Childcare
You may wish to begin applying for childcare as soon as possible if you think you might need it, as waitlists can be quite long.
Parents often apply for waitlist positions at Child Care Centers before giving birth, as some waitlists can officially span up to 2 years. However, persistent calls made to the Child Care Center(s) of interest on a monthly basis, show a strong level of interest and can often lead to shorter waits than initially advertised.
For children newborn through 5 years old age, there are three main types of child care services available; (i) child care centers, (ii) family child care, and (iii) in-home care
Child Care Centers (day care center, child care center, early childhood program)
Child care centers usually group children by age and have a classroom-like environment. Although, center-based programs usually provide a full day of care, part-day or part-week programs might also be offered by some centers. Staff to child ratio regulations depend on the age of child. The average cost for full time care in Upper East Side ranges from $1,800- $3,000/month. The cost is usually more for younger children since they require more care and staff. Whereas some centers follow a school calendar (September to June), some are open year-round. Please be advised that child care centers in NYC area have long waitlists up to a yearlong. Below is a small listing of some child care centers in Upper East Side area.
Mount Sinai Kids (Imagine Early Learning Center):
Mount Sinai Kids is a private center on 97th St between Park Ave and Madison Ave serving children ages 2 months to 5 years of Mount Sinai employees as well as families from the surrounding communities. Mount Sinai partially subsidizes the cost of daycare for employees and students.
- The waitlist is quite long, so apply as soon as possible
- You must go on a tour and submit a $25 fee to get on the waitlist. Tours are available on Wednesdays
- Only full-time care is available, not part-time
- Siblings of current attendees are given priority
- As of August 2017, Imagine tuition for children of Mount Sinai employees or students:
- $2000/month for full tuition
- $1845/month if your income is less than $150,000/year
- 60 East 97th Street, New York, NY 10029
- Phone: 212-410-2077
Sunshine Learning Center
1595 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10029
Phone: 212-444-2026
Preschool of America
Location 1:
1190 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10028
Phone: 212-410-1100
Location 2:
1501 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10128
Phone: 212-987-3700
Goddard School
1725 York Ave, New York, NY 10128
Phone: 212-860-5306
Manhattan Schoolhouse
1624 First Avenue, New York, NY 10028
Phone: 212-772-2066
The House of Little People
Location 1:
122 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128
Phone: 212-369-2740
Location 2:
129 East 90th St, New York, NY 10128
Phone: 212-860-8116
Bright Horizons
245 E 92nd St, New York, NY 10128
Phone: 212-369-9626
Lexington Children’s Center
115 E 98th St, New York, NY 10029
Phone: 212-423-9727
Family Child Care
In family child care, a caregiver provides care for small groups of children in the caregiver’s own home. In NYC, family child care services are licensed and regulated by the NYS Office of Children and Families. This type of care is given to children aged 8 weeks to 12 years. Staff to child ratio depends on age and provider’s own children under age of 12 also taken into consideration. In some family child cares (group family child care), caregiver might have assistants. The average cost ranges from $250-$450/week. Below is a small listing of family child care services and links for online searching.
Jelly Bean Group Family Day Care
516 E 84th Street #1E, New York, NY 10028
Phone: 917-409-0496
Jody’s Shining Stars Inc.
1660 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029
Phone: 212-369-8333
My Three Angels Group Daycare Corp.
219 East 97th Street, Apt. 14G, New York, NY 10029
Phone: 212-722-8987
You can search through following links based on school district or zip code:
- https://apps.netforge.ny.gov/dcfs/
- https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/childcare/ccfs_template.asp
- https://a816-healthpsi.nyc.gov/ChildCare/SearchAction2.do
- www.care.com
In-Home Care
In-home care is provided by a caregiver (nanny or babysitter) in your home. Caregivers may either “live-in” in your home or “live out”. Full-time nanny costs $500-$1,000/week on average, and part time nanny cost $15-$20/hour. When hiring a full-time caregiver you should also keep in mind the expenses of taxes and health insurance. You can find a nanny through an agency, by searching online, through your friends or colleagues, or looking for flyers in the neighborhood.
The following links are some sources to search a nanny or babysitter online:
Nanny Sharing
Nanny sharing is another popular way for childcare in New York city. It is cheaper than having a full-time nanny and still has advantages of in-home care. You should first find a family who would be interested in nanny sharing. Below are some links related to nanny-sharing:
- http://www.parkslopeparents.com/Nanny-101/the-psp-step-by-step-guide-to-a-successfulnanny-share.html
- https://mommybites.com/newyork/find-a-nanny-share/
- http://shareournanny.blogspot.com
- http://mysharednanny.com
Afterschool Programs, Holiday camps
Although child care centers are cheaper than having a nanny, they don’t cover school holidays. Also, if your child is attending a school/preschool you may need an afterschool program. You may check following links to discover some options:
- https://www.chessnyc.com
- https://nykidsclub.com
- https://www.theartfarms.com
- https://www.asphaltgreen.org/ues
- https://www.92y.org/program-areas/kids-family.aspx
- https://www.chelseapiers.com/programs/
- https://www.projectplaydate.org
- https://chessat3.com/nyc-chess-club/
- https://nychesskids.com/camps/
Summer camps Some child care centers are open year-round but some follow school calendar and are closed during the summer months. Following are some available summer camp options in Upper East area:
- http://www.oasischildren.com/our-camps/central-park/
- https://www.asphaltgreen.org/ues
- https://steveandkatescamp.com/locations/manhattan-upper-east-side/
- https://www.92y.org/program-areas/kids-family.aspx
- http://www.nory.co/summer/
- https://nykidsclub.com
- https://www.theartfarms.com
- https://www.chelseapiers.com/programs/
- http://www.carousellanguages.com
- https://bonjourny.com (West side)
Backup care
When your regular daycare is unavailable (if your sitter calls out sick or if the daycare is closed), you may need a back-up care!
You may call a babysitter through following options:
- https://www.hellositter.com
- https://smartsitting.com
- https://www.brooklynmannyandnanny.com
- http://www.nypinchsitters.com
There are also some drop-in options: https://www.brighthorizons.com/programs/back-up-care