform” clothing that I purchased went down.

I don’t want to taint your views of the school based on the bad experiences I had toward the end - they were making change in the mgmt style and bringing in all new directors. This left a very bad taste in the mouth of many teachers and it really impacted their interaction with the children. — the teachers started spending to much time having b^%$h sessions instead of tending to the children.

When the school was on their game - they were excellent! They really had a zero tolerance policy for a lot of stuff that is allowed to continue in other facilities.

I had one teacher, make a racist remark to me…I immediately went to mgmt. She was fired that day.

The monitors in the front are great! It was nice to be able to pop in once in a while to see what my boys were doing without disturbing them or the class.

And, at that time, the directors were so aware that when I started showing up more than usual in the middle of the day - they immediately pulled me aside to ask what was wrong.

My kids loved it. I had my kids in one facility for a few months (big mistake) and the day I put them back at Creme, my oldest came home and upon being asked “how was your day?” he replied, “Great!! the teachers didn’t scream once all day!” It broke my heart, I had no idea there was so much screaming going on at the other facility.

By singlemom

August 15, 2006 03:39 PM | Link to this

Jesse’s Girl - I was wondering the same thing!!! Some of my friends are working just to pay the day care bill. One friend has an infant and a four year old, and they pay about $350/week. No the 4 year old is in pre-K, but they still have to pay some ungodly amount for before and after school care, and let’s not forget the lunch fee either.

By nicky

August 15, 2006 03:48 PM | Link to this

@Jesse’s Girl -

Daycare expenses are part of the reason why my husband and I have decided to only have one child. We both have careers and one of us staying home simply isn’t an option, so we make the sacrifice of having one child and make sure she is given twice as much love and affection. I can’t imagine paying more for daycare each month than we do for our mortgage.

Honestly, I think the benefits to my daughter from her exposure to other kids in school, and learning how to socialize, far out-weigh any cons to the price. Stay-at-home kids don’t get that kind of exposure, and, judging from many of my friends’ kids, they are way behind my daughter on what they’ve learned and how they interract with other kids. I really shudder at the thought of having to pay twice the amount for two kids.

By THC

August 15, 2006 03:59 PM | Link to this

Jesse’s Girl, just to be informative (not to be showy) and answer your question:

I do agree that some of these higher priced centers make things less cost efficient for both parents to work. I have a pretty good work situation in that I work right at 40hrs with some flexibility and still make $110k total yearly compensation, not counting benefits. I figure, for one child, we pay $17k before taxes a year for our child’s daycare. So its hard to walk away from what I can take home, and most importantly, save. My husband’s compensation is $80k in total, so maybe he should stay home! We’ve got a second child on the way, so we’re (I’m)really starting to have the conversation about not going back. Two kids at our center would be $40k before taxes, so I’d still come out way ahead to keep working. Luckily, I’m very cheap, am not a shopper, our cars are paid for (a 10 yr old car and a 4yr old one), and we save 25% of our income a year. So we could almost swing it if I do stay home, but we wouldn’t save a dime and maybe go in the hole a little bit. I think this might be a good time for that tradeoff. The main question is, how can you work parttime and afford childcare? No daycares in our area seem to do parttime b/c they have waiting lists, and “nannies” are wanting $15/hr. I’d have to make $25-30 an hour just to break even.

By Robin

August 15, 2006 04:04 PM | Link to this

We live in North Georgia, and the day care prices are not nearly as expensive as in the metro area, thank goodness!

When our daughter was 4 months old, I returned to work. We found a sitter through an acquantence(sp). She loved our daughter, and took really great care of her. We took our daughter to the sitter’s house each day.

After a few months, the sitter found outside employment and could no longer keep our daughter. We were heart-broken. For 3 days, we sent her to another sitter’s home. We had met this sitter through the first sitter. She only kept our daughter for 3 days, and then told us we would have to find someone else.

At the time, I was very upset. However, based on how our daughter acted, I think sitter # 2 kept her in either the high chair or excersaucer ALL DAY LONG!!!! So, thank goodness we only used her for 3 days!

