In-home Daycares

yvanehtnioj

I was looking to average prices in our county and discovered that in-home is about $5,000 cheaper per year. That's enticing enough to at least consider it. But I was in several in-homes as a child and none of them were good. My memories of these places are of me being bored & lonely, watching tv-- and those are the better memories.

But on the other hand I realize that my mom may not have chosen the best daycare available, just what she could afford. (She definitely wasn't the type to do a walk through and ask a bunch of questions about curriculum and qualifications, let's just put it that way.)

TL;DR: Does anyone use an in-home that they love? What's it like? What does a great in-home daycare offer vs. a center?

bcnoelle

For my son we used a traditional daycare and he was always sick.  I'm looking into a local in-home daycare this time based off of a referral.  There are a lot less germs to be shared (I hope).  I'm not worried about my baby getting bored and will switch her to a traditional pre-school in the area that starts around 18 months. I would ask any similar type of questions to an in-home daycare that you would use for a traditional one.  Check references,  make sure they are certified and reliable.  Good luck with your choice!

Dellaramsey

As an infant, we used an in-home and loved it. Nana treats DD like her own. Now that DD is 3, she goes to school 2 days a week for instruction and socialization. We'll do the same for LO.

Arinias

I am a FTM and can't offer great advice, but I just wanted to say we have been looking at in home due to cost and scheduling. I have interviewed 4 places so far and haven't had any ones I really did not like. We have one more place to look at before we make our decision. All these daycares have been state licensed and we went in for a tour and with a list of questions. I think some of the ones I have liked better have had great packets explaining all their guidelines. WHile not all do scheduled activities, some have them and some have outdoor trips in the summer. I also got most from referrals from coworkers. I think good in homes are definitely out there, good luck!

kalette

My mom ran an in home daycare when I was a kid and it was great. Tons of toys, big fenced yard with playground equipment and sandbox etc.. she always planned special crafts and snacks and things based on the season or holiday. Every daycare kid got a birthday party, cake, gifts etc. I have fantastic memories of those years, and I know the other kids do too. When my mom decided to go back to her old job after 11 years, her daycare parents were pretty devastated.

CamrynnsMommy

I'm sure you already know this, but in the off chance someone doesn't I'll throw it out here. You can usually find a list of licensed centers and in-home facilities on your state's Dept. Of Health and Human services website, this will also tell you if there's been any complaints lodged against them and the type of daycare they can run.

I went to several in-home daycares as a child and have the same lonely memories, however, my mom found a gem for an in-home daycare with my brother. They're out there, you just have to ask the right questions and go with your gut.

sparklingdiamond

We are going to use an in-home daycare.  My mom actually had one when I was growing up, so I have always had a good experience with them.  I really like the lady we are going with and looked her up on the state website.

kb2bkk

We used a licensed In-Home daycare in MA.  It has been great for DD1.  The daycare doesn't even have a TV in it.  She has a room off her house where they are 90% of the day, with toys, bathroom, books etc.  Everything is structured, during the nicer weather they spend lots of time outside, etc..  We are happy with it.  

danabsd

bcnoelle said:

There are a lot less germs to be shared (I hope).

Humm... I am not sure I can get down on that theory.

We are center people. But I do think there are good and bad in homes. The lady who plops kids in front of the TV all day definitely gives in homes a bad name. Do your research, ask moms, maybe your local board on TB? Consult the internet Yelp and get references. I am sure you will find the right one for you.

tjkdlhb

I love my in home daycare.  The lady who runs it is amazing, there is one other kid all day who is the same age as DD and two others who come after school.  She is perfectly happy using CDs, takes them outside to play and doesn't overschedule them.  What made me totally fall in love with her is when she told me that a) if they want to play with blocks for three hours straight, they can.  b) to send her in old clothes because she would be coming home full of mud and paint.  Which means she is getting tons of exploratory and sensory play.  She also lets us know whenever there are any concerns.

It would totally depend on who was running it.  I am dreading the day that she retires, because I know it's coming soon.

yvanehtnioj

Thank you guys! You are making me feel much much better! I'm feeling like I can explore this as an option now, whereas before I was like "No way no how.

Xath

I grew up going to in-home daycares and attended quite a few terrible ones before we found the awesome one. It's easier when your kids are more verbal because they can let you know if there are problems.

