Our family moved to the Dayton area in November of 2014 to follow an amazing job opportunity for my husband. We fortunately already knew two families living in the area, one of which had children that were our boys’ age. I was constantly sending them questions about the area from the moment we arrived. Questions like: What are the best schools? Which ones are the better for special needs kids? What area is in the most centralized location? What are there for kids to do (parks, museums, play areas, etc.)? In addition to the incredible direction our friends gave us, we did have to do some research of our own. I want to share with you the groups, websites, and resources that our family found invaluable when moving to this amazing city!
[quote]Priority number one (before beginning a blind search on your own) needs to be finding a mom community who can steer you in the right direction. [/quote]This can be anything from a playgroup, church mom’s group, or a Facebook group. DMB’s very own Megan shared a post with you, It takes a Village, that can help you get started with finding these groups. Once you are connected with parents from this area, you will find it much easier to navigate day to day.
Library story times are also a great place to meet other families, as well as let your children learn while they play. My boys love listening to books, and I enjoy having a little camaraderie with other moms that are there each week. You can find the closest library to you here. Once there, you can search their site for scheduled story times or events that fit your family’s schedule.
The Dayton area is filled with parks and museums for your family to take advantage of. You can find a list of parks by searching each cities park and recreation page. Here are Washington Township-Centerville and Springboro for example. There are quite a few museums nearby, some of which are free of charge! These are a couple of our family’s favorites.
National Museum of the United States Air Force
School district information was a big deal for our family. Our son has some special needs and possibly needed access to specific IEP programs. We really needed to pick a school system before we could pick a neighborhood. I feel it’s very beneficial for you and your family to be informed on the different school systems schedules, ratings, programs, etc. Here are some of the school districts in the area. You can easily find others by searching : “ ‘city’s name’ school district” online.
Whether you and your family have found your way to Dayton for a new job, closeness to family, or a new adventure, I trust you will find these resources helpful. I hope your family’s transition is as smooth as possible and that you feel at-home sooner than you expected!