Now our daughter goes to a day care center, and we are very pleased. We feel she is getting excellent care, and the bonus of socialization and interacting with other children.

Later I found out that sitter # 1’s spouse was involved with Meth, and I was horrified. Now i don’t think I can trust an individual to care for our daughter. I feel so much safer with a center.

There are of course some bad things to using a center as well. Our daughter stayed sick for 8 months! Now things are better and many parents have told me that their children were also sick during day care years, but were almost NEVER sick once they started school. I hope that will be our experience. Another down side is that kids are kids - and our daughter came home with 2 bites last week.

But, all in all, Mountain Academy is a great daycare center. The employees are loving and great, the center is welcoming, light, clean and friendly!

By tony

August 15, 2006 04:14 PM | Link to this

My son has been at Suzuki Learning Center in Buckhead since he was 4 months old. He is 2 now. We love it there. We pay $1145 a month now but it is going up to $1220 in September. As far as I am concerned, it is money well spent.

Here are some of the things we like about Suzuki:

Teachers and Director - There is very little teacher turnover. The teachers are warm and loving to the children. We’re always sad to leave the teachers as our son moves up, but we find teachers we like just as much in the next level. Whenever we have had questions or concerns, the director and her staff have been very helpful and responsive.

Levels - Suzuki has 7 or 8 different levels and a Kindergarten. Children move up to new levels as their physical and mental abilities increase. We were especially concerned about this when our son was an infant. He started out in the infant room, but as soon as he was crawling he moved up to Level 2. When he began walking, he moved up to Level 3, and so on.

Location - it is convenient to where I work in Buckhead. For those of you who don’t know where it is, it is currently located behind Whole Foods Market/Van Michael/La Madeleine. It is convenient to West Paces Ferry, Peachtree and Roswell Road in the heart of Buckhead. They have announced that they will be moving in early 2007 to a location off West Paces Ferry near the Buckhead Community Bank.

In addition to those factors, our son has learned a lot there and he has fun playing with his friends and teachers. He can count. He knows colors, some sign language and a lot of great children’s songs.

These are only some of the things we love about Suzuki. If you are looking for childcare in the Buckhead area, I urge you to look at Suzuki.

By forsyth mom

August 15, 2006 04:37 PM | Link to this

the center my daughter goes to was recommended by a friend who had all her kids go there. even though she raved about it, i did my own research. what it really boiled down to was the cost and what my “cost” was paying for. sure i’d have loved to have my kid in this huge learning center, supervised by 5 people, learning more than one language, counting by the time she was 2. but stuff like that costs as well. i also found that there aren’t too many places that are flexible with YOUR schedule. they want you to pay no matter what your schedule is, and i wasn’t happy about that.

my daughter goes to building blocks in forsyth county, off hwy 9. they take care of infants as young as 6 weeks to kids after school as old as 10. (i think, maybe older?) i only have her at the center for 4 days, and i only pay for 4 days. if i need her to be there on the 5th day for whatever reason, i just give them a day’s notice and pay an extra $20. if she’s going to be gone all week, i only pay half. i currently pay $130 for 4 days, but that should go down because she’s about ready to move from the infant room to the toddler one.

the meals are nutritional, the director and assistant director are both very nice, my daughter’s teachers are very attentive and friendly and she just loves both her steady teachers. sometimes you have other teachers or aides from other rooms helping out, but i like that because it gives them a chance to get to know her before she becomes a permanent part of their classroom.

the location and the price are what sold me. i was nervous with their approaches at first because i was a new mom and didn’t really trust anyone. but they won me over shortly thereafter and i haven’t had anything to complain about since i first enrolled her.

By Jodi

August 15, 2006 05:00 PM | Link to this

Does anyone have any recommendations of childcare on the Southside? —Below I-20?

By Jasmine

August 15, 2006 05:51 PM | Link to this

This is some information about the “welfare moms” First according to the welfare reform act mothers who are receiving TANF cannot sit at home all day and collect a check. They are instead placed in a worksite or a training program. While that is neither here nor there, I would like to add that there are programs that assist single mothers with paying for childcare. While I was in school studying for my RN license I was fortunate enough to get assistance from the peach program and WIA as well as family and friends. There are resources out there, it is however everyone’s responsibility to find them.

