Daycare for dummies . . . and I'm the dummy

If you ever have a hope in hell of getting licensed child care for a child between 12 and 18 months, you should have put your name on a waiting list before you even considered getting pregnant. Years before the thought of children ever entered your mind.
Here in Muskoka, and more specifically south Muskoka, there are a total of12 spots available for infants (between 12 and 18 months). Yes you read that correctly 12 spots. I was told by the nice lady at the District of Muskoka, who was probably laughing under her breath at my stupidness for only starting to look into daycare options when my child is five months old, that one of the daycare's lists for 6 available spots is 90 people long, so it's probably not worth the effort. After a call to Gravenhurst Children's Place, where the other six spots are, Quinn is on the list but he is about number 50, and apparently by the time September roles around, maybe three spots will become free.
I am mad at myself. I have heard about these lists, but for some reason never really thought too much of them, and always considered them someone else's problem. Well, now they are my problem. I only started really thinking about daycares when a good friend of mine, who now lives in New Brunswick, was telling us recently that she put her name on a list three years ago, and is now lucky number 13 on the list. Hopefully by the time she goes back to work at the end of October of this year, she will have a space for her daughter.
The other option if you want licenced child care is to go to a home setting.
I have called an agency who supervises licenced home child care and Quinn is on the list for the only licenced home child care place they have listed in Muskoka. The odds look pretty good that I could get a spot by September, the nice lady on the phone told me. I am waiting to hear back from the other agency on the other only licenced home child care provider in Muskoka, to see what my odds are. What is more frustrating is that if I want Quinn in licenced care, I have to take what is given to me, whether I like the place or not. I guess I pictured myself going on an outing, inspecting these places and choosing what we think is the best for him, but now we have to take what we can get.
There are probably lots of unlicenced child care situations in the area, and I guess that is my next step. It's time to start working the grapevine.
How could I have been so naive, no, the better word is stupid. What the hell do people do for childcare when they have a 1-year-old? It brings new meaning to take your child to work day, oh I mean year.
I guess I should look at the bright side of this whole fiasco, I am miles ahead of myself when the next child comes on the scene. By the time we are blessed with another one, a space for infants might actually become available. Actually, I think I may call the daycare with the 90 people waiting list. And while I'm at it, I better start reserving Quinny a space in the toddler room, one might open up by the time he's ready for Kindergarten. Who says the first child is always spoiled. Quinn might have our undivided attention and love, but our second child will get the better pre-school education.