If you're like us, you and your child may go to the same schools two or three times before making a final decision. For some of the most popular preschools, the wait to get in can be long. Be aware that some locals register their children at birth for a couple of the most prestigious preschools. Of course, there are plenty of newcomers who have lucked into a slot when a family suddenly moved from the area. So don't give up hope.
Nannies Finding in-home child care is a definite possibility.
If you place a classified ad in the Help Wanted section of The Virginian-Pilot , you'd better have a telephone answering machine. The one time we tried it, the calls easily topped 100, and only a few of those sounded like anyone we'd want to hire. Although there are parents who have found excellent caregivers through the classifieds, many prefer to use a service to do the screening. There are several active services in the area. We've had good personal experience with AuPairCare .