By Brittney

August 15, 2006 06:20 PM | Link to this

I am located in the Douglas County area and am needing a good babysitter or home child care that can care for my child a few hours a week while I go to nursing school. Any suggestions? Maybe some churches that y’all know of that may he daycare services? (She is 3 months old)…

I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to stay home with my 3 month old. I honestly would not know what to do with myself if I had to put her in daycare or any child care setting. I have been looking around for a good child caregiver due to me being in nursing school and have found nothing that I am impressed with. After seeing just how much attention someone her age needs I cannot bare to put her in a daycare that has 10 other babies her age who need just as much attention with only 2 or so teachers in the room. There is no way those few teachers can offer the attention and care my daughter (and other babies!)need. I greatly respect those mother’s that have to leave their children on a daily basis! I cried my eyes out when we thought I needed to get a job. I am so greatful we made it work.

By T

August 15, 2006 07:20 PM | Link to this

I believe in the trust your instincts when looking for daycare. My sister put her 6 mos. son in the Sunshine House in roswell because it was a reasonable price. When she dropped her son off she said she felt bad energy coming from the teacher in the room. She said she wnt around back and looked in the window and everything seemed normal. When she picked up her son at the end of the day, he still had the same diaper on that she had on him that morning and it was soaking wet and still had the same amount of food she brought in. Yet the log showed he had eaten and they changed him 4 or 5 times that day. My sister had put her sons name on all her diapers she had in the bag, and the diaper he was wearing when she dropped him she had put a markerspot on the inside. She called the director and director tried to lie and say they did change him but did not use her diapers. Then the director said oh yeah your child was bite today by another child, it was not on the log. My sister pulled him from that daycare and got her money back. Just remember trust your parent insticts. My brother always has me laughing he says he feels like he is paying for his daughter to have her own condo but yet she does not get to sleep there with the cost of daycare.

By Mom in Forsyth

August 16, 2006 08:14 AM | Link to this

I would love to be able to stay at home with my son, but it just wasn’t an option. I decided on a daycare based on recommendations from others and a visit to their facility. It is Discovery Point on Sanders Road in Cumming. I absolutely love this place. My son loves to go there and the other day told me he wasn’t ready to leave when I got there to pick him up. The teachers are wonderful and really care about the kids. The director is really nice and easy to work with. I also like the fact that the owners have to spend the day at their centers. Overall it has been a wonderful experience.

I did have my child at another facility in Cumming that I did not like. They had a ton of turnover and used a lot of teenage girls in the classrooms. They rotated in and out all of the time. I didn’t feel comfortable with that at all. It was also a lot more expensive and I didn’t think it was worth it.

By Jesse's Girl

August 16, 2006 09:30 AM | Link to this

I suppose it is simply a case of differing opinions. I am fortunate enough to have a career that allows mw to stay home and when I do have to meet with a client, it is always after my husband gets home or when our neighbor sitter can come by. But rest assured, if I wasn’t in the business I am in, I would stay home full time and just put up with the absence of a second income. Just out of curiosity….some of you have said that you are “sacrificing” the joy of having a second child because both you and your spouse have careers that giving up or scaling back on would not possible. Why? If indeed you wish to have another child…why not suck it up and live off of the better salary? I understand having a career you love. But I see so often couples running themselves ( and their children ) ragged trying to juggle 2 jobs and daycare. Just curious about all of this.

By amused

August 16, 2006 09:38 AM | Link to this

My wife is a SAHM, but she found out that an old sorority sister of hers was paying $3200.00/month for a private day care (in East Cobb, of course) so my wife fired the nanny, made her a housecleaner and put our precious little 1 year old angel in an exclusive buckhead “learning center”. It costs $16,000.00 per month. I just filed bankruptcy, my house is in foreclosure, but my wife loved making that call to buffy.

