Looking for a preschool in COVID-19 time?
Our son is approaching 1 year and the adage in bay area is to start looking even earlier than this. Have mostly been dealing with work stress and keeping baby at home but trying to figure out how to enroll or even learn more about Pre-schools when now its near impossible to visit them to better understand whether they'll be good.
Any advice? Resources or links are super helpful.
Jul 3, 2020
Parent Replies
I don't have any general advice, but (depending on where you're located) I'd recommend looking into OrcKids in Albany. We've sent both our kids to their original location Sunflowers in Oakland and I'd recommend them to anyone! We've been happy with their precautions (masks for grownups and lots of handwashing). I'm pretty sure they have openings in Albany and they're being careful to schedule tours when there aren't kids there, which I think is a good sign of how seriously they're taking health and safety even though it does make it less convenient.
I’m going to possibly ruffle some feathers, but I say wait until you have a better handle on what your child’s temperament, interests and development trajectory are. The differences in my kids have been striking and each has needed a different preschool environment. There would have been no way I would have been able to know what each kid’s needs were that early. Even though we waited, even then the program we picked for one was not a good fit and we transferred out early on. The other only spent one year in a placement then switched out the next year. I swear not everyone gets on a waiting list when their kid is in utero! And with COVID-19 you will have no way of knowing if whatever program you choose two years in advance will even still be around when your kid is preschool age. Relax and enjoy your remaining time with your kid. It goes by so quickly!