In-home daycare vs daycare center.
In this post, I will outline some of the similarities and differences the two options offer, so that you can decide for yourself which one would suit your family better.
Child care centers typically have:
- larger staff (lots of caregivers/teachers, as high as 30+)
- larger facilities with a more institutionalized feel
- many more children (anywhere from around 20 to 150 or more)
- separate age groups, i.e. all babies are together in 1 group, all preschoolers are together in another, etc.
The benefits/advantages of a home-based child care program include:
- a home-like environment
- a closer teacher to child bond since the caregiver often cares for the child the entire day
- fewer cases of illnesses since the child is exposed to fewer children
- mixed age groups allowing for more sibling interaction
- better teacher to child ratios since there are fewer children per teacher
- a more flexible caregiver who is accommodating to your needs (i.e. a more flexible vacation policy, more likely to allow for a flexible schedule, etc.)
- lower tuition rates (usually)
- a caregiver who often becomes part of the family
The benefits/advantages of attending a center-based child care program typically include:
- substitute teachers, so should the caregiver become ill, someone else will fill in
- enrichment activity opportunities like soccer, dance, music or foreign language classes are common
- the use of technology (i.e. computers, ipads, and smartboards) to assist learning-though we use them!! 🙂
- better secured entrance and possibly in-class video cameras for surveillance
The potential downsides/disadvantages of home-based child care include:
- sole caregiver with little supervision, so trust is essential
The potential downsides/disadvantages of child care centers include:
- different people caring for your children due to shifts and high staff turnover rates. Your child is less likely to form a deep bond with the caregivers
- less flexible policies about sick leave, vacation, etc.
- potential to be exposed to a rigid academic curriculum which may be developmentally inappropriate and could discourage future success
- higher tuition rates (usually)
What’s best for your child?
Studies have shown that positive and negative effects of child care have proven to be long lasting. Infants and toddlers in poor-quality care are more likely to become less compliant and self-regulated preschoolers, while high-quality child care programs help children do better in kindergarten and beyond.
Child care centers can both offer poor and high-quality child care, and each type of care has its advantages and disadvantages. Since every family is different, you must decide on which type of care is best for your child.
Have you experienced other advantages or disadvantages in family or center-based care? What has your experience been like?
