In Home vs. Center

asnowracer

I just pulled DS from his current daycare this morning, and Im sick over it. I'm still in tears about it. There were definately issues out of everyone's control, but she is a wonderful person and I know he was very loved there. Now I have no idea what to do. Part of me is regretting it.

Anyway, we have very limited options where I live. There are only a handful of inhome providers nearby and I'm just worried the center nearby employs some....characters.

Choosing a daycare is so unbelievably hard.

Tell me why you chose a center vs an in-home or vice versa.

mclaugaa

 My BFF watches LO.  She has a 6, two 4 (twins), and a 1 year old.  I think she is the best mom ever; her kids are happy, healthy, and well behaved BUT still kids. But I am very lucky that my BFF is able to watch DS.  If I didn't have her I would put DS in a center only because I have trust issue

 

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i don't trust in-home providers... i know there are good ones (and i know there are bad centers) but i feel that there is no accountability for an in-home provider.

they are the only adult there, only one to see what goes one (esp when a child is too young to tell you).... there are TVs in the house (my daycare does not have TVs) and could just sit my kid in frnot of a TV all day.... There are kids of all ages which can be very dangerous... in approriate toys for my child's age (ie- small parts etc)... and what happens when the DCP is sick? Unless they have a good backup - you are stuck. There are also few security measures - anyone can walk into the house, into the yard when kids are playing, etc.

at least in a center there are many adults to see what is going on, a director to complain to if you have issues with a teacher... well established rules/policies for parents to follow re: sick kids... they never close b/c someone is sick - you know what days they are closed ahead of time, etc.  My daycare also has great secuirty features - you have to use a code to get into the building, they have cameras in each room you can watch online, etc.  I feel very safe leaving my child there and know he's having a great time.

no matter what the DC situation you have to go with your gut. i used to work in daycare as a sub and saw some really bad centers within the same daycare chain- so each one is different....  Hope you can find something you feel comfortable with.

YellowBride

I use an in-home b/c I liked the provider and I like the "family" atmosphere. When my second DD is born and goes there, they will be together all day, just like they would at home. If I used a center, they would be seperated into different classrooms. I like that there is one person who has known and cared for my daugher her whole life and she feels more like family than a worker. I like that consistency. I like the way she treats the kids. Its not all roses, sometimes I feel like its chaotic there and in the summer, she is allowed to take more kids (the ones that are school-age and used to go to her) so it seems like a lot. But all in all, I am very happy with it.

Maybride2

Everything that Goldie said, in spades.  The accountability factor means a LOT to me.

I like that I feel like I'm sending my son to "school", where they have a curriculum and lesson plans and projects.........in-home to me feels more like a babysitter.  I like that my son spends his days playing with other kids his age and developmental stage.............he's not stuck in a room with babies and/or older kids.  I like that my son is being cared for by people who have training in early childhood development...........not some woman who's only qualification is that she maybe has a kid too. 

But the accountability is my big thing.  I have lots of eyes watching my son every day.........and lots of eyes watching the other teachers too.  They have rules and guidelines that they have to follow.  NO ONE is allowed in that building that isn't supposed to be there (I'll never forget having lunch at my friend's sister's house........who ran an in-home daycare center.......and thinking that the parents of those kids didn't know me and would likely have no idea that I spent time with their kids). 

DH and I knew from the get-go that we'd never be comfortable with an in-home, so we never looked at one.

azuremama

I agree with Goldie said.  I also like a center because the kids are generally the same age.  I get a kick out of seeing DS with his little friends.  And the room and activities are really specific to the age-group.

For us, hours were a deal-breaker with in-home providers.  We actually don't work bad hours, but because we have a bit of a commute (1/2 hour) and wanted a center closer to home and prefer to work earlier in the day, we couldn't find anyone who was open at the hours we wanted.

E C

I agree with Goldie completely.

Although I am curious about what made you pull DC from a provider that you seem to like without having new day care lined up?

ETA:  Where in MD are you looking for day care?

AlisaS

I agree with all the previous posts (Goldie//Maybride). I didn't even look at in-home places. Visitors are not regulated. The provider might not be a molestor but her 18 year-old daughter's boyfriend can pop by any time. I like kids to be separated developmentally.

stfne

YellowBride:

I use an in-home b/c I liked the provider and I like the "family" atmosphere. When my second DD is born and goes there, they will be together all day, just like they would at home. If I used a center, they would be seperated into different classrooms. I like that there is one person who has known and cared for my daugher her whole life and she feels more like family than a worker. I like that consistency. I like the way she treats the kids. Its not all roses, sometimes I feel like its chaotic there and in the summer, she is allowed to take more kids (the ones that are school-age and used to go to her) so it seems like a lot. But all in all, I am very happy with it.

 

THIS...I preferred in-home care because it felt like a "home" and I was lucky enough to find someone I really liked.  Some of the daycares I visited felt a little "institutional."  But there were some I like, also, just as there were in-home providers that I didn't care for.  My belief is that you have to take each on an individual basis and go with what feels most comfortable for you.  When DD is a little older, I may consider moving her to a daycare that has more structure and activities in preparation for school, but for now I wanted the home-like atmosphere.

savannah11

YellowBride:

I use an in-home b/c I liked the provider and I like the "family" atmosphere. When my second DD is born and goes there, they will be together all day, just like they would at home. If I used a center, they would be seperated into different classrooms. I like that there is one person who has known and cared for my daugher her whole life and she feels more like family than a worker. I like that consistency. I like the way she treats the kids. Its not all roses, sometimes I feel like its chaotic there and in the summer, she is allowed to take more kids (the ones that are school-age and used to go to her) so it seems like a lot. But all in all, I am very happy with it.

