Mother’s Day Out programs are a life saver for us mamas! The programs in Katy have been such a blessing, for us and for many moms we know – both working moms and stay at home moms. They can help you add in some “me time” to your mom life and on top of that, they also give your children the chance to interact, have fun and learn. While there are many wonderful accredited daycare programs in Katy, when we say MDO programs, we’re talking about the Faith Based schools associated with a church that offer part time schedules with a choice of 2-5 days, and they are either 9 AM – Noon or til 2:30 PM. Some even have extended care options. They follow school schedules, usually KISD, and are out in the summer and on holidays, and offer classes for kids ages 18 months to Pre-K 4. Our kids attend a Faith based program here in Katy and we couldn’t be happier with choosing this type of program – the love that they show our children is more than we could ask for! While we love the school we chose, the amazing thing is, any mama you ask in Katy is that passionate and happy with their choice, as well. That speaks volumes to how you truly can’t go wrong with any choice you make and you’ll land right where you’re supposed to.

However, because navigating the Mothers Day Out programs in Katy can be tough, and we know first hand that it is not always easy to get into your first choice school, we’ve put together this guide to help you through this process with registration coming up so quickly. For most programs, you’ll have to register your child 8 months in advance, and if you are just moving to Katy, that can be easy to miss. So, we are here to tell you, NOW is the time to be touring and registering for the Fall 2020!

Here’s a little story for you which makes this blog close to the heart…..

We want to preface this with we hope this story gets you ahead of the game, but we also hope you know it’s not the end of the world if your kiddo/you don’t get your first choice in schools. It seems like a mega crisis at the time, but mama…breathe..your kiddo will get into a wonderful program, we promise!

So, a month before Audrey was set to move to Katy, she was lucky enough to see someone post about Mothers Day Out registrations being in January/February. It, of course, caused a complete panic because she was pregnant with her son who was due in September and she had a 2 year old that needed a program, so that she could have some time with new baby. After driving to Katy a couple times and touring a few schools, she chose the one she wanted and thought, okay, she’s going to call and pay over the phone and have her a spot….. well unfortunately it was NOT that easy. This MDO has a certain morning scheduled where new parents can come register their child, but the kicker is moms and dads stand in line at wee hours of the morning to be at the beginning of the line to ensure their child’s spot….. say whhaaat?! So, what did Audrey do? Like any mother desperately wanting her child to be in what at the time she thought was THE school for her daughter, she planned to have her daughter watched by her mom and got up in the middle of the night (10 weeks pregnant and sick as a dog) and drove over an hour (as she had not yet moved to Katy) and got in line at about 4 AM. And, to her utter surprise and dismay, she was about 10th in line (moms and dads had been there since 2 AM) and she knew as soon as she showed up that she didn’t get a spot for her daughter. To get on the wait list though, she had to sit there in 30 degree weather, nauseous, and wait until they let everyone inside at 9 AM. She never did get her daughter into that school. And, she ultimately shed tears (part hormonal and part because of moving) as she attempted to register at 2 other back up schools and ended up on wait lists for both of those as well.

So, We DO NOT want this to be your story! One, because now that we’re on the other side of it we know it’s not this giant catastrophe if you don’t get into what you or others are deeming “the best school” but two, we do want you to be ahead of the curve and give you all the information you need to start the process NOW. And, depending on the age of your child starting, it may not be this competitive to get your child in a program, but just know, some schools are tough to get in to and you do have register the day they open registration – like first thing that morning. We hope this is helpful, our goal is to always give you the gift of time, giving you information and resources that make your life easier!

So, here is some advice…..

• First things first, NOW (January) is the time to be deciding on a school and touring as many as you can. 100% go with your gut and consider how the staff and teachers treat you on the phone and as you are touring. It’s really not about the school being the newest or the prettiest, or even the curriculum at this age, it’s about your kids feeling safe and loved each day that they are there. This might be the first time your child is away from you, and, so we feel the teachers and the staff are the most important factor in choosing the school. They are going to be the ones helping your child through this transition and being their caregivers when you are not there.

• Pick more than one school (maybe even 3) that you like and would be comfortable having your child attend. Register for all 3! AND put that school’s registration in your calendar and plan on calling or being at that school or on their website (depending on how they hold registration) first thing in the morning, the day of registration. Depending on the school you choose, an hour actually might make a difference. You might not get into the first and may end up on wait lists, but it’s better to be on wait lists than have nothing in the Que. Many mamas are also registering for several programs, so as they get into the one they want, they will drop their kids from the other schools and spots will open up. So, just know, a wait list is not a dead end.

• All the Katy MDO programs are fabulous. We have friends with kids at most of the local Mother’s Day Out programs and they all think their kid’s school is the best. And, that is a wonderful thing! So, do not get discouraged if you do not get your child into your first choice, because Audrey ended up in her last choice and they have been the best blessing to her family.

Katy’s Mother’s Day Out Programs

& Registration Dates