1 year old care/preschool

I’m a first time parent and have been given the advice to get on a waiting list for preschool for when my baby (2 month old) turns one. We have care covered by my husband, myself and mother in-law for baby’s first year, but will need care starting at one. Recommendations for daycare locations near Berkeley for a one year old is needed as well as how to navigate the process of getting into our school of choice. 

We aren’t interested in a nanny or home care. 

Thank you! 

Parent Replies

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RE:

I don't think you need to worry about preschool quite yet, as preschools typically don't take children until they're 2 (if not older - depends on the school). What you're looking for is daycare. 

RE:

It sounds to me like you'd benefit from the free, monthly intro to childcare options put on by Bananas. They walk through the options (licensed, unlicensed, center based, family based, nannies) and provide info on how to go about next steps. They also maintain the list of daycare/preschools in good standing, and they explain why so few centers take babies under 2 years old. 

Good luck!

RE:

Daycare from 1-2 is actually a bit challenging; many more options open up at 2 (due to licensing requirements I believe). It might make sense to get on the waitlist at ECEP (early childhood education program?), UC Berkeley's daycare, as they have three large centers and you get on the waitlist for all with one application/fee. They have good facilities and a great ratio, but they are not cheap.  Hearts' Leap also has good reviews, but is even more expensive.