By danish

August 16, 2006 09:44 AM | Link to this

De-lurking here. Really enjoy this blog. My only child is 4.5 mos old. I work in one of the Concourse buildings (the King and Queen building), and he is in Kindercare, which is in this complex. I walk to nurse him at lunch every day. Truthfully, this was our only option as the thought of being away from him for over 9 hours straight was unthinkable. I thought I was pretty lucky to have childcare within walking distance, and only visited one other center.

Luckily I am happy with the facility and staff. It seems to be a big family. The older kids come in the infant room in the morning to say hi to the teachers that used to care for them. The other teachers all know all other kid’s names.

Unfortunately it is $226/per week, although I get a discount for working in the complex which brings it to $203.40/week. That was outrageous to me—more than our mortgage and my husband’s car payment! I never thought we’d have an extra $800+ per month to spend but so far it has been ok. What irks me is that the price decreases as the kids get older—aren’t toddlers MORE work? and they get fed there? How does that make sense?

By Jesse's Girl

August 16, 2006 09:51 AM | Link to this

Are you serious? I really hope not.

By Jesse's Girl

August 16, 2006 10:02 AM | Link to this

Again…I understand loving a career. But please…someone shed some light on how you justify working to pay for childcare? Obviously, this comment is not directed at the single moms and dads, as this is usually your only option. But for the spousal homes…unless you are making obnoxious salaries, how the heck do you do this? Several friends of our’s have settled into the one income brackett because of the cost and because they could no longer deal with being away from their children all day long. We do know one couple who continue with the 2 career household because one job provides impeccable insurance and the other does not…but they can’t live on one salary due to their debt. So that I can understand.

By danish

August 16, 2006 10:21 AM | Link to this

I make almost double the salary my husband makes. He doesn’t want to stay home with the baby, and as much as I would love to, financially it is not feasible at all. I actually enjoy my job too, and wish I could work part time, but its not possible. All the benefits are from my company too. I stayed home with my son for almost 13 weeks, and wished I could have stayed home longer but my job was no longer protected by FMLA and we needed the $!!

By momtoAlex&Max

August 16, 2006 10:45 AM | Link to this

To Jessie’s Girl: sometimes it is not clear cut. Even though the price of daycare (although I do not speak from experience since my mom watched my infant) can eat a serious chunk of someone’s income, you have to understand that it IS temporary. Usually infant care is very expensive beacause the ratios are so low. I gave up my career when my mom moved because the thought of day care gave me the whillies (sp?), but the result was quite a bit of debt. I wished I would have stuck it out and probably today I would be making a lot more than I make now. Sometimes we sacrifice the income for a year, just so that the career won’t get derailed, knowing that child care costs will go down to eventually zero (if you do public school) So I can understand why someone with a high income (or maybe not so high) will stick it out for thise first few years. I suppose the pay-off could be big down the line when you don’t have to worry about college costs. Also, in many cases I know, women work for the benefits.

By Celeste

August 16, 2006 10:49 AM | Link to this

I am new to the North Georgia area, and looking for a child care provider to provide in home child care while I am traveling on business usually 2-3 days per month. She is 7 years old, so I need care getting her to the bus stop in the AM and cooking dinner in the evenings, and assisting with homework. Can anyone recommend someone that is trustworthy and responsible enought to stay in my home for a few days each month?

By Mom to 2

August 16, 2006 10:51 AM | Link to this

I work full time and, until this year, both my children went to a wonderful local daycare (my son started kindergarten on Monday). Tuition for both (even with the sibling discount) ran at just over 1,800 per month. Now it’s in the neighborhood of 1,000 per month.

I have been asked before how I can afford childcare. The assumption seems to be that women don’t earn over 2,000 per month. While I am not in the league of THC’s income, I have a good salary (more than 2,000 per month net) and benefits. And it’s the BENEFITS that have kept me working.

We could probably pay the mortgage and buy groceries on my husband’s salary. He makes more than I do, but doesn’t have good benefits. I, however, have excellent health insurance and good retirement benefits. So, although we have only a little additional spending money from my job after paying for daycare, we have been able to afford high-quality health care and save for retirement.

