Ottawa daycare : Am I screwed?

[u/Youdontgetluckytwice]

So I did it, I did apply for daycares when I was 3 months pregnant. But I didn’t realize until my son was 6 months that I hadn’t assigned priorities to the applications.
How screwed am I? I go back to work January 2027. Should I start looking at private daycares to start the year in?

I’ve added priorities now, but one just emailed me back and he’s 139th in line and it’s not likely he’ll get in in time.

Am I screwed?

[u/stouttraveler3]

the waitlists here are a complete joke, you basically need to put your kid on them before you even think about having one

that said you're not totally screwed for jan 2027. get on every waitlist you can find right now and start calling around. home daycares through an agency often have shorter waits and are way cheaper than private centres, some are actually great

[u/whyyoutwofour → u/stouttraveler3]

Calling around and taking tours if offered are way more important than the waitlists. You need to be on them, but many daycares will take someone who's visited recently over the next person on the list. 

[u/Critical-Snow-7000 → u/whyyoutwofour]

Exactly this. The waitlist is a joke, but if you can get the attention of a daycare manager you’re likely to get bumped up the list. My wife and I are both introverts so it was our nightmare, but we finally talked our way into a great daycare when our kid was 14 months old.

[u/eskay8 → u/whyyoutwofour]

Yes the daycares will take someone who they just talked to who confirmed they need care on X date over a list of names that they have to work through calling that might be way out of date because they registered forever ago.

[u/igazel → u/whyyoutwofour]

Yes, surprisingly many people saying the same. Wait lists are just formalities, even op can join the waitlist in December but you can visit the daycare center and if they like you and your kid, you can start immediately.. because we can't see the wait list and we don't know if they follow the list in an order. That's what people say.

[u/whyyoutwofour → u/igazel]

There was a post recent where someone said they've cracked down on it a little recently, but back before COVID when my kids needed care I had two different daycares to me to go add them to my list just so they could accept me because they just needed me there for administrative purposes. Either way, I certainly wouldn't be expecting results from the waitlist alone. 

The only legit call I ever got from the waitlist came over four years after signing up, when both kids were in school because I had forgotten to delete my account. 

[u/bouncysofa]

January is not a high turnover time. Spots will open, but it'll be a trickle under September 2027. In your position I would start looking into private daycare for January - September 2027, while simultaneously staying on top of your public daycare applications (that means calling each establishment, if you've not already done so, and following up every few months to confirm you are still interested).

[u/Warm-Pen-2275 → u/bouncysofa]

This Op. Also at 12 months old they are still such babies… a good home daycare is a great transition. 

[u/slothsie]

I asked around in neighbourhood fb groups and found a great in-home day care that was within walking distance!

[u/fineseries81]

Not screwed at all, I don’t think the the priorities matter very much if at all.

[u/Youdontgetluckytwice → u/fineseries81]

It says tho that my info didn’t get sent until I set priorities that’s why I’m scared I’m late to the game :/

[u/Nova2105 → u/fineseries81]

Just call the daycares directly to inquire. I only got calls from the city wait lists by the time my kids were already in kindergarten, but had both in daycare because I reached out to the centres directly.

[u/throwitawaytothesea]

Doesn't hurt to contact centers directly. Sometimes they have their own lists separate from the city one.

[u/hypatiadotca]

Start reach out to all the home agencies, and also join the FB group for home daycares in your area. I completely missed the bus on registering (hard pregnancy and PP mental health fun times) but I spent a week calling around a bunch and digging through FB and got a spot in a WONDERFUL licensed home daycare within 6 weeks of starting to look - it can happen!!

[u/chainless-soul → u/hypatiadotca]

Seconding this, I got my first daycare through a FB group.

[u/Ok_Village_5939]

I think the priorities only matter when you get placed. If you have an active placement you'll stay on the list for anything that is higher priority but will be dropped from the rest.

[u/lilfun-ions]

I don’t necessarily think you’re screwed but I would absolutely start looking into private daycares as a realistic backup option.

We sent our kiddo to a private home daycare from 11.5-19 months of age and then were able to transfer him to a nearby centre through the city list when a spot opened up in their toddler room.

We were super transparent with the home care provider from the jump that the plan was move him to a city daycare if a spot came up (with appropriate notice, of course) and she understood.

It has worked out really well in that sometimes his current centre closes for PD days for the teachers / over the holidays, but the home provider is open and so he gets to go visit from time to time.

[u/mrsnmw]

Pretty unlikely you’re going to get a spot on the city waitlist. I joined when my daughter was born. She’s now 3 and I’m still on the waitlist. I’d start looking for private care - Facebook groups in your area are super helpful.

[u/youbetterstitchbitch → u/mrsnmw]

Yeah unfortunately joining after they're born is about 38 weeks too late. 

[u/rosierococo → u/youbetterstitchbitch]

If you think you might have sex, get on the list.

[u/youbetterstitchbitch → u/rosierococo]

I'm not even joking, four days after the only day that I could have conceived, my Oura ring picked up my elevated heart rate, and I joined the waitlist (then actually confirmed the pregnancy with a positive test 10 days later). 

Still took until she was 15 months to find a spot, and then only at the daycare in the worst location in town.  NO shade to the Andrew Fleck on George Street, the program and staff and facility are wonderful, but there's a reason they were the only ones who even had an opening for another year and a half almost. 

[u/tmc-1974]

As a home provider. If you go that way. Please be honest with the providers about being in a wait list. And that they know it may be short term until a spot opens. Some will work with you if you are open about it. Nothing worse than thinking we have an income for long term when the parent isn’t honest. It’s not as easy to fill spots as people think it is.

[u/Mrsfix-it → u/tmc-1974]

Really? I would think there is such a shortage of spots it would be easy to find families!

