Infant Group Size

[Anonymous]

The daycare we are considering in Virginia seems to cover everything we are looking for, except the infant room has 16 babies. Does anyone have experience with an infant room this large? I'm concerned because I just noticed that DC sets a maximum group size but Virginia does not. Every daycare we have visited has a group size of at least 12.

[Anonymous]

Is it 16 in one room, without a pony wall or any separation?

[Anonymous]

Yes - 16 in the same room with no separation. They maintain the 1:4 ratio at least. It seems like each daycare we visit has at least one big negative. In this case, we like that it's clean, well organized, has no violations in the past couple years, and it has a very long wait list. I just can't decide if all of those pros outweigh the big drawback of large group size. Curious to know what parents in a similar daycare situation have experienced...

[Anonymous]

I think age range or that many infants is a concern, as is general supervision. Also, naps may be challenging if they're all on different schedules (2 vs 3 per day) with that many. I imagine it would be a noisy classroom!

[Anonymous]

Ask about continuity of care and how long the babies are in that room until they move up. Do they assign your baby to a caretaker? Are the other classes big sizes, too.

[Anonymous]

I don't get it. 16 infants in one room?? How does that work? A 3 month old baby will be in the same room as an 18 month old?

[Anonymous]

Doesn't mate if so babies are 3 to 8 months old, 16 is too many in one room. Even if there are 4 teachers, 16 is just to many.

[Anonymous]

That is way too large a group size for infants, I would look elsewhere. In my infant room, we have 3 teachers and 8 kids and some days are still exhausting, I cannot imagine 16 babies in one room. Infants need time and space to explore comfortably, and I just can't see how that's possible with so many kids.

[Anonymous]

My kids' daycare has a 3:1 ration for kids to caretakers in the baby room. There were 9 babies total in the room, and they had a separate space for naps. I would think 16 kids and only 4 teachers in one big room could be pandemonium. Can you talk to any current parents?

[Anonymous]

There were this many or maybe up to 20 (I never counted) in our infant room a year ago. We had no negative experiences. I don't know what the specific concern is, so I cannot speak to it. We really did love our infant room!

[Anonymous]

OP here - what I can't figure out is that this daycare has great reviews and zero violations in the past couple years, yet the infant room is so large. The other daycares in the area have smaller rooms (8 or 12), yet fair or bad reviews and multiple violations in each inspection. Do you think the pros should outweigh the con of class size? Do babies eventually get used to overstimulation in situations like that?

[Anonymous]

OP again - just saw the 8:04 posts. That's a great idea to talk to current parents, and helpful to hear from someone who has been in a similar situation. I'm a FTM so very unsure of what to expect. I'm so nervous about daycare. It seems like the "perfect" scenario just doesn't exist.

[Anonymous]

I'm a director and have been an infant care provider in the past. I think 16 is way too large for a group of infants. I don't thing it is damaging permanently for the child or anything that extreme, but it is not ideal. At one point in my career I worked with a group of 16 infants. It was pretty overwhelming, but the lead teacher in the classroom ran the place like clockwork, which made things easier for us but the babies did not get much of an individualized experience. Those babies got held very, very little. They got efficient care and were safe, but not a lot of time being individually cared for/played with/spoken to etc.

[Anonymous]

I suppose it depends on the baby. Mine was in a large room, and developed right on time, happily, and never especially exhausted or anything like that. So I never felt she was over stimulated. If you have a good feeling about the place, and the teachers seem caring, I would try it. Stay on the lists other places, and if you find its not the right match for your family (for this or other reasons), you can always move. For now, just pick the place that you will feel beat dropping off your baby, and don't worry what about what other people claim is the right way. Babies do great in many different settings!

[Anonymous]

Also, don't worry about people who say your baby won't get attention. Ratios are ratios. I don't know why people here are so alarmist. My baby was constantly hugged and kissed in a large room. If this seems like a caring school where they are affectionate with the babies, go for it.