What should I ask about waitlists when buying a daycare?

Start with how the list is kept. A tidy record with dates, ages and contact details is a sign of a careful operator. A list kept in someone’s head or on scraps of paper tells you to ask more questions. Ask whether families pay anything to join, and what was promised to them about their place in line, since you inherit those expectations.

Then test it. Waitlists often hold families who have already found care elsewhere. Ask when the seller last contacted them, and consider calling a sample of names with the seller’s agreement. Look at the children’s ages against the rooms you have. A list full of infants will not fill a room for older children. Ask also how spaces are filled when they open, whether siblings and staff families get priority, and whether any of this is written down in the parent agreement. Your lawyer can read what was promised. Finally, ask how the seller thinks about growth: whether more spaces could be opened, and whether the list is a reason to expand or only a comfort.

Key takeaways

• Ask to see the list with join dates and children’s ages.
• Contact a sample of families to learn who is still waiting.
• Match children’s ages on the list to the rooms available.
• Find out what priority rules were promised to families.