 Ditto.  I love that I've developed a personal relationship with DS's caregiver.  When I was pregnant with DD, she was on call and willing to come pick him up at any time day or night if I went into labor.  She kept him overnight while we were in the hospital.  I love that DS has exposure to kids of different ages and developmental levels.  His best friend is a year older and he has learned so much from her.  He was also already very familiar with babies when I brought DD home.  He goes to the park every morning and swimming on summer afternoons.  He also participates in a preschool program.  As far as accountability, she is licensed and abides by all the rules and regulations a center would.  She is subject to unannounced visits by state regulators.  I have no worries about his care during the day.

 

mrshutch

YellowBride:

I use an in-home b/c I liked the provider and I like the "family" atmosphere. When my second DD is born and goes there, they will be together all day, just like they would at home. If I used a center, they would be seperated into different classrooms. I like that there is one person who has known and cared for my daugher her whole life and she feels more like family than a worker. I like that consistency. I like the way she treats the kids. Its not all roses, sometimes I feel like its chaotic there and in the summer, she is allowed to take more kids (the ones that are school-age and used to go to her) so it seems like a lot. But all in all, I am very happy with it.

I mostly feel this way, since we had a wonderful experience with an in-home provider w/ our DD. I felt that DD was very safe and well cared for. As she got older, it made more sense for her to be in a more "formal" atmosphere.  However, there were also questions DH and I had toward the end, especially when our provider's fiance was laid off and had to be around their place more. It wasn't an issue because he was mainly helping to take care of his own kids, but in the end it was another reason why we preferred a center. W/ #2, it's simply too much money to have both in DD's center, so we'll have to find a nanny. I've loved the center, the teachers, and seeing DD with her peers, but I also think that with the right nanny she'll still have a great experience and #2 will be well cared for as well.

socialworkerbee

We looked at both in-home and centers.  We saw both centers we loved and centers we hated and in-homes we loved and in-homes we hated.  In the end, we went with an in-home daycare, primarily because she had a guaranteed space available while the centers we loved had LOOONG wait lists (we actually did put ourselves on the lists but haven't yet gotten a spot and I'm now back to work).  She's great and DS seems to really like going there (he's always smiling and interacting with her and the other children when I see him).  Having said that, our provider is fully licensed by the state.  I would not feel comfortable with an unlicensed in-home provider.

rxqueen918

I felt the same way that Goldie, Maybride, and others have felt about centers having more accountability that a provider in an in-home setting. I am sure there are many great in-home providers, but I felt like unless I personally knew someone in my area who had their kids with one, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving DD there. I felt like in a center there were so many more eyes on not only the kids, but on the other teachers, and I like how the kids are with other kids who are at the same developmental stage. My center is set up so that the three rooms with the younger kids in them are all right near each other and the three rooms with the older kids are near each other, so it helps a bit with the transitions. Also, if teachers at the center get sick or go on vacation, I do not have to try and find alternate arrangements for my child. But I think the main thing is that you have to feel 100 percent comfortable with the provider you choose, and whoever you feel that way with is who you should go with. I like our center because it is privately owned and operated and there is very little turn around with the teachers. I feel like DD is cared for as if she was the teachers' own child. Good luck with your decision.

flyer23

We've used both. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. Pretty much every point made above in favor of one, is dependent on WHICH place you choose, not on the TYPE of place (center vs. in-home).

For example, yes, it's a pain finding backup care when your in-home provider is sick... but it's also a pain finding backup care when YOUR child is sick due to being around all the other kids in a center. I can count on one hand the number of days DD missed due to illness in 18+ months in in-home care. Maybe she's just exceptionally healthy, or maybe the smaller environment kept her healthy. (I guess we'll find out this winter, her first in a center!)

Yes, in-home providers have a nice "family" atmosphere, but so does DD's new preschool. There are just two classes right now (over the summer) and even the older kids all know DD, after just a month there. It's not "institutional" at all.

Our old in-home provider probably had better early childhood education credentials than some of the teachers at DD's current preschool. She's worked in daycares for decades and went to college for ECE, in addition to raising two wonderful sons. Some of the teachers at her preschool look like they just graduated from college.

I think there are positives and negatives to spending days around kids your own age vs. around kids of many different ages. Older kids have been a wonderful influence on DD! And there's something to be said for the older kids to serve as role models to the younger ones. Her current preschool puts her in a class with kids her own age during the "school day" but then joins all the classes (ages 2-5) for "extended care" from 2 PM until pickup, and it's a nice combo.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. For us, there was no choosing a center vs. in-home. There was choosing a PARTICULAR PLACE (that just happened to be a center, or an in-home) over another.

MeliFalc

stfne:

YellowBride:

I use an in-home b/c I liked the provider and I like the "family" atmosphere. When my second DD is born and goes there, they will be together all day, just like they would at home. If I used a center, they would be seperated into different classrooms. I like that there is one person who has known and cared for my daugher her whole life and she feels more like family than a worker. I like that consistency. I like the way she treats the kids. Its not all roses, sometimes I feel like its chaotic there and in the summer, she is allowed to take more kids (the ones that are school-age and used to go to her) so it seems like a lot. But all in all, I am very happy with it.

 

THIS...I preferred in-home care because it felt like a "home" and I was lucky enough to find someone I really liked.  Some of the daycares I visited felt a little "institutional."  But there were some I like, also, just as there were in-home providers that I didn't care for.  My belief is that you have to take each on an individual basis and go with what feels most comfortable for you.  When DD is a little older, I may consider moving her to a daycare that has more structure and activities in preparation for school, but for now I wanted the home-like atmosphere.

This exactly. It helps that the sitter is a family friend.