DS has always been at a center, which is my preference. I like having more eyes on him/other teachers. I like the security with the locked door. I like the curriculum and that he's in a class with the same age kids instead of mixed, I think he might not be gentle with a little baby because he is so rough and tumble.
Cons, the price tag. IMO it's worth it. He does so well in daycare and he learns a lot but it's a lot of money.
The biggest factor for me would be if they had a nanny cam type thing so I could peek in whenever I wanted.
If they both had video feeds then I would probably go with an in-home daycare.
A huge downside to my mom's in-home daycare is that when she's sick, has a doctor's appt, or goes on vacation then the parents have to find another sitter. At a center you wouldn't have that issue.
We used an in-home w/ DD, and now DS goes there, so obviously in-home worked for us, but I certainly know people who have/had their kids at centers and were totally happy. I wouldn't rule out one or the other, visit both and see what clicks, and where availability is. You're often more likely to find an opening at an in-home since centers usually have waiting lists.
Our in-home is part of a network of in-home daycares where the rates are set, home checks/inspections done, and continuing education provided, plus they have back up providers if yours is sick. If you don't have something like that in your area, check carefully into an in-home's licensing, think about what mix of ages you'd be comfortable with, and make sure you have a back up plan if your DCP is sick or needs time off. We do like the smaller environment, and the consistency that it's always the same DCP, no switching teachers around to different rooms, or kids moving rooms.
DS has always been at a center, which is my preference. I like having more eyes on him/other teachers. I like the security with the locked door. I like the curriculum and that he's in a class with the same age kids instead of mixed, I think he might not be gentle with a little baby because he is so rough and tumble.
Cons, the price tag. IMO it's worth it. He does so well in daycare and he learns a lot but it's a lot of money.
I picked a center for these reasons and also because my schedule isn't reliant on one other person. If DS's teacher is sick there is a sub there filling in, I am not taking a sick day too. Same with vacations.
ETA Also everyone put the you need to sign up for daycare a year before you get pregnant fear in me too. I signed up when I was like 37 weeks pregnant because I didn't like thinking about leaving my baby and I was a crazy pregnant lady.
We used an in home for the first two years with DS1 but DS2 has been at a center from the get go this time. It really depends on your provider. I LOVED our in home provider and cried when she moved away. But I trusted her implicitly. Now with DS2, I like the accountability and set standards of a center.
Post by liverandonions on Oct 22, 2014 14:20:54 GMT -5
For me this was my pros/cons:
Centers can be cold/more business like/more employee turnover But, they have more controls/regulations They are often times more scheduled, and school-like More staff so no sick days
In homes are generally more family like so you get a more personal/intimate experience Some aren't run like a school setting so you get a little less learning If they're sick (or vacation), you're sick because they can't operate
BUT, I picked an in-home because it was the most affordable and she had previously worked in a preschool so she was operating her daycare like one. It's pretty scheduled every day, and she incorporates the infants into all activities as long as they are awake so they get exposed to learning/music/reading etc. And, because she is a large family daycare she has mandatory required assistants (child/adult ratio) so she doesn't have to shut down when she's sick or out of town.
Post by thebuddhagouda on Oct 22, 2014 14:22:32 GMT -5
Things I liked better about in-home:
more one on one attention and the ability to adhere to the schedule we had him on at home the ability to send homemade food with him
Things that sucked about in-home: getting calls the morning of that she or one of her kids woke up sick and he couldn't come finding alternate care for vacations
Things I love about the center: more interaction with other kids language and skill explosions curriculum and age appropriate skill learning
Things that suck about the center: the constant germ exposure him coming home with bites or things caused by other kids can only send pre-packaged food, so I couldn't make my own babyhood
We did in home until Andy was about 6 months and then went to a center. Haven't looked back.
In-home is HIGHLY dependent on the individual. It can be a great option if that person is great. The person we had was not great, and it highlighted the disadvantages of that model for us. The provider had her state maximum of 7 kids, so while legal, we found that she struggled to give Andy the attention he needed while still supervising 6 other children, varied in age. Like, even at 6 weeks old, he did not nap. At all. For the entire 9 hour day he was there. Because he needed to be rocked to sleep, and she couldn't do it because she had toddlers to wrangle. 5 of them. It was awful.
