Why did you choose a center over an in home daycare?

[Anonymous]

Our main reasons for choosing a center was the greater oversight and broader exposure as our children got older (i.e. more of a preschool setting, large outdoor playspaces, not being stuck in the same small room with the same little kids and toys everyday). We struggled to find an in-home option we felt really good about and had convenient daycare center options, so ended up going with that. However, especially at the baby stage (0-2 or 3) I can definitely see the advantages of an in-home daycare (one or two loving caregivers, a potentially warmer environment, etc.), particularly if you've already found someone you trust.

In your case, I think the shorter day and greater flexibility for you make a compelling case to choose in-home care (not to mention the savings!).

[Anonymous]

In your scenario, I would absolutely go with the in-home provider. The two in-home providers I was planning on (both run by former teachers) came highly recommended. Unfortunately, neither had an opening when I needed it - so the next best thing was the daycare center (which got great reviews). Cost, in my case, was comparable(the in-home provider was a little less expensive - but nothing like in your case). I liked the idea of a smaller setting. Where our little guy is now, they break the rooms up into smaller settings, so it doesn't seem as overwhelming as it could be. Plus, if your husband is out of town for work or if he is sick, how would you get the baby to the center?

[Anonymous]

You could always start at the in-home center and then move to a preschool when your child is 3. There are many more options for non-infants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was very pro home daycare until I discovered an online forum for home daycare providers and realized how many trash working mothers, try to find ways to skirt regulations and lie to parents, and have completely chaotic personal lives that invariably affect the home environment.

Jeez. Link??

Bahaha I thought the same thing and then saw your post. Seriously. Link.

[Anonymous]

Some folks are fooled by those big centers. Are the workers that happy there with their minimum wages? I'd think not.

[Anonymous]

In your case, I would choose the home daycare, with the plan for switching to a center close to home when your child is more in the 2-3 age range.

The main con I found to an in-home daycare is that it really is just one or two people, so if you have a conflict or issue, that can be challenging. But, with such rave reviews, higher convenience, and better price, I don't see why you would pick the center downtown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some folks are fooled by those big centers. Are the workers that happy there with their minimum wages? I'd think not.

I agree with that statement. Most of the teachers under pay in a big centers, they are there for some reason of course, but most of them not happy. And it usually reflected on children (remember MiniLand case). In home providers cares for the reputation, the problem to find a good ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some folks are fooled by those big centers. Are the workers that happy there with their minimum wages? I'd think not.

+1

[Anonymous]

In your situation I'd go with in home. For cost and location.

We chose a center. It is on my shoulders entirely to do drop off and pick up, which means I pretty much get the worst parts of my kid's day. And I deal with everything for the daycare. And it sticks me solely with caring for our child in the evenings until my H gets home. I really do resent it. However, the situation wouldn't be any different if we went in home, so I chose the center because it's in my office building and very convenient. I didn't find anything convenient to my home that I felt comfortable with.

[Anonymous]

In terms of pay and morale, in-home care providers still aren't making a whole lot but if they're usually making at least $15/hr and their work life balance seems decent, at least for mine. She's there when her high schoolers get home and she can make sure they're doing their homework and she sees her kids off in the morning, so she still gets to tend to her family more closely than if she had an out-of-home job but still earns a higher salary than what her education and background would get her most places. She seems to genuinely enjoy her work and she's been doing it for a decade, so clearly it works for her.

[Anonymous]

The most critical thing is the quality of care, not the facilities. Go with in home daycare. Rigid pickup dropoffs are a pain/stressful.

Also consider that drop off pickup 10 times a week is a lot. I'm the parent that did all the drop offs and pickups in the beginning. I was already stressed going back to work, and then I got exhausted and started to resent my spouse, even though his schedule didn't allow to share much. Now I do 8, spouse does 2. It's really nice to have one day where I can work later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some folks are fooled by those big centers. Are the workers that happy there with their minimum wages? I'd think not.

