My heart is right there with you as you try and figure out what to do. Been there, done that. Daycare is a hotly debated subject for many people and I don't pretend to be an expert, just a single parent who relied upon it to survive while raising my son. Yes, I would have preferred to stay home until my son reached school age, but this just wasn't an option.
Yes, it was difficult to find just the right setting & affordable fee for my three year old. Went through a few providers (family day care, in particular) before finding and securing a spot in a day care center which was located near my place of employment at the time. I would have preferred a family setting but found out the hard way that some providers just don't tell the truth when you interview them, even under the best of conditions. Before you shoot me, I acknowledge that this is not the case in every family day care situation.
The day care center was called White Plains Child Day Care Association and it was a blessing for me and my child. I became actively involved in the parents group and the staff helped us out more times than I can remember as I tried to juggle far too many balls. Thank goodness for those hot meals at the end of a long day--the center's clever director was smart enough to feed us as a way to get us involved. This was an excellent day care experience as far as I'm concerned: well trained, caring staff in a safe, clean facility.
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