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Working Moms
What's "better"---In home daycare or a center?
My DD will be going to daycare M W and F from about 8-4.
I am wondering what is the best option. She just turned one.
In my eyes--centers are great for a lot of socialization, learning, etc. The cons for me is it seems really *busy*, DD might not nap (at least initially) and that with so many children there, she'd get sick a lot. It would be most expensive--about $165/week part time.
In home is nice for a "home environment"--but I've only checked out places on CL and although they are licensed, I feel kinda "weird"--like my gut is not "trusting" the mom. It's going to be about $90/week.
Then I have some options for just simple SAHM's that can "baby-sit" DD. Cons---what happens if they're sick and DD has nowhere to go? My friend knows her friend that's interested in taking on more children---but does that mean that her kids always come first?
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Re: What's "better"---In home daycare or a center?
While it can vary based on quality, don't worry about it being busy. Kids adapt quickly and napping is rarely an issue. getting sick IS but if it sounds like your child will be with other kids either way.
Go with your gut on not trusting someone. As for the SAHM option - I prefer someone with childcare experience who is licensed.
The center vs in home debate will always continue. Some mom's on this board will tell you centers are better, while others prefer a nanny or an in home daycare.
I think you need to do what you feel comfortable with. I recommend visiting both centers and in home daycares. Trust your gut!
Right now I have my DD in an in home daycare. I love it and so does she. However, when she gets older I do plan on moving her to a center or preschool with an educational curriculum.
I prefer a center. I looked at a couple in-homes when we switched, but a lot of their policies didn't work for us. The DCP got 2 weeks vacation where we had to find alternate care. Daycare would be closed if DCP was sick. For a center, none of these are a problem because there's always a back up. Plus both in-homes I looked at only went until about 5pm. DH works until after 5pm most days, and my hours are so varied that I might be done at 2pm or I might be done at 8pm.
As far as getting sick, DD did get a lot of cold the first year and a couple the second year. Her third year she was rarely sick, and this year she had a cold that lasted 2 days. If she's not exposed to the germs now, she'll be exposed to them later in preschool or kindergarten.
Napping at daycare is actually easier for us than at home. You have the added peer pressure of watching what the other kids are doing. If all the other kids nap, then DD naps. It's not always as busy as it seems. There are chaotic moments and quiet moments.
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
I am a daycare center fan 100%. Reasons why:
-provider will never call out sick on you, die, have family emergency, causing you to have to find other care or take days off of work.
-security to get into building (most centers have this)... nobody can walk into the center that doesn't belong...
-accountability - this is the biggest one for me... In-home generally have one person --- nobody watches them - so how can you know what they do all day? Kids could be put in front of a TV all day and you'd never know... at a center there are many adults all watching each other- a director in charge, etc. Our center doesn't even have TVs in the room- another bonus.
-appropriate ages together. You see it on here often - where a baby gets hurt by an older child at daycare ... almost always this is an in-home situation, since at centers, kids are kept in rooms with children their own age. A 4 y/o could hurt a baby easily, not meaning to, but it can happen. I don't want to risk that.
one thing i have always wondered - what does one lone person do when they have to poop and they watch a few kids?? Yeah, I know, SAHM's have to leave their kids alone to poop now and then- but it's not the same when you are watching other people's kids IMO.... to have them leave your sight for even a moment, esp when they vary in age- can be dangerous.
The biggest, scariest daycare complaints I see on this board are 90% of the time from in-home situations. Each time i read one of these posts it confirms my love for my daycare center even more.
I worked in daycare years ago (and was a K teacher). There are horrible centers - and there are fabulous in-home places.... You have to feel good about where your child is going- trust your gut!
I think it just depends on your situation.
I live in a small town (less than 2200 people); and our daycare provider is an in-home provider who lives less than 4 blocks away from us; and only has 2 other children besides our little one. I know her really well (I work w/ her husband) & feel very comfortable having her watch our daughter.
