In home day care verses center?

Question

What are the advantages, and disadvantages of in home daycare and center daycares for a 3 year old? I'm getting ready to start my 3rd semester of college and my mother informed me that she will no longer be watching my daughter for me. I'm new to all this and really have no idea the differences or what to look for in daycares. Thanks all opinions welcome

Answer 1

Home daycares are less children..more one on one..

daycare centers..more children..less one on one

Answer 2

well i recently looked around at a bunch of daycares both home daycares and centers. maybe i looked in the wrong places but the home daycares were pathetic. i would never leave my child there. you never really know what goes on and there is usually only one provider so they can get away with stuff easier without you knowing. when i was a child my mom tried out several different home daycares that ended up being nightmares, one lady had all the kids lined up drinking from the same cup. another put a hot cup of coffee on a low table and i got burned, (still have the scar). a LOT of bad things happen at home daycares. but i guess there are some good ones out there and you may get lucky, just be careful. my recommendation is to try to get into a daycare center, they have someone watching over them, and they are usually better than home daycares. if you decide to go with a home daycare make sure you ask lots of questions like what are there methods of disciplining a child, what activities they will be doing on a daily basis, if the provider gives them food, what do they give, how many kids are in the daycare, (it should not be more than 6 kids per provider). look around the house and see if it looks safe and clean to you, and see if there are plenty of toys and activities for the child to do. just go with your gut instinct, if anything tells you no, then dont go with that daycare. its really scary leaving your child with strangers but if you find a good daycare your daughter will be just fine. look in lots of places so that you can compare one another. good luck.

Answer 3

certified daycare - can claim a % of money paid into child care on your tax return, have structure, learning activities, and a boss.
in home daycare - usually not structured, some people don't want to claim the income they make from the children they keep - so you can't either- and they don't have anyone to answer to, so you don't always know what's going on with your child. Some daycare centers have web cams in the rooms so you can check on your child. I prefer daycare centers.

Answer 4

Advantages:
Home Day Care
1. more one on one
2. better hours?
3. less sickness
Center
1. most centers have lesson plans
2. some offer services beside childcare(head start)
3. less expensive

Disadvantages:
In home
1. no support sevices for chhildren w/disabilities
2. centers don't have scheduled closed days
3. may not focus on developmental areas for a three year old
Center
1. more paperwork
2. hours may not be convenient
3. has more children than a home center(way more)

I work in a Head Start center which is run by the federal government and a delegating agency. All my children have been in head start and were more prepared for school. I'm not saying that in home centers don't focus on school readiness. Also since I was in school the hours were great and the program was free. I suggest that you look into Head Start programs in your area depending on your income you could get your child in for free. Head Start is a program that just doesn't work with chhildren they work with the family by offering services and workshops that are very helpful. Try it out and good luck.

Answer 5

i think daycares are great for children for social development, kids need to learn how to interact with other kids outside of the home. my kids have been going to daycare since they were 2. what to look out for is how the daycare is set up find out their routine for the day ask about late charges (god forbid!!!) find out from a different source if the daycare if their inspections is up to date, how they interact with the other kids, if they potty train also. some places i know of they don't take the child if they are not potty trained. home day care is good if you don't have enough $$$ or lazy. think about it when you drop your child off to preschool for the first time do you want your daughter crying all day for you????

Answer 6

If home day care, make sure they are state licensed! Beware, these people may have pets and others coming and going from their home that you aren't aware of. Even check out references of centers. Visit, ask for policies and procedures, get all info. Does the college have a center? Lots of colleges have centers at a discount to students, great hours, and lots of aides and support personnel giving your child lots of attention and good programming. Take all info in and make the best decision in the interest of your child.

Answer 7

You can't be too careful. Ask for references and check them. Ask your friends for recomendations.
Take the tour, then drop by suddenly, see if the two impressions match.
Talk to the staff, do you like them?, are they warm and loving?
Ask about daily activities, will there be activities? TV doesn't count.
Ask about teacher, student ratios. At that age there should be one teacher for every 3-5 children. The law says 6, but I think that is to many.
I taught at a very good preschool and can tell you that you need to be careful and don't settle just because you need childcare.

Answer 8

You have to visit them all. Then you have to choose the one that's comfortable for you.

Some centers are great, clean, educational and a good place to socialize. Some are just gross and understaffed.

Some homes are loving and stimulating. Some just have the T.V. on all day.

Check out the other kids there and make sure they are people that you want modeling habits for your child. If it's happening there, it will eventually come to your house. (e.g. hitting or hugging, screaming or conversing)

Answer 9

centers re;ax me becase theres certified homes r not ususally so i prefer centers