THANK GOODNESS FOR INIC! I'm so so glad we didn't settle.
Like many new parents, we were realy struggling to get daycare. We got on daycare waiting lists while we were still pregnant. Some were for when she was older (and didn't take under 12 months, 18 months, things like that). We had one that we thought was perfect - they estimated a spot when she was 6-8 months old. A few months later, they call and say it'll be closer to 18 months. Um.... what? So frustrating.
So, we were off to find daycare for our little one. If you're reading this, you probably know that looking for daycare once you need is a fool's errand. All the places that we found that had spots available immediatley or in a few months were, to put it nicely, not good. It seemed clear why those spots were open, if that makes sense.
So, when I heard INIC up in Round Rock had spots, I was skeptical. Then, I discovered that they were a new school with a lot of capacity which explained the openings.
As soon as we walked in, it felt like a good fit. Now that we've been there for a month, I can happily recommend INIC! In fact, that one that esimated 18 months called us with an open spot (much closer to us than INIC) and we happily declined.
STAFF
It's only been a month but staff has been consistent. Even though it's a big school, the staff know us when we arrive. Everytime I check-in on our little on on the cameras, I see the teachers either working hard getting stuff ready, dancing/singing as they do their work, or playing with the littles. Folks always seem to be smiling and I've never seen anyone ignoring kiddos or hanging on their phones. They genuinely seem to like my little one. They get excited when I tell them about a new milestone/skill we've seen.
Everyone is super communicative and I get tons of updates throughout the day.
CLASS SIZE
Right now, since they're filling up classes, my little one is usally with just two other kiddos with one or two teachers. I don't expect that to stay that way as the school grows but it's been nice to have the individual attention.
CURRICULUM
My little one is only 10 months old so, yeah, there's a 'curriculum' but I'm not particulary concerned with it. I just like that she's getting exposure to Spanish, is around people who seem to care about her, and gets to learn from other kiddos.
One thing to know is that the whole classroom naps at the same time (times based on age). So, for example, my 10-month old is in an infant room where naps are 10-11:30 and 2-3:30. I was concerned that'd be too much sleep for her but she never sleeps the full time. How much she sleeps and when exactly she sleeps varies quite a bit but I guess kids will be kids.
One of daughter's favorite activities is going on the daily walks when weather permits.
LOCATION
For us, the location is not convenient b/c we live in East Austin and have to drive about 30 minutes BUT, if you're closer, I think the area around makes it a nice location. There are lots of grocery stores, fitness classes, cafes and such that might pair well with your daily drop-off or pick-up routine. The parking lot and drop-off/pick-up area is simple (unlike some other places I toured).
SCHEDULE / PRICE
While the rate for care is around the same as lots of other places I toured BUT they're closed less often on just random days (for example, one daycare was closed 3.5 weeks in Dec/Jan, another 2 random weeks in the middle of the summer, and a bunch of 'teacher learning days' spread throughout the year). They basically follow the Round Rock ISD calendar but are open through the summer as well.
FACILITITES
I don't have any great photos because I obviously don't want to post pictures of children but I can say the building feels fresh, spacious, clean, organized, and has tons of cool features like a little gym, a little reading room, and more. read more