OP here---thanks everyone, this has been really helpful.

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".

I really think that this question is 95% "depends on the specific center and the specific home daycare." There are maybe a few broad generalizations that hold, but I can't think of too many. Even price is not always lower. The main thing coming to mind as a major difference involves home daycares with a solo provider (no assistants). I have concerns about solo providers with multiple babies and zero backup, so that's the only type of care I would likely rule out if I were doing the search over again.
I would define your priorities in terms of ratios, caregiver experience, physical facilities, location, hours, etc, and of course cost, then go looking for both centers and home daycares that match up.
I also don't think the "age mix" question is usually that clear cut. Some centers have big age ranges in the same room while some home daycares strive to keep an age-matched group (as in start with some like-aged babies, and when spots turn over later, try if possible to fill with another child of that age). It's just another factor to include in your questions. FWIW, my friends seem to agree their kids were always happiest with slightly older kids around, but that's purely anecdotal.

A lot depends on how many kids are in the in-home and how many kids are in each class in a center per provider. Our center has a max of 8 kids in both the infant and toddler rooms (don't know about the older classes) and both rooms have 3 people almost the entire day, which is better than the VA state requirement (4 kids to 1 provider) and what we had at the in-home.

i think you'll find as many different answers as there are care providers. We moved DS from a center to in home and were very happy. The center was well run, but the baby room was big and always noisy, it seemed, and DS was sick all the time. Management was not the greatest and there was too much turnover. We moved him to an larger ( 7 kids) in home with very loving, nurturing and creative providers and it was a much better fit for many reasons. They are like family--he has the stimulation of other kids, but the small size, structure, and feel of a family place.

Anonymous wrote:Children develop much better in the mixed age group and in the daycare homes teachers/providers are more personal then at the centers. Your infant will develop much better with a provider who is enjoying sing and play with babies, it's just what infants need the most. Babies brain is stimulating when someone is talking to them, not because they are in the room with the same age infants. Not like in the centers they will not talk to babies, but it's for sure less personal.

Disagree completely. The teachers in DC2's infant rm at a center are so sweet and do play w and stimulate the babies. Our experience at an in home daycare with DC1 was quite negative. You can have good and bad providers in any setting.

Children develop much better in the mixed age group and in the daycare homes teachers/providers are more personal then at the centers. Your infant will develop much better with a provider who is enjoying sing and play with babies, it's just what infants need the most. Babies brain is stimulating when someone is talking to them, not because they are in the room with the same age infants. Not like in the centers they will not talk to babies, but it's for sure less personal.

For us, a center has worked out much better than the in-home we tried. There can be a wide range of ages at an in-home (ours had 6 weeks up to 3 years old) versus a center where everyone is grouped by age. Our child just didn't do well in an environment with such a large age/developmental gap. It's probably fine at the very young infant stage, but not so much once they start to get older - even before they're a year old. This was just our experience; there are many people who love in-home centers.

Hi,
So this is relatively early for me to be asking (I am only 11 weeks pregnant and still keeping my fingers crossed) but because of the long waiting lists in the area (I live in S. Arlington) I have started looking at daycare centers and am about to get on a few waiting lists. (I will likely have daycare covered by my mom until January 2013 but if we get a space in a great place will start earlier). Anyway, my husband strongly thinks we should be focusing on in-home daycare when the child is very small to save money. I see his point, but have found at least one center that I like, and like that once the child was in he/she would be all set for preschool later on etc. Just wondering what people's experiences have been and what you would recommend for kids under 2. I realize a lot of it depends on the quality of the center and/or the individual in-home provider.