A New Daycare

This has been an interesting (read emotional rollercoaster) week. Monday morning J dropped Heath off at school and found a note in his cubby that said our daycare would be closing. The process would be gradual as teachers found other work and children found other care, but the process would start next Monday. The church that hosts the daycare we've been at since we came to Blacksburg last year had just voted Sunday to close the daycare to make more room for their 'other growing ministries' (unbeknown to us that it was even being considered). I could go on for a bit about my feelings and thoughts here, but I won't because they are all irrelevant to the purpose of my post and that is this- God has shown up again in a huge way and provided.

Daycares in Blacksburg are something of a rarity- if you are looking to start a new business seriously considering opening a childcare option here! J moved into quick action Monday morning and 'updated' Heath's name on the Gucci waiting list (yep the one he has been on since last April). He also made a call to a place near us where some friends are and added Heath to that waitlist. In the process of talking with other parents we learned that another childcare center in the adjacent town to ours closed last week and they too have been flooding the waitlists and stopping by for tours of facilities.

We toured waitlist option #2 yesterday and it just didn't sit well with us. No judgment on our friends who feel well cared for there, or the center which has a following of supporters, it just didn't feel like an extension of our parenting in the way that our current place has felt. We would have to consider making concessions in our preferences/values to have food choices that we deem healthy and not be able to continue using cloth diapers. While the location was convenient for our preference to bike, bus or walk, it just didn't sit right with either of us. And they weren't in order enough to tell us even after three days where we stood on the waitlist and when they might have the next opening.

After Monday's news came, we reached out to family and friends and asked them to join us in prayer. And not just us- but also the many families displaced and our beloved teachers who are looking for employment. In the midst of our grill news (read previous post) I was trying to calm my extreme grief and anxiety over the daycare situation by being reminded of God's faithfulness. Our neighbors are in the same boat with us and shared their spreadsheet of findings of local centers (including whether or not they'd accept cloth). They encouraged us to check out another option that was in town, just a mile and a half away rather than 3-5 blocks.

God showed up.

In the warm smile and sympathetic eyes of the Director who greeted me this morning and in the lead teacher of the 2s who I literally wanted to reach across and hug (tatted up arms, facial piercings and all) as she spoke such understanding and shared values of child raising.  Of course they would use our cloth diapers and of course we could bring alternative snacks in for Heath if we desired. I have never seen such a well behaved group of 14 two year olds in a room together. I felt reassured. I could stuff away the mommy guilt of working full time and the schema of finagling sitters and kid sharing and J to make some alternative option work.

The 2s classroom has three students who will graduate to the next room this coming Monday, opening up three new slots. When I told my coworker this she said 'what a crazy coincidence, almost like it is providential.' That's exactly what it is. This is what I prayed for and though this emotional rollercoaster of a week feels it is moving too fast, I am choosing to place my trust in these doors that have been opened and affirmed that God is at work continuing to provide for our family.

This is Heath enjoying the entrance to his new school. 

He cried when we left, a good sign I think.

Bonus- the new daycare is letting us have the open spot and start August 9th after we have our family vacations and Oma visit in July where Heath would not be in care anyway- just paying a bill AND the first week there is free.