We have several “grasshopper” family members with nothing saved for retirement. It’s been eye-opening, to say the least. I don’t want my children to have to support me later on. Also, in my line of work I’ve seen many people trapped when that one income disappears for whatever reason. It’s made me afraid to depend on only one income.

By Celeste

August 16, 2006 10:58 AM | Link to this

I am new to the North Georgia area. I am looking for in my home child care services for 2-3 days per month, while I am traveling on business. Can anyone recommend someone, who would be able to provide care for a 7 year old, (getting her to the bustop in the AM, homework in the evenings, and cooking dinner).

Thanks

By Celeste

August 16, 2006 10:59 AM | Link to this

I am new to the North Georgia area. I am looking for in my home child care services for 2-3 days per month, while I am traveling on business. Can anyone recommend someone, who would be able to provide care for a 7 year old, (getting her to the bustop in the AM, homework in the evenings, and cooking dinner).

Thanks

By Amy

August 16, 2006 11:33 AM | Link to this

My son goes to Sheltering Arms in Norcross. We LOVE this facility. They have good teacher/child ratios and all the teachers have been there for a long time. The staff loves the children, but they love the parents too. The school has a sweet cook who prepares food (breakfast and lunch) for all the children (even the babies in the baby room). The school is accredited and offers great curriculum. My son knew his letters and numbers shortly after turning two. The classes are well-equipped with beautiful toys and books and they often bring in story-tellers and other specials for the children. And, at Christmas-time, the children receive so many incedible gifts (last year every child in the school got a new bike). The school has lots of generous private donors who ensure every need at the school is met. I feel so blessed to be a part of the Sheltering Arms family. We are a middle-class family who have found an affordable and wonderful first-class school. Tuition is set on a sliding scale based on parent-need. The school serves infants, toddlers, offers Georgia Pre-K and has an after-school program available for children up to age eight. Their phone number is: 770-263-6595.

By Fulton County Mom

August 16, 2006 01:15 PM | Link to this

I love our daycare. My eldest went to PreK there. When I divorced my job was across town. I found our school in time for PreK. In December we moved to this side of town. Now my youngest is in PreK. The teachers love the kids. When I told the school that we were working on “x” they would help me with it at school too. THe thing that makes the daycare great is the parents and school working together. The owner’s kids go there too. The owner is onsite several times a week. (I have her number in my cell phone too). Any issue I have they help me address…whether it was unable to pay on time b/c child support was not given, or a need to address a behavior. There have been 2 males on the staff. When I mentioned that the girls did not have an active other parent in their lives, the males both stepped up to the plate. No they do not try to be dad, but they take the time to do the rough housing and silly things most people associate with a dad. They also have helped me when they are out of control…the male voice makes them jump too! We love the staff and are thrilled to be attending it.

By daycare_investigator

August 16, 2006 02:06 PM | Link to this

All prospective daycare seekers evaluate VERY carefully MANY facilities when seeking care for your children. Do not just seek the closest facility. There is much at stake here.

NEVER, EVER trust what ANY of their representatives say. Check all facts for yourself.

Go here for State of GA Bright From the Start GA Child Care Licensing Reports. Remember, these reports are NOT comprehensive but merely a good starting point.

http://www.sitesearch.decal.state.ga.us/georgiadecal/public/providersearch.aspx

My child is currently in a well-known daycare facility on the northside of ATL. (Its been mentioned in this blog already).

The cost of these centers is astronomical and I have found many problems exist below the surface which are not apparent to anyone on a tour of a facility.

Prospective parents ask the following questions:

DO NOT take their word for it!!!!Some that have been mentioned on this blog as being accredited are in fact, not currently listed with NAEYC.

Verify it at NAEYC’s site:

http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/search/state.asp?state=GA

Remember, NAEYC accreditation does NOT guarantee the facility is top-notch.

