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Aspen has been at the same daycare for almost two years, so on Friday when I received a phone call from the director, asking to talk to me-I was not sure what to expect. That’s when I found out that the school would be closing on December 28th (less than 10 days away). At first I think I was in shock, and at the time took the news relatively well. I asked her why, and she told me that they could not financially sustain it.
Aspen did not take the news so well. He burst out crying and told me that he “loved his teachers and friends so much”. I explained that he would be going to a big boy school, to make new friends- but his confusion, and heartbreak was evident.
With less than two weeks to go, I did a mass search for daycare. Everywhere was almost twice as much, or the places that were not, had a lengthy waiting list. My best quote was at $43,531 per year. The most cost effective option I found was in the East Village (no where near me) for $1900 per month (non inclusive of meals-which were $7 each extra).
Some centers even answered the phone with screaming children in the background-incentive to hang up and cross them out of my list? Yes. Or never called me back despite three phone calls on three different days. If getting my child into daycare is this hard in NYC I can’t imagine the pre-school process which I have to start in January.
Know a daycare center or nanny in NYC? Please comment below!