That said, we found a liscensed in home provider through our state website and she is amazing. She provides lots of love and care, let's the kids spend lots of time outside, and is an overall gem. She speaks Spanish to DS1 so he's growing up bilingual. She's also incredibly flexible with our schedule. I called today when my routine stop into L&D turned into a full-blown check-in when they noticed I was contracting 2 minutes apart. She said not to worry about it; she'd fix DS1 dinner and my H could pick him up when he got off of work.

CMDR513

DS has been in a home daycare center since he was 11 weeks old. It's my BILs future MIL. She has an ECE degree. She follows a daily routine. DS uses a workbook, too, during some of the activities tailored to those younger. 

Pros- we know and trust her, we don't pay for when he isn't there, her hours are flexible with us.

Cons- we need a back-up (MIL) when she is sick or can't watch the kids. 

pistolpackinmomma

As a kid I was in a few. I had one I didn't like because the lady was mean. It was just me and her daughters and they were perfect and everything was always my fault. I think a lot has changed in the last 20 years though. I would make sure they are certified which would indicate they are held to the same standards (child to adult ratios, inspections, etc) and just ask what the kids do on a regular basis. Honestly, the first 6 months they won't really do much but if your looking for long term it would be good to know if she does activities with the older kids. It's also a good indicator of how much she enjoys doing it, and you want someone who enjoys it. My brother went to one lady who was awesome. She did crafts with the kids and there were a few that were the same age as my brother so he had friends to play with.

lavendergiraffes

CMDR513 said:

Cons- we need a back-up (MIL) when she is sick or can't watch the kids. 

I was going to say this. FTM here and I'm thinking about staying home BUT talking to friends if you get a good daycare the only negative is what happens when that family is sick. I have two teachers at my school that go to the same place and a few weeks ago their gal and her son were sick. They both had to take a sick day cause they couldn't send their kids.

JessElam

I found an awesome in-home provider for my DS and we are going to use her for the new little one. He stayed there until he started kinder and by that time he was reading and knew everything that he needed to start school. She was such a blessing for us!

Themetastic

We have my son in an in-home daycare.  She is actually a neighbor and a former nanny, who did not want to leave her own baby so decided to take in children in her home.  She recently lost 2 kids, so she only has her daughter, my son and her nephew.  My son is never sick from them, he has playmates that he loves there, behaves and sleeps so well for her and overall it has been a big blessing for us.  There has only been one time where her and her daughter were sick enough for her to close and we were strapped for the day (the biggest con of an in home center) but my job is extremely flexible and we have family who can usually help in a time of need.  I do wish she was a little bit more structured with doing curriculum but I think as the kids get older (my son is the oldest at 2.5, her nephew is a month behind and her daughter 1.5) that she will.. and she even might if I brought it up to her.  But I am not too worried, as I will be putting him in a preschool at 4.  What's nice about her being a neighbor is that she will be able to help my son get on/off the bus that runs through our street and even possibly take him to/from preschool since my husband and I work far from home. 

chknma

agree with a lot of PPs. All daycare (home and center) can vary a lot. I was in a home day care growing up. It was a wonderful experience. Our family remains very close to our care provider.

I had no interest in a center for DD and we chose an in-home provider. We interviewed about 6 people before we found one that we liked. Honestly, I wouldn't have left my dog with some of the people we interviewed. DD has done wonderfully. At our current place, they do crafts, creative play, go outside, have a little garden and lots of other things that help balance out the occasional television watching.

Is everything exactly how I would do it if I was a SAHM. No, but I don't expect that. For us it's about balancing what is most important to us. We are looking to send DD to a more structured preschool environment next year part-time, but we have been very happy for the past 2.5 years. I actually almost had a freak out moment when two other moms announced they were expecting before us. Luckily one of the families moved and there will be space for this baby.

flockofmoosen3

I am staying home for the first year, but my next door neighbor is a licensed in-home day care provider and has been for the last 10-13 years (forget which). My husband and I LOVE and trust their family. They have two great kids of their own who are super well behaved and friendly. Every day, if the weather is not too frigid, she takes all the kids outside to play. We live on a cul-de-sac so it's really easy for her. They do inside activities, have snack time, need a change of clothes in case they get dirty, etc. She also has a back yard play ground area and a pool, and she teaches the older kids how to swim if she can. She only has whatever number of kids she's allowed at a time. We saw online that they had one report on file from several years ago about the pool, but it's been corrected since then. Basically, we won't go anywhere else and her availability was a huge factor in my decision to stay at home (she's not available this year). Also, her weekly rate is super good for our area.

flockofmoosen3

Also, as my baby girl grows up she'll always have playmates next door, which is awesome!