Ask for an environmental report. Ask for curriculum details. Ask what ratios are in place. Ask if criminal background checks are done for every staff memberAsk, ask, and ask some more. Your child deserves this information

Once your child is enrolled, do the following:

Be choosy, be professional, be armed with facts, and dont settle for anything.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

By North Gwinnett Mom

August 16, 2006 03:06 PM | Link to this

To get to the point quickly, I highly recommend the Discovery Point centers. My children, who are now in early elementary school, have attended these centers since I returned to work after maternity leave - yes, a long time! I believe the best approach is to think long-term. We have a dual income family for many of the reasons already listed. I recommend parents develop relationships with the center staff and other parents, and try to find a location near your home (though I did have my children near work when they were infants so I could nurse them at lunch and limit their time away from us - that really, really helps). Having your children in a center near your home helps them to develop relationships with children and adults who will likely become their schoolmates and neighbors, or little league teammates. It also allows you to have the option of that center providing after-school care (often with transporation from school), which again continues that constancy of child care providers. My kids are happy, secure and fun-loving (maybe too so!), so I feel very satisfied with our child-care arrangements. Good Luck!

By forsyth mom

August 16, 2006 04:39 PM | Link to this

jesse’s girl:

i wanted to share my financial situation with you regarding how people pay for daycare if they aren’t making a whole lot of money.

well to be honest with you, it’s been very tough. both my husband and i work 40 hours. the best thing (and yet the worst thing) about our schedules is that he works tuesday through saturday, and i work the normal M-F schedule. this allows one traditional working day in the week that is free from me having to pay for it because my hubby watches her on mondays…also that’s “his time” with her since i get her on saturdays all to myself. of course the downside is that we never have a true weekend as a family, but hopefully we can change that in the future. right now this works for us.

both our incomes total under $55K combined, or roughly $3700 a month bring-home. here’s a breakdown of our monthly expenses and then any extra cash (LOL): childcare is $520, we have a low house payment of $550, $325 car payment, $90 car insurance payment, $340 consolidation loan, $100 student loan, combined utilities of $390, combined credit cards of $500, and miscellaneous expenses which include groceries, prescription/doctor’s visits, and depositing into a CD total $930. add all those up and you get $3745….some things fluctuate and i’ve given a smidge higher estimate on groceries or whatever, but most of that is pretty accurate.

now.. we don’t “need” a $130 cable bill, but we choose to have all the bells and whistles. one of the credit cards cannot be removed from the equation because it’s our gasoline card. our cell phones have already been reduced to what we use, unfortunately and it’s a new contract, so we can’t get out of that for a bit. if we changed some things of course we could get by much better, but we haven’t put that foot forward yet on the lifestyle changing. heh, we should!

hope that puts something into perspective for you. yes, we’re basically working to pay for daycare, but we also have other things we don’t particularly need and that hurts. FYI, my husband makes more than me but has basically no benefits. while i make more per hour than he does and have much better benefits including 401K, he makes a monthly commission that keeps us afloat, thank god. if one of us quit our job to stay home to “save money by not having daycare”, there’s no way we could get by currently. however, i haven’t done a “what if” should we have almost no debts, so “if” that were the case, i think we could get by on one income.

By sarah

August 16, 2006 04:50 PM | Link to this

OK, OK….let’s move along. NEXT topic for discussion…..

By Elane

August 17, 2006 06:25 AM | Link to this

Those days are sometime in the past, but I remember the back & forth inner dialogues and the theory-vs.-reality moments.

At the beginning, I thought in-home would be better. It just felt better. Smaller environment, more like home, etc.

First house I visited was an utter pigsty. Open trash pail in the kitchen, food splatters on the wall, pile of untouched dishes in the sink, one toddler in just a diaper trying to explore the trash while the woman I was interviewing sent him off with “Y’all stay outa there, now g’won, git!”

In my outrage, I went to the next house and was so relieved at how clean and orderly it was. I liked the provider. Everything worked. My son went there for 3 months, but I had to take him out after her toddler bit him. They were unsupervised because the provider was fanatical about keeping to her cleaning schedule. Before that she also had a near-miss while carrying my son across the kitchen when the floor was wet. That was it for me. I switched over to KinderCare, reasoning that if something went very wrong, the entire chain could be brought down, so they’d be more vigilant. For the most part, that arrangement worked well. Due to some shifts in work schedules and locations, we also used Primrose, Children’s World, and Wonderful World of Children in midtown, before my son started kindergarten. I don’t know if WWC is still open, but we liked it. It was quite well run and the operators gave the kids and their parents top priority.

