VIDEO: Daycare Spots Go Quick, Especially For Infants

COLUMBUS and Macon, Miss. (WCBI) – For parents who plan on enrolling their children in daycare, childcare workers say the sooner, the better.

Parents who are expecting, may find even fewer available spots.

Daycare workers say it’s never too early to secure your child’s place.

Spots are limited and it’s a first come basis.

“Being an Air Force town, you have a lot of fluidity, fluid movement in there, so we have people coming and going all of the time. Infants are another story,” says Early Learning Center Director, Nancy McNair.

Many expecting parents save a spot for their growing baby before they even know if it’s a girl or boy.

“We have a mom that just found out she was pregnant. The baby isn’t due until January, they won’t come here until March, and they went ahead and had us put them on the role, so they’ve already secured their spot. So, we look that far out so that we know we’ve got this child coming in,” says McNair.

The next open baby spot at Early Learning Center in Columbus is in mid-spring of 2018.

“These spots fill up fast. So, at six weeks, yes, he or she will already be on the waiting list, so yeah, you have to reserve it pretty fast because they go,” says expecting mother, Jasmine Willams.

State law requires more adult caretakers in the infant rooms.

“The ratio has changed over the years and the infants room is five children per adult, so once that sixth child comes in, the second caregiver should be coming in due to the ratio,” says Happy Start Learning Center secretary, Cortney Jones.

Parents tell WCBI that infant spots cost a little more.

That’s because babies take a little extra time and attention.