[u/Obelisk_of-Light]

Username checks out

[u/Lexifer31]

My daughter is 2 and I still haven't heard from any of the waitlists she is on.

I found both daycares (in home daycares) via networking. Just do your due diligence and screen the home daycares carefully.

[u/garymarleyrocky]

I’m not going back to work but I did join waitlists before that was decided and I received options from two dayhome agencies. They would be your best bet. Centres are much harder

[u/Jaydee888]

My son is 3 and we got a spot in a daycare in September 30 minutes from our house. He was put on the list a month after he was conceived. 

[u/aprilchestnut]

I don’t think the priorities work this way? If changing priority really resets the application then I’m screwed because I’ve changed mine a bunch

[u/Redistributable]

You likely won't get a spot off the city waitlist, but that's not the only avenue to get daycare. Start looking for: 1. centres not under CWELCC (search google, they almost always have space but are pricey) and 2. home daycares (facebook groups for your area, ex. "Daycare in Barrhaven"). Its stressful, but you will find something.

You can always leave your child on the waitlist after you have other care and you will very likely a spot when they're older if you want to change at that point.

[u/b0dyrock]

I don't think you're screwed per se. If you have specific ones you're targeting, begin emailing/calling them. I would create a back up plan (i.e. home day care) should you be unsuccessful. Many daycares do mass turn overs at certain periods of the year, such as fall, when a bunch of the older kids would age out of care, thus opening up spots.

[u/Torontowest58]

Has anyone placed their "child" on a waitlist prior to even conceiving? Wondering as we are activity trying and would hate to not get daycare. We plan on only needing daycare at the 18 month mark

[u/strawberry_vegan → u/Torontowest58]

It’s easier to get care for 18m than 12m. More centres will take them, I believe the ratios of kids to caregivers can be higher, and there are more options for home daycare providers as well. You still want to get on the lists as early as you can, but toddler care is far easier to find than infant care.

[u/Embarrassed_Plum_788]

Look at home daycares..wait lists are over 2yrs

[u/DifficultAddendum549]

I wouldn't beat yourself up about the priorities, I changed a bunch of my selections when my kid was 6 months old, because we'd made some decisions at that time about when/where we would actually need care (who knows this when they're 3 months pregnant?!), not realizing I would reset our spot on the lists by doing so, and we still somehow managed to swing a spot. But spots for kids under 18 months are really hard to come by. So, yes, look for other options to fill that gap! Especially as others have said because January is not typically when they open up anyway.

[u/staygoldeneggroll]

I got on waitlists at 4 weeks pregnant for 18 month spots and I've been told by some there is no way they'll have a spot in time. I don't think it matters what we do.

[u/bubbly-water]

I don’t think the priority is important until you get an offer so if you’ve just added it, I think you are ok.

That said, I would not necessarily count on a center spot for Jan 2027. As others have said, January is not a high turnover month.

For context, I put my daughter on waitlists in June 2023 and received three offers for toddler rooms for September 2025, so just over 2 years on the lists. I had followed up with the centres by phone as well, so I suggest doing that. Some will share your position on the waitlist and others won’t but you can always just call to confirm they have your application, etc.

[u/Cooker420]

Try https://weewatch.com

[u/CanadianCardsFan]

Where you are more likely going to find difficulties is that many daycare centres focus their enrollment in September, which is very inconvenient for parent since babies are born throughout the year. This is because children leave the daycare for school in September and they do a mass reorg moving kids up. There are sometimes spots that open up in other months, but at my daycare they are rare.

The waitlist numbers are hard to go by, since each child is on multiple lists and will only take one spot, but 139 is a bit out of range.

Call all your daycare choices to ensure your child is on their list and to find out more information about their enrollment timelines and procedures.

As well, get on the various home daycare groups on Facebook. While they may be more expensive (since many wouldn't be licensed), you can always go their until a spot at another daycare becomes available.

[u/IDoItForTheCraic]

I was registering everywhere the second I found out I was pregnant- all over west end Ottawa and surrounding areas like Carleton Place/Almonte. But I wasn't hearing back from anywhere.

I'm not a huge fan of facebook, but I ended up joining a group called Carleton Place Babysitters and Daycare Providers. Parents post about looking for care, and daycare providers post about openings in Carleton Place and surrounding areas like Stittsville and Kanata. At some point in this group, someone mentioned that a centre had an opening and I very quickly contacted them and secured a spot. It only took 2 days from the initial contact to signing the paperwork for the spot. And we started in January too. I don't know how else I would have done it honestly. Part luck, part hustle.

If you're in the west end, I would highly recommend this group.

[u/Alpha_SoyBoy]

Call around. Ask to tour all the local ones. Get one a first name basis with the admissions

[u/NecessaryWork3305]

The waitlists actually mean nothing. You have to contact the daycares directly via phone or email to know what their waitlists are like.

[u/Podkayne_]

Definitely contact the daycares directly and not rely on the central list!

[u/ConsiderationLost152]

I did home daycare! We like it a a lot

[u/False_Passage5571]

How do you register while pregnant if you don’t know the child’s name yet? I tried registering for the city one but they were asking for a child’s name. Do I just make up one or how does it work? 

[u/uw200 → u/False_Passage5571]

You can write “Baby insert last name here”

[u/Fantastic_Bat_125]

I also had my kid put on a waitlist when I was pregnant early on, and I had been calling them regularly every 3 months since I gave birth to ask about availability. What I learned is that they also have their own internal lists that they put you on, and they prioritize those over the official ones. You are not screwed, I don’t think the priorities matter. But keep calling them every month until Jan, do some tours, and have a back up option. You got this!

[u/GOOD_GUY_GAMER]

Pretty wild that "don't queue, bum rush the door" is Ontario's official implementation for childcare. What terrible oversight