However, it was a huge relief not to have to line up daytime caregivers any more. Of all the things I miss about my son’s earlier years, that is NOT one of them.

By Kathy

August 17, 2006 08:23 AM | Link to this

My friend just put her daughter in the new Hudgins Early Childhood Center at Gwinnett Tech on Sugarloaf Parkway. She has been very please so far. They are hiring quality teachers and the facility and everything in it is brand-spanking new. They have infant care through school-aged care after-school. The school is also used as a teaching facility for the college. They use High/Scope, Creative Curriculum and Montessori at the facility. If I had to put my child in daycare (which, thank the good Lord, I don’t), I would put her in this facility.

By will

August 17, 2006 08:46 AM | Link to this

Wow, why are people writing in their home budgets? This blog usually entertains me with its mindless, if harmless, fodder. But some of you actually scare me. Although I dont agree with Tim that some of you should walk out in front of a bus. (if the bus would have steering probelms, and maybe you were at the right spot on the sidewalk….)But, I do agree that not everyone is cut out for parenthood. Just because the starter mansion has five bedrooms, doesnt mean you have to use them, take up sewing. Post-armegeddon researchers could use remnants of this blog to piece together the forces that led to the demise of civilization, as we knew it. As they dig through the rubble that was Alpharetta, and they sift through the layers and layers of Ford Excursions, and great big Toyotas, and they pour through mountains of cell phones and $7.00 paper coffee cups, they’ll find, at the core, a blond (sort of) soccer mom, idling comfortably in her black Chevy suburban, Air conditioner blasting, Celine Dion screeching ad nauseam, and there will be Buckhead Betsy chatting away on her blackberry to a long deceased, socially acceptable, mother of a carefully chosen playdate. By her side, a glowing laptop opened to this blog, Momania.

I know, I know stop reading it if it’s so bad. The predictability of that inevitable, mindless response will solidify my contention that some of us are in over our heads.

Other than that, have a great day.

By renee

August 18, 2006 12:36 PM | Link to this

(North Fulton and Cherokee child care)

I have used a variety of day care situations and I work parttime. I took unpaid maternity leave until my son was 6 months old. Then we used Open Arms Lutheran Child Development Center in Alpharetta. They offer parttime and fulltime daycare infant through 5. We chose a nonprofit church based daycare because we were impressed with their facility and also the fact that they were not there to make a profit! Web site is http://openarms.cts.org/

When I changed offices to Cherokee County, I used a mother in my neighborhood who also had a toddler and was looking for some parttime money. That worked great, except when she or her child were sick, I had no daycare. But having him in a home environment with someone I trusted (she was a former teacher and I called her principal to check her out) was great. She became pregnant again and we were off to find another program when my son was 20 months. We found and are still using Parkview Montessori School in Woodstock. www.parkviewmontessorischool.com/ It is an accredited Montessori school with infant to first grade classes - full and parttime. The turnover is very low and all the administrators have been there from the beginning. It is very family like and we are very happy. They offer Ga. Prek as well. It’s telling that a good number of their parents are public/private school teachers.

By RW

August 22, 2006 10:40 AM | Link to this

If you wouldn’t recommend your daycare provider, why would you send your child there?

By Amy

August 25, 2006 04:02 PM | Link to this

I may have a solution, especially for those seeking affordable, quality care or an alternative to preschool. If this isn’t the right fit for you, maybe you can pass this info on. $150 a week for personal,loving care, in a home. I am a certified elementary school teacher taking some time off to be home with my 2 1/2 year old son and 6 mos. old daughter. I am seeking out a child (2 or older) to care for in my home. The teacher is always in me, so I can’t help but do art activities, music, reading, puzzles, games, etc with my son. This is not a daycare, it would only be your child and mine. I would love to be a good option for a single mom. Intown Atlanta, just south of downtown. I am open to a parttime situation. amyandduffy@yahoo.com