Start with the care your family needs each day
Look at the whole week: who cares for your child on each day, how drop-off and pickup work, and what happens when a grandparent or another caregiver is away. A third day may solve a care gap; it is not automatically better for a child. One parent in a part-time toddler care discussion described a mix of school and grandparent days. Other families in that same thread described different patterns. Their experiences can prompt questions, but they cannot tell you how your child will respond.
Ask which two- and three-day patterns are available
The days on offer matter as much as the number of days. In another parent discussion about moving to three days, the school offered set combinations, so consecutive days were not an option. Ask a school which days it can actually offer and whether you can change the pattern later.
Virginia Montessori Academy offers two- and three-day options in its Infants, Young Toddlers and Toddlers programs, subject to current availability. Children’s House is a five-day program. We can talk through the days currently possible for your child’s age.
What should you ask about drop-off and updates?
Tell the guides about the adults sharing your child’s week and any routines that help at handoff. Ask how they’ll share news about meals, rest and activities, and whom you can contact with a question. A parent asking about difficult drop-offs also wondered whether consecutive days or a third day would help. The replies disagree. Your own child’s experience and a conversation with the school are more useful than treating those replies as a rule.
Check the full cost and missed-day terms
Before choosing part-time daycare days, ask for the current written tuition terms. Find out how each schedule is charged, what happens on closures or missed days, and whether fees change if you add a day. Families in a part-time care pricing thread found that providers handled charges differently. Ask us for the current price and terms of the days you need.
Talk through your child’s week at our school
Bring the care pattern you have in mind when you book a tour. We can show you the room for your child’s age and discuss available days, routines, tuition and the adults who share your child’s week.