Centers usually have more than one adult with the kids at all times. I like that accountability, plus the organization and structure (professional cleaning, stringent standards for protocol, etc.). All of that appeals to me.
But yeah, cost is a huge negative. Way more expensive than inhome care.
We've done both and had good experiences with both. Here is my pros/cons list:
In home- cheaper and the provider knows you and your kid better. We were at one where there were 2 adults which made me more comfortable. The cons are that if the provider is sick/on vacation you have no care
Center- More expensive but longer hours. Also a structured curriculum which I think better prepares for school.
Post by shopgirl07 on Oct 22, 2014 14:25:00 GMT -5
The most important thing is to go with your gut. You'll know immediately when visiting places whether you can imagine leaving your baby there or not. Obviously you need a place that is open the hours you will need, fits your budget and is conveniently located but, other than that, it's all about what your gut tells you.
Post by prettyinpearls on Oct 22, 2014 14:25:41 GMT -5
I’ve used both in-home and a center, so here are my pros and cons of both based on my own experiences.
In-home Pros: No turn-over in the primary caregiver staff, smaller and more intimate, usually less expensive. In-home Cons: Wide range of ages of children in care, close more often due to illness/vacation, etc., most aren’t curriculum driven (not important for an infant, obviously).
Center Pros: Extremely reliable (adequate staff to cover illnesses, not closed for vacation, etc), your child is in a room with others their own age, most are curriculum based, better security (locked door, sign-in/sign-out), better selection of age appropriate toys and activities. Center Cons: More expensive, higher rate of staff turnover.
I love our center so hard. I wouldn’t go back to an in-home DCP if you paid me to do it. My oldest was 2 when he made the move from in-home to center and his vocabulary and social skills blew up overnight (or so it seemed). I’m absolutely confident that his daycare is the reason he’s so smart for his age (don’t all parents say their kid is smart???) and has amazing social skills. He’s in the preschool class there now and he’s excited to go to school every day.
My biggest piece of advice is to go with your gut feeling. You’ll know what I’m talking about after you visit a few places.
As for centers being cold/business like/high turnover I think that would depend on the center. I have seen some that were like that but the ones I chose had the same teachers for years. DSs infant teacher cries when her kids move up to toddlers. We moved so we have a new center and I feel like his teachers genuinely love him. They are happy to see him every day, they have nicknames for the kids etc.
We use in-home and I've been quite happy with it. My provider has become a good friend and she absolutely adores my daughter (who behaves much better for her than me - to the point that if she isn't cooperating, I tell her I'll call Tina and she shapes up ). However, my SIL used a center that she really liked. Honestly, you'll need to interview, visit centers or in-home, and you'll be able to decide then where you feel you'll be most comfortable bringing your child to every day. There are pros and cons to both, and only you will know which environment you like best.
Post by autumnfire on Oct 22, 2014 14:29:25 GMT -5
DD is at an inhome daycare. I like the in home over center if we had the choice. We didn't as there's no nearby centers.
I like how small scale it is. I know that she's only taking on 2 babies under 2 and has her daughter in law who helps. Certification was also a must for me. Our provider has had 3 visits from NYS in the last 5 months (normal for that to happen) they show up unannounced and just make sure they're meeting all the safety regulations. I like how it's just overall a smaller number of children who are watched and cared for, meaning my daughter wasn't just being left in the crib when she wasn't mobile, which is one story I heard from a friend of mine who did work in a center. This is what they were instructed to do. Some of the policies these centers have just aren't for me.
We met with each provider and asked for references.
From infant to 1 year, I'd prefer in home. The care taker would have more time to cuddle and love on the baby, which is what they need. Cheaper too.
From 1+ I prefer center. More kids at the same age which is better for socialization, usually more of a schedule and curriculum, and tougher regulations.
Hart has always been in-home. As an infant and young toddler I think it did wonders for him to be in a smaller setting, I think he got more one-on-one attention and it benefited him to be around varying ages - he was more motivated to start talking, start walking and all those early milestones.
Now that he's the oldest in the group, I think it's to his detriment to some extent. He's very bright, the DCP now has two young babies to contend with and often has to stop and start her lessons which has him acting out some. We're looking at moving him to a center with a dedicated four year old room at the beginning of the year.