I'm sure if I lived in a larger city though I would probably consider a daycare center, just based on the fact that I wouldn't probably know "just one person" really well to care for my child; and the accountability of the center having other eyes watching what all of the employees are doing is reassuring also!
While I agree with some of the generalizations pointed out here, I think it's really important to talk to parents using the particular daycare and to take plenty of time to "shop around." There are some really awful centers and some really fabulous ones. The same is true for in homes.
This exactly. We are in an in-home situation, but are relocating out of state next month and will be putting him in a center - mainly b/c we do not know ANYONE there and need immediate daycare b/c we both have jobs...the center seems "safer" to me, in our particular situation. GL!
Disclaimer: I have always had both kids in centers, I have never used an in-home caregiver. I am not speaking in generalizations, as PP suggested, this is all from my own experiences.
Big center fan here, for all the reasons everyone mentioned. I only have so many sick days, vacation days to use at my job, and I don't want to be at a DCP's mercy as to when SHE/HE wants to take a vacation.
The accountability is huge for me. Here in PA, an in-home DCP doesn't even have to go outside when her/his kids are playing in the backyard--it is acceptable for them to just watch from a window. So not OK with me. That's just an example of state licensing here--and that would never fly at a center. Our center is not only licensed, it is a Keystone Stars center (that's a PA thing) and is NAEYC accredited. Whenever I have an issue or question, there is someone I can go to. They also love my kids, and my kids are thriving.
And here is my other flame-worthy experience. I see a lot of in-home DCP's posting here on the boards. All day long. Uhm, where are the kids? They always explain it away with "the kids are napping!" When my kids are napping at their center, the teachers are lesson-planning, cleaning the room, doing an online training, disinfecting toys, etc. They are far too busy to be chatting on-line. I know this for a fact b/c I visit my kids DCP every day during nap-time to nurse my son. For us, the best choice was a high-quality center. And we do pay more for it, but I feel like you get what you pay for sometimes.
What Goldie said.
However, I did have an issue with my former center - and there were some I visited that I never would have felt comfortable using. I'm sure I would have had the same experience if I shopped around or used a home daycare.
It's all about finding the right fit for you/your family.
I researched a lot of DCP before settling on an in-home licensed daycare, and the #1 reason was that a lot of daycare centers would not accomodate my "changing" schedule. They wanted a set schedule every week, and my hours and shifts varied from week to week, and it would have been too hard to try to change my shifts every single week with other nurses to fit into the "Tu and Thurs" schedule or M/W/F.
We also interviewed at 2 or 3 in home daycares, and I chose the one that fit our needs the best. It has worked out great for us, and I would not hesitate to recommend our provider to friends or family. But we have had almost four years there.
We couldn't find an in-home situation that we were comfortable with, so we really only looked at centers. There was one woman in our neighborhood that used to run an in-home center, and we would have considered her, but she had so many grandchildren by the time DD was born that she wasn't taking kids anymore.
I think there are lots of pros to a small, in-home environment for the first 12-18 months and lots of pros to a center from 18 months on. That said, we've had our kids at a center since they were 4 months old and we have absolutely no regrets. They get lots of personal attention as babies and lots of socialization as toddlers. And the center has great hand-washing practices, so illness hasn't been as bad as I anticipated.
I also like that you don't have to worry about your provider calling in sick/taking vacation. And 90% of the time there is more than one teacher with your child for accountability. But I also think that if you find an in-home provider that you trust, that can be a fabulous situation.
Honestly, it's a totally personal call and depends on what you are comfortable with and what is a good fit for you and your family. We opted for center for several reasons:
* security
* multiple teachers
* don't have to worry about provider being sick or on vacation
* lots of great activities for the kids and morphs into preschool; DD learns a ton
Bad news is yes, they do get sick a lot especially that first year. DD is pretty good now but DS is just starting the on and off sick cycle and it's never fun.
Whatever you choose, trust your instinct -- it's usually right.
DD -- 5YO
DS -- 3YO