Daycare dilemma!!!HELP!!?

Question

My daughter has been going to her daycare for nearly a year.. The other day we find out that she can't go because my provider has to many kids and kiera was the most recent she took on. So yeah i have no daycare.. I have been looking around and i have 2 options. Go with the lady that my daycare recommended. Or go to the center here in town.. The center is very old and run down looking but she would be in a preschool type setting and have set activities and things like that real structured.. Or an at home daycare thats more expensive and is recommended to me.. I love my provider that i had to leave!! She was like family to my daughter and my little girl loved going there!! I don't know what to do i'm very upset i have to move her. I had a bad experience and i'm scared i will be sorry.. What would you do??? Which option sounds better to you?

kiera is 2

I checked out the center before i wrote this and it is ok.. Seems like it would be really hard for her to adjust. She may not have the same teacher everyday and things like that. She is so used to having a "mom" like person around all the time. She doesn't adjust well to change AT ALL!! She still cries sometimes when i leave her with my mom who has been with her all the time since she was born. I just am really nervous about switching because the first month will probably be a pain with the way mornings are anyway she still cries before i even leave home to see if she can get me to stay home from work.. She is just so attatched to me.. Its almost to much but I don't know what to do.. I can't quit my job we don't have the money for that....I still havent been to the home day care but it is recommended and another girl from work takes her daughter there.... On the other hand she is so new her home daycare is starting on monday... How will i know what to expect if she isnt experienced.

I raise my daughter, love her and if i wasn't being her mother I wouldn't be so worried about switching her daycare. I just do not have the ability to provide her a home and food to eat if I don't work!! It is good to give her some time with other caregivers so she can learn to attatch to others. I stayed home her first 13 months you know if i could stay home with her I would. Don't judge me for being away it kills me to leave her!! I can't be a good mother and not work! I know it is not the place for her to be in preschool yet! That is why she was with the same caregiver for almost a year and would have been all the way till 5 yrs of age if this horrible problem would not have arrived.. You really struck a nerve because all i care about is being a good mom.. Being a good mom is not being with your child 24/7 it is makeing great use of the time you do have with them. Its not like i work and neglect her. AT ALL!!! She spends more time with me than anyone else!!

Answer 1

I woulsd ask both places if they wouls let your daughter go on a temp basis. Try the home daycare first then the center. Go oneday without telling them you are coming and check up and see how yor daughter is doing. You'll know when you pick her up each day which one is better. Good Luck. I now how you are feeling. Who watched our children is the most important decision that we make and its so scary now and days. Do what you feel is best for you and your daughter. Take Care Honey.

Answer 2

I think word of mouth is the best recommendation. Ask everyone you possibly can for a recommendation. In my area, there is an agency that tracks licensed daycare providers, and legally exempt day care providers, and you can go on-line, or call and find providers.
Ask at your church, at work, etc. As a daycare owner, I can tell you every other daycare provider in my town...including the ones that aren't licensed. Just because they have a daycare license doesn't mean they are going to be good for my child...you said that you've had a bad experience, so you know what I'm talking about. There are stay at home moms, grandmas, etc, that provide care just as good (or better) than some of the centers.
I decided to stay home and run a daycare so that I wouldn't have to leave my kids....I can't even imagine how scary it must be!

Last, I would talk to the daycare provider that you're leaving, and ask her to put you at the top of her waiting list, so that if she has an opening, she gives you first shot at it. That way, you'd at least be able to consider a move back sometime in the near future.

Answer 3

I thought my son would not adjust well when we moved him from in home daycare to a center and he LOVES it. It is more expensive but my other lady wasnt reliable. He loved her though. The thing is that kids adjust well. Just make sure that the place is safe, no one can get in that shouldnt and that it is clean. Most importantly, take your child to both. Let her play for like 30 minutes in each while you talk to the parents or teachers. Go during the day so you can see what its like. You seem more worried about the center, so just drop in and say youre interested and youd like to check it out. If theyre legit, they should show you everything and let your child interact. Also, you can look online for how centers did on their last state checks. It the home daycare is certified, check on that one too. I took my son to the center hes at now over one that was recommended and newer simply because he had more fun and seemed more comfortable when we visited. Good Luck!

Answer 4

I would go with the center. Even though it is run down, you might want to have an expection of the facility. Have them show you around and ask, ask, ask, ask, questions? Make sure that they have a current license to run the center, have the staff members completed some Early Childhood Education classes? How many years have you watch children?
Also you may want to take it one step further and contact the city hall for the number for Childcare center headquarters and do a check on the center just to give you a sound mind. Good Luck.

Answer 5

Its hard to say. Visit them both. Look at the kids and staff there. How do they seem to you......happy? friendly? content? It is very important here that you use your mother's intuition. The home daycare---one thing I would check carefully is are there other family members lurking around and who they are. Be VERY careful of that. (personal experience). A run down looking place on the other hand may just be an old building, but look at it carefully also. Is it safe? What is run down?

If your not satisfied with either one, keep looking. Find a good church daycare or call about Head Start.

Answer 6

I think I would go and interview both daycares and see how you feel spend a little time there and get a feel for the places. Maybe you can work out something with your present daycare provider that if a slot happens to open or if she has room in the fall to put your child on her list. If you are really happy with her thats the thing to do.

Answer 7

I had sort of the dame problem. My son had been in a home daycare since he was 2 months old and she took excellent care of him! He loved her to death. there were times that I had to take him home crying because he wanted to stay. i was receiving day care assistance and I had to remove him because they reduced the amount they were paying her. I was horrified! I didnt trust anyone else with my child and I didnt know what to do.

I wanted to put him in a center but I was leery about the amount of attention he would receive. I was recommended another home daycare and I took a day off work, dropped him off and she called me with updates. He was doing wonderful!

This happended in May of 06. he is still with the new home daycare. i still take him to visit the old sitter and he spends weekends with her.

I said that to say this. Your daughter is 2. Depending on her personality, it will take no time for her to adjust to the new setting. She will be fine. I personally agree with home daycares. It gives a feeling of family and I love the way they accept your child into their home as one of their own.

Answer 8

Just because it's old looking doesn't mean it's not a good daycare. I would make sure that it's clean and that the person responsible for your child is not too young, find out her experience, find out how many other kids she has, find out what they do in case of emergency. As for the other lady, how many kids does she have? is it clean? Is it a homy type setting...I think at some point it would be good to have a pre-schoold type setting instead of being at home with no real structure. It osunds like you are gonna have to make a list of pros and cons and see which outways the other.

Answer 9

I would try the center first and see how my child and I feel about it. Your daughter will eventually go to school, therefore it makes sense to get her used to a school like setting. You might just be amazed on how much they actually learn in that type of environment. My son is two and has been going to a center for a year. He has been toilet trained for about a year, speaks clearly and craves structure. Trust me the center helped a lot.That said you must make sure that this center is good for both of you. Good Luck!!!

Answer 10

Unless she's just about or the age to be in preschool I would do in home daycare even if it's more expensive you know that if your provider gave you her name that she has too be a respectful exerpienced person. I would check in too both places and take her with you and see how she reacts to the environment. Good Luck!!!