For babies, I think it's a great thing! For older kids, I think a classroom like setting is more beneficial.
We went with a center, partly because I felt more comfortable in a center setting. But mostly because the hours were more favorable to my work schedule since I need the flexibility to pick up between 6 and 6:30.
Pros: I like the accountability of a center. I also like the stability it provides - you don't have to worry about the center closing because one teacher is sick. Same with worrying about a home provider's vacation schedule. And your kid can go to school there until Kindergarten. At my son's old center, he was so comfortable he walked around like he was the mayor.
Cons: Definitely the cost. I'm trying not to think too hard about how much we're going to be paying per month with 2 in daycare next year. Also, I try not to think about it too much - but it has to be hard to provide attention for one teacher to 4 babies at a time or for 2 teachers to attend to 8 babies.
It boils down to personal preference and priorities. Each one has major pros & cons.
We sent DS1 to a center when he was a baby. I wanted the loving/caring home-like feeling of in-home providers, but the schedule and vacation stuff didn't work for my needs. We were very happy with our center, but I would not have been thrilled if his lead teacher (who we loved) would have been his only teacher. She was a bit...unpolished? (After we left, she added me on FB & her status was stuff like "u don't know my life, so shut up!" type stuff...though she was great with the kids.)
I think the best thing is to try and get personal recommendations. Remember, your child will be spending A LOT of time with that person & will pick up mannerisms and habits from his/her caregiver, so make sure you like the caregiver, not just the facility & curriculum.
As for centers being cold/business like/high turnover I think that would depend on the center. I have seen some that were like that but the ones I chose had the same teachers for years. DSs infant teacher cries when her kids move up to toddlers. We moved so we have a new center and I feel like his teachers genuinely love him. They are happy to see him every day, they have nicknames for the kids etc.
ITA.
The center my boys go to is small and intimate and totally has that warm feeling. DS1's teacher last year asked to move to the preschool room this year so she could stay with her kids, and they let her. I think that's so awesome.
Post by prettyinpearls on Oct 22, 2014 14:36:41 GMT -5
I don't understand why people are saying that centers have 'tougher regulations' than in-home DCP's. Maybe if you go with an unlicensed in-home (which you should never do!!), but here the in-homes and centers are held to the same licensing standards and regulations as the other.
Post by autumnfire on Oct 22, 2014 14:36:46 GMT -5
I will say the only down side is my provider gets 30 days paid vacation and we get no free days if she's not in. Some in home do have a system where they get x days paid and you get x days unpaid.
As for centers being cold/business like/high turnover I think that would depend on the center. I have seen some that were like that but the ones I chose had the same teachers for years. DSs infant teacher cries when her kids move up to toddlers. We moved so we have a new center and I feel like his teachers genuinely love him. They are happy to see him every day, they have nicknames for the kids etc.
ITA.
The center my boys go to is small and intimate and totally has that warm feeling. DS1's teacher last year asked to move to the preschool room this year so she could stay with her kids, and they let her. I think that's so awesome.
Same here. We've been in two centers and at both the teachers and directors have been warm and welcoming. He had such a hard time transitioning to the new center, and his teachers would give him big hugs and let him sit on their laps until he would stop crying and warm up for the day.
Definitely tour a bunch of centers (at home and otherwise) and see how things feel. When we moved, we visited like 5 or 6 and we knew right away which center we'd choose. It just had the warm, family-vibe we were going for. And it's a major chain (Kindercare).
We've pretty much done it all, and for us a center is a better fit. C started out with a center (local JCC) for infant care, and we loved the way it was run. Staff was very informative and supportive, lots of paperwork about his day, feedings, sleeping patterns, activities (yes, regulated, but they were good about actually doing it). The only reason we left was DH lost his job for 6mos.
The original center then didn't have space once DH had a new job, so we took him to a chain center (KinderCare). Hard to tell if it was just C's age/separation anxiety (about 18-22mos), versus the center/teachers (who all seemed nice, not too much turnover, much smaller space), but C didn't seem happy many days there, drop offs were much harder. Then the center closed 4mos later unexpectedly due to finances (unable to recover from flood damages/repairs).
