Will we be able to place our 4 yo in a MA preschool in January? (Scituate: rent)

[syracusa]

Now that we covered the part about housing (conclusion: won't be able to afford much in a reasonably good area), I wanted to kindly ask for some advice regarding preschool.

We currently have our 4yo son in a preschool belonging to the United Methodist Church (in Atlanta), going three times a week between 9am -12:30pm. When we move, we will obviously have to take him out and put him in a preschool in MA, ideally somewhere close to where we will be renting.

What should we expect in terms of price, and will it be easy to place him in the middle of the school year? We do not know yet the place where we will rent so I cannot make any targeted inquiries. But it would help to have a general idea about cost and possibility to find an open spot in the middle of the school year. Thank you so much.

[haberstroh]

Unless you want him in one of these prestigious programs with long waiting lists I think you should be fine enrolling him mid year. There are plenty of places that have one or two opening throughout the year, and families move all the time.
Regarding price I think you should find a school where he can go maybe 3 mornings a week for about $250 to $320 a month in a nicer suburb. Look at churches, coops, in home childcare and public schools as soon as you know your "target area" . Good Luck!

[CaseyB]

That sounds about right. It's been 10 years since I had a child in preschool, so I looked at their website to see what they are charging for the 3 day program now - $270.

[syracusa]

Thank you so much caseyb and haberstroh. At least we have some hope in THIS department.

As for prestigious preschool programs: like any parent would probably tell you, I would want to place this kid in as "good" of a place as I could get.

HOW-E-VER:

If the prestigious programs you are referring to are anywhere close to what Simon and Makar revealed in "Nursery University", not only would I NOT "aspire" to them but I would want my child PROTECTED from such sheer insanity (and should I add, poor taste too) .

That documentary made me cry, as well as toss and turn all night. For real.

[ScituateAl]

The preschool our son went to did 1/2 and full days, 1-5 days a weeks and any really any combination of days and part or full time we needed. I think the full-day rate come in around $45-50/day.

Fortunately, preschool is far easier to find spots for that daycare for 0-3 year olds. The only pre-requesite I often hear about is having kids potty-trained. They may also need a doctor's note/form - so you may want to get those forms now & fill them out and/or line up a dr for your child when you arrive in MA. When you move, be sure you also have all your kid's vaccinations documented by your current dr.

Check out the state of MA's site on licensed facilities:
Early Education and After School Programs

[syracusa]

Originally Posted by ScituateAl

The preschool our son went to did 1/2 and full days, 1-5 days a weeks and any really any combination of days and part or full time we needed. I think the full-day rate come in around $45-50/day.

Fortunately, preschool is far easier to find spots for that daycare for 0-3 year olds. The only pre-requesite I often hear about is having kids potty-trained. They may also need a doctor's note/form - so you may want to get those forms now & fill them out and/or line up a dr for your child when you arrive in MA. When you move, be sure you also have all your kid's vaccinations documented by your current dr.

Check out the state of MA's site on licensed facilities:
Early Education and After School Programs

That sounds encouraging. Thank you.

[crazyworld]

syracusa.............in what area will you be living in? I think that way maybe we can give you more specific recommendations for pre-schools.