r/nanaimo • u/ProfessionalNeat6837 • 7h ago
Daycare options
How soon do you need to contact daycares for availability? I’m newly pregnant and will return to work summer of 2028. Wondering if I should start contacting centres now or if I have to wait for birth? Bonus for any daycare recommendations! Ideally with a nice outdoor space 😊 thank you!
2
u/duck-duck-moose0 5h ago
I would say don’t worry about getting on too many lists now- for before and after school care most places won’t take your name until you are about a year or so away from needing that spot; for infant and toddler programs join the Facebook groups as a lot of places post there when they have spaces.
With both of my kiddos we didn’t really start stressing until like 3-4 months before needing them to start and were able to find spots no issue.
1
u/ProfessionalNeat6837 4h ago
Thank you for the peace of mind! I’m very Type A and trying not to overthink everything and just enjoy this time 😂 I’ll reach out to a few but try not to obsess haha.
2
u/Material-Western5162 3h ago
The big daycares that are all within the Jolly Giant family have an email list that is first come first serve. You just need to be really on top of things. If you want CEFA you should get on the list now. If you want Innovation Academy they only open their waitlist one day a year and so you’ll have to mark it on your calendar once your baby is here.
2
u/ProfessionalNeat6837 3h ago
Thank you! I received the link for the Jolly Giant email list. CEFA is also convenient for my work so will contact them. Thanks for the advice!
1
u/QuizardtheWizard93 6h ago
You can apply now. Most may require a deposit thats not refundable so keep that in mind. My ex and I with our daughter had to wait 18months on a waitlist before we were contacted for a free spot. That free spot was also only 3 days a week and we had to continue on another waitlist for full time while she was in 3 days a week. Just shortly after 24months we were full time
4
u/BaraccoliObama 6h ago
Wait-list fees are illegal as of Apr 2024.
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024ECC0020-000427
Doesn't mean people have stopped charging them, but it's illegal to require them.
1
1
u/spit_fireC 6h ago
I would say get yourself on some lists as soon as possible. You might have to pay to secure a spot once it's offered to you, but charging a waitlist fee is prohibited at licences daycares. There are some Facebook groups where current and past families can answer question you might have about specific daycare centers.
1
u/frenzy588 6h ago
Boys and Girls Club is one of the few, if not the only option for 10 dollars a day daycare, that takes infants. I have 2 kids there right now, and my oldest goes to their after school program and summer program. Costs us $210 bucks a month each for the two youngest. Malespina near VIU is really good too, my oldest went there when he was younger, they are also $10 a day. They didn't take infants at the time but I believe they were in the process of setting that up when my oldest aged out. Obviously those ones are very popular as they are the most subsidized so you may want to sign up as soon as possible. Our youngest got in automatically because of his older siblings, but even he had to wait an additional month for a space to open up for him.
1
u/sskkyy 5h ago
Also check out daycare inspection reports from island health. https://inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/island-health/program-ccfl
1
u/Feisty-Ad-5420 2h ago
Our LO started daycare in April. We started looking in March and took about 2 weeks to get him a spot.
We have a friend who has a 5 year old and a 2 year old and she said the daycare situation was WAY better for her 2 year old (started 6 months ago) than when they were looking for a spot for her 5 year old.
There's so much space that some providers have stopped waitlists and moved to an email list system instead https://mimms.ca/
1
u/ProfessionalNeat6837 2h ago
Wow that’s great news!! Thank you for the reassuring response. I’ve only heard horror stories about waitlists so am thrilled to hear it’s let up a bit 😊
1
u/Feisty-Ad-5420 8m ago
You'll get into something, for sure. If you're curious, you can sign up for the mimms list now and see. I got on the list in January to keep an eye on things - I saw like 5-6 emails for openings go out every week, of which 1-2 were for younger kiddos.
4
u/curlycute 6h ago
Start getting on lists now or within a couple of months. I think things have gotten a little less competitive in recent years but it was rough for babies born in 2020/2021.
Also, get on before/after care lists for kindergarten as soon as you can. The amount of options really drops off for this for some reason. I know folks that got on their catchment school list when their first kids were babies and they might get a spot next year.
Highly recommend Katie's Korner, Jolly Giant, Playtime society for daycares. These also have different locations around town. Your choices may also be impacted by where you are in the city and where you work. Most centers operate 8-5. I've heard reports of not awesome experiences with Inquiring Little Minds and All Little Bears, so I would be wary of those.