Daycare

dianah36

For those of you who use daycare - do you use a center, home daycare, or nanny? How did you choose?

Dr.Loretta

A center. We didn't have any resources to look into anything else, we only needed daycare for a month, and DH's company contracts with the center we use.

livvielo

We use a center, and we're happy with it. Nannies are too expensive for us where we live (and I like the socialization aspect of M being with other kids all day), and I didn't know about any home daycares that were accepting kids.

carladillon

We wanted the continuity of care that one person could give, but couldn't afford a nanny (I was a daycare worker/preschool teacher in a former life, so I know how the turnover can be with staff).  So we chose a home daycare - our state/county has a website that you can search all child care providers (daycare centers or home daycare) and can review their inspection reports.

Delaney is one of three kids - the other two are boys, 1.5 years old and almost 3 years old.  She LOVES watching the boys play and they shower her with attention.  And, Miss Bev treats Delaney as if she is her own child.  Delaney gets excited in the mornings when we drop her off there...it does my heart good to know she's so content!

EDITED TO ADD:  Home Daycares in Florida must have a designated back up person in case of illness/emergency.  And, all residents of the home must have background checks as well.  They are inspected on a regular basis just like day care centers - that is, if they are licensed (hence, checking the state website).  She takes two weeks vacation in addition to the standard national holidays and gives us a calendar in the beginning of the year so we can plan accordingly.  Fortunately for us, Miss Bev has been doing this for 20 years, so she has lots of experience and no complaints filed against her.  I would be hesitant to send LO to a HDC with someone who just started or was very young and had various people in/out of the house.

pahokie

We use a center.  Our state also has a website that lets you view info about licensed providers (centers and in-home), including inspection reports.  Try googling something like "yourstate licensed daycare" to find yours.

We chose a center because if a provider is ill or on vacation it is the center's problem to find coverage, not ours. The center is open for all but the major holidays.The center has established procedures for dealing with things like security, handling food, diaper changes, illnesses amongst the children, accidents, discipine issues.

The center is part of a local chain that has been around since 1985.  They offer parent education classes on things like potty training, effective discipline, and how a baby affects a marriage.

Check out babycenter.come for info on things to look for, questions to ask potential providers, etc.  https://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-find-good-daycare_5924.bc

Pesky

Center.  In-home didn't work the hours I needed and I preferred the security aspects of a center (i.e. no one worked there without a background check).  I wasn't worried about the in-home provider per se but more about, say, her daughter's boyfriend who was stopping by.  That's the kind of thing that made me nervous.  There would always be a lot of eyes on the teachers so a greater sense of accountability.  Plus I liked that it was a preschool too so I am not going to have to move DD until first grade if I want.  I asked for recs from friends and CWs and got a list through my EAP (employee assistance program) and then made appointments and visited the ones that seemed likely.

SFAug07

We have a live-in Au Pair who is taking care of Sarah. She has been with us since Sarah was born. I like the one-on-one attention Sarah gets from her, and that she is from Germany so she also speaks German with her. She takes her to play dates with other kids to get the socialization. It works really well for us.

Temp159135562506975

daycare center.

i am not a fan of home based child care (either nanny or in-home daycare) because of the lack of accountability.  I also read horror story after horror story online about in-home situations... center stories are not as bad that I have seen.  Sure- there are good and bad with each - it's all about finding a good situation no matter what it is - but i just like the accountability of a center - lots of adults watching each other and the kids, a director in charge you can complain to if needed... a curriculum... children of the same age placed together (which is much safer to me than a 4 y/o running around my infants)... the list goes on and on.

&&&

we have a nanny and she's great.  She is 55 years old and very reliable.  We looked into centers (even had DD in one for a week) and home daycare, but are soooo glad we found someone to come to our home. She treats DD like she is her own and I never have to worry about anything.

ml0904

We had a friend who came to our house to watch her, so I guess a nanny but we had problems with her not being available in bad weather or she was sick so we moved to a center. We love the two teachers that work with Vivianna and she adores it there. They are very educationally based so she gets a lot she wasn't getting with one person. I really do not like the director so she and I stay clear of each other. The only bad thing has been all the sickness that we had to go through when she first went.