With only 3wks notice for a new place, we tried our luck with a home daycare; this teacher is licensed with over 16 yrs experience, and we still keep in touch. It was a great fit for C at that age, no adjustment whatsoever, very happy/easy drop offs; he spent a year there. One side benefit is she did have very well trained dogs, so C got to learn how to behave around animals from a very young age; and being around a mix of ages (e.g. younger babies), he learned how to act well with all sorts of age groups. The downside was she didn't have reliable back up care/asst. teachers, and our back up care options dried up in the year we were with her, so we were constantly taking time off when she couldn't be open to the point where it was risking our jobs. He was also becoming the oldest in the group that fall, so not much to model for behavior and I wasn't sure how much he'd be challenged. Then luckily, the original daycare center had a spot open for C's age group and we shifted back into the original center. My SIL/BIL have had a home care situation though that has been much more reliable/wonderful.
I feel centers can be great if there are good signs (low turnover, good local reviews, good vibe when you visit), plus you know they will be open, can plan for any days they close (e.g. our JCC closes on major Jewish holidays), and they figure out coverage if/when teachers are ill. But they can feel impersonal at times, can be super strict on paperwork/guidelines, and communication may get tripped up at times. Once the original center didn't give C tylenol as an infant while teething because they claimed his paperwork was out of date, but they mixed his forms up with another child. I give them some credit for acting on the cautious side and following rules when they believed he was out of date; but I told them to call me if they ever felt they couldn't give him medicine for any reason. Now they dropped their medication status, and won't manage medicine for any of the kids regardless of age (except allergy related). With the home daycare situation, find someone you trust with a good reputation, make sure you know what your back up plans are if they are unable to open for any reason. A lot of it is simply visiting places, getting to know the directors/teachers, and going with your gut.
I agree with the PP, it will all depend on your gut and you will know when you find "the one". I looked at both and did not find any in-homes that I really liked. I fell in love with a local center that was everything I was looking for. The woman that ran the baby room was amazing and eventually became a second grandmother to our son. She loved all of the children and it was evident in everything she did for them. The first year she made every parent a baby book out of the tons of pictures she took of the kids every day. The books talked about milestones, daily activities, and were full of artwork she did with the kids. I cried when she first gave it to me. I felt like I was missing so much that first year but that book made me feel so much more involved. The books she made us are now on DS shelf in his room and he can look back at them and we read them together frequently. It was a Reggio Emilia daycare and I loved every aspect of it.
we used inhome until he was 3 and then he started FT pre-school.
in-home was cheaper, and a nicer environment for a baby (IMO of course) b/c it was like being at home...only he was at home with some other lady and not me. it was more flexible in the sense that if we were late/caught in traffic, we wouldn't be charged for being late.
also - i would XP to MM moms. they have a whole board going on thre b/c they love to talk about this crap all day long. you might better feedback. cough cough kevin arnold
This! DD went to a in-home from 5 months-3 years and then a daycare/FT pre-school until Kinder. When I was pregnant I toured a ton of daycare centers and interviewed a bunch of in-home sitters. That really helped me be comfortable with my choice.
I like the structure and accountability of a center, especially one that is a chain. They have been around longer and don't have to experiment with the rules. Cons are usually a lot of turn over, but again, rules. There is a lack of flexibility, but that doesn't really bother me. There is also more children so a greater chance of illness.
The reason I haven't gone to an in-home is what if the care giver gets sick, and there is no accountability.
I totally agree - if the in-home DCP is sick or something, we're stuck.
But I would argue that certified in-home providers are still subject to state standards, training and inspections.
As for centers being cold/business like/high turnover I think that would depend on the center. I have seen some that were like that but the ones I chose had the same teachers for years. DSs infant teacher cries when her kids move up to toddlers. We moved so we have a new center and I feel like his teachers genuinely love him. They are happy to see him every day, they have nicknames for the kids etc.
Just because we are the same person I wanted to second this. Our center has a pretty decent staff turnover which is common but most of the main teachers and the director have been there for years. DS's teacher has been there 22 years and I am pretty sure she thinks DS is smarter and more advanced than I do. I told the pedi at his one year appointment on Monday the words he was saying and ended with "...and his teacher says he is saying 'thank you' and 'doggy' but I think she may be exaggerating." LOL