shifting rooms at d/c

linjmurx

does your daycare center move kids round to maintain ratios? If yes, how do you feel about it?  I don't feel good about it but i have chosen what I think is the best daycare center within a reasonable distance from home/work.  ugh

DaisyJanie

Do you mean like combining rooms at the end of the day as some of the kids go home? Yes, ours does that, I don't have a problem with it. What's your issue with it?

LoCarb

In the morning, they are dropped off in different rooms until more children and teachers arrive. They do not move throughout the day. 

Eta: the teachers will float in btwn classrooms to cover lunches and breaks. 

linjmurx

to clarify:

at some point during the day one of the kids in the 1-2 room is taken to the infant room to "play" in order to satisfy the ratios. I don't know how long they go there for.. I've witnessed this a couple of times.  This morning the 1-2's were eating breakfast and two were moved to infants in the middle of their meal. That really bothered me. I am going to have to talk to the director to find out more about this. The 2-3 room and 3 room also get combined sometimes when the numbers are low.

Nechie122

I've seen it happen and I'm okay with it, for the most part. It's not ideal but it's not a dealbreaker either. Some of DD's favorite teachers are in other classes and she has "friends" in other rooms too. She's almost always in a good mood when I pick her up; that tells me she had a good day so I'm not going to sweat the small stuff.

ETA: I'm not saying it doesn't annoy me that they try to fudge the numbers a bit. But it's not something that I'd make a fuss over.

katieh1017

Yes but I've only seen it done between the infant and early toddler rooms. But that's the only 2 rooms we've been in. I don't mind it really because we love the infant room teachers. However if they move her in the afternoon then she doesn't take an afternoon nap and that totally throws off the whole evening. 

In the morning sometimes there are older kids in the room, like I would say 2 years old. That kind of bothers me only because some are rough around them. I saw one kid almost kick another in the head because he was climbing on something he shouldn't have. And he had shoes on.  

jlaOK

Our daycare will combine rooms at the beginning/end of the day and sometimes will move kids if there is a large number of kids in one room and a really small number in the other.  I know for a fact that DS has been pulled to go into the 3s room when their numbers have been low.  It doesn't bother me because:

 1) they choose kids based on age as well as how they adjust to a change in their routine

2) I think it is good for DS to be taken out of his normal routine occasionally

3) he gets to know the 3s teacher who will be his main teacher in a few months

4) I think it's good for DS to be around kids who are older than him

5) DS knows some of the kids in the older classrooms already because they have been in the same room at some point or another

I'd like it less if older kids were brought down to a younger kids classroom (other than beginning/end of day).  But it's not a deal breaker.

Leap08

Our daycare combines classes in the morning and evening regularly - I think that is really common. Occasionally they will shift kids during the day to maintain ratio, but it isn't the norm. When they do this, it is usually because they are short staffed that day for some reason (multiple teacher's out sick or something). I don't mind when they do it. If they do need to shift kids, they try to move kids up that are close to moving up to the next class, and they don't ever move kids down (ie.. they wouldn't move my daughter from the 3s to the 2s).

financialdiva

When they do it at the end of the day, or in extra ordinary circumstance [ie short staffed due to call outs, around the holidays when attendance can be low] I don't think it's a big deal.

However, when they do it often, yes, it does bother me. The old daycare we went to did it all the time so they could send teachers home and not have to pay them. One of the many many reasons left that daycare. All that daycare cared about was their bottom line.

IMHO, there are different rooms for different age groups so they can have age appropriate toys, lessons, etc.

gingerfamily

In the beginning or end of the day, I'd be fine with it. But not during the day when they are supposed to be teaching.

highlights

Mine does this all the time, and he loves it. I never really know what room he is in when I go to pick up.

I think its great- all the teachers get a chance to get to know him and he loves visiting other rooms.

preggersin2011

As long as the child is 18months or less it isn't an issue with the child being with a younger kid and vice verse. Why specifically bothers you about it? When they are the oldest child they learn how to be gentle with the babies and when they are the little kid they learn from the big kids. If it is before 9a and after 3p I would expect kids to be shifting around all the time for ratios/staffing until the rooms are full.

Sonadora

I'm fine with B being bumped up, but not down. The needs of the 1s room are quite different than those of a 2+ year old, plus now that she's potty trained, there's no readily available toilet in the 1s room.

FWIW, she starts her day in pre-school every day, then moves to 2s when they split the rooms, and is bumped at least once a week for a full day in pre-school and almost always for the later half of the day since she's potty trained, has no food issues, and speaks well, the pre-school teachers always ask for her as it's not really any extra work for them to deal with her.

BoeingBabies

Infants under 12 months should never be mixed in with older children.  Older children should never mixed in with infants.  It's a very strict rule in our state, so check your states childcare regulations.  This is due to size, ability and also, food.  Also, ratios are different in those age groups. 

 I've worked in daycare, and we were able to move children within the same age group, but never up or down age groups.

 Occasionally, with parents consent children would move up to start a transition.  Timing is key for these, so during a meal is NEVER allowed.  

 I would be concerned, but please talk to the teacher first and only specifically ask about your child.  They shouldn't discuss other children with you, and you should never jump straight to the director (unless we are talking a seriously egregious issue, and then personally would still I would talk to the teacher) .  Give the teacher a chance, then go to the director.