I'm curious how much in home daycare assistants get paid. I think it's very low at my in home daycare, because I've been there only two months, and already two people out of the three assistants got replaced. I also think that this daycare doesn't pay a lot, because it seems everyone there is part time. The assistant in the morning is always different from the one in the evening and it's often different day to day. There was one assistant that I liked and I was impressed with her credentials (former teacher who was caring and warm) and of course she didn't stay even a month. It made me wonder if the pay was bad or whether the owner was a bad employer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have worked in two home daycares and in two childcare centers. I would never work at another home daycare or put my children in one. Yes, the parents may love them but once the doors close, and the parents are gone, it's completely different. Usually there isn't an extra set of hands or eyes. You really need an extra set of eyes. Providers say they don't do this (no tv watching or with holding food) but I witness it. They are lovely in front of parents and then horrible to the kids. Child care centers are a bit more secure to me. Extra eyes and hands. You may not have that one stable person in the classroom but you will have teachers that will get to know your child closely and care for them. Child care centers are more strict. It's VERY strict actually. A lot of things that we, as teachers, must do or must not do. It's annoying on a teachers end because it's chaotic, but it's worth it. I understand that not all home daycare centers are like this but I'm just saying, be careful.

I had one child that was in a home daycare as an infant/toddler and moved to a center near 2 years of age and then the sibling that was in the center from infancy. I am much happier with the center, where I have witnessed how careful they are and how they always have floaters who can come in and assist when necessary. My second received excellent, loving care as an infant and still loves to see and hug previous teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have worked in two home daycares and in two childcare centers. I would never work at another home daycare or put my children in one. Yes, the parents may love them but once the doors close, and the parents are gone, it's completely different. Usually there isn't an extra set of hands or eyes. You really need an extra set of eyes. Providers say they don't do this (no tv watching or with holding food) but I witness it. They are lovely in front of parents and then horrible to the kids. Child care centers are a bit more secure to me. Extra eyes and hands. You may not have that one stable person in the classroom but you will have teachers that will get to know your child closely and care for them. Child care centers are more strict. It's VERY strict actually. A lot of things that we, as teachers, must do or must not do. It's annoying on a teachers end because it's chaotic, but it's worth it. I understand that not all home daycare centers are like this but I'm just saying, be careful.

Its odd because my best friend, who has been a teacher in FCPS, worked in center day cares (2 states) all throughout college and graduate school and expresses the exact opposite sentiments about home vs. center, the level of engagement- chaos, attention, etc. and has her children in a home.

I'm not saying your experience doesn't ring 100% true. Its just so frustrating because I am sure her experience rings 100% true as well. So what are parents to do?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some folks are fooled by those big centers. Are the workers that happy there with their minimum wages? I'd think not.

I'm curious how much in home daycare assistants get paid. I think it's very low at my in home daycare, because I've been there only two months, and already two people out of the three assistants got replaced. I also think that this daycare doesn't pay a lot, because it seems everyone there is part time. The assistant in the morning is always different from the one in the evening and it's often different day to day. There was one assistant that I liked and I was impressed with her credentials (former teacher who was caring and warm) and of course she didn't stay even a month. It made me wonder if the pay was bad or whether the owner was a bad employer.

Having worked at both, in home and center, the pay is the same. It's usually 10 to 15 per hour. As far as being happy at working at a center, as a previous poster asked, I know that I am. There were no benefits at the home daycare. Benefits at the center, paid weather day, paid sick, paid vacation, tuition reimbursement, etc. The pay still sucks, I'm living pay check to pay check but honestly, I'm very happy. I love what I do. I try to have a smile on my face every day, from morning to pick up. You will occasionally have that rude parent that just dropped their child off before you and she was a straight bitch to us. Bad days happen but never does it compromise the care that your child recieves. It also helps that I can phone the director, have her or another teacher step in and I can get a "mental break." That never happened at a home daycare. I would choose a center over a home daycare for children.