Reply to Thoughts on (licensed) in-home daycare vs. a center?

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[quote=Anonymous]As PPs have noted, there are as many answers as there are parents.  THe PP who mentioned the 4:1 ratio is painting a very broad brush.  The ratios vary based on the ages of the children, it's calculated via a points system.  I thought we wanted a center, but as we began to interview both centers and in-home we realized that the in-home situation made us happier for an infant.  The kids ranged from 6mos up to about 2-1/2.  Daycare provider had 2 assistants in her home, so they maintain at max a 3:1 ratio.

DD was never left to cry, as I've heard sometimes in centers if you have half a dozen babies crying at once the three providers can only grab 3 at a time.  As the only, or 1 of 2 infants, she got immediate attention and soothing.  In addition, I do believe that she learned a lot from the older kids.  They put her in circle time (reading and singing) starting at 6mos old so she got the same experiences as the other kids.  No tv, homemade meals, guaranteed consistent caregiver, these were all benefits that we've loved.

We do believe that by that 2-1/2 yr mark she'll be ready for a more structured preschool or center-based environment although it will sadden us greatly to leave our provider.

Best advice I can offer you is to visit both -- lots of both.  We saw some centers we liked, some not so much.  One or two in-homes we liked or loved, and a few that we hated.  It's so hard to imagine anyone caring for your baby other than you, but you'll find the place that feels "right".[/quote]

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