Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daycare is when you drop your kid off all day so you can work. Preschool is a few hours a day.

This.

So what do you call elementary school with extended day programs?
By your ridiculous and condescending definition that is also daycare as your kid is there all day so you can work.

How is that condescending? The point of daycare is to provide childcare so parents can work=daycare.. The point of before and after care is to provide childcare so parents can work=daycare. The point of school is to learn = school. The point of school is not to provide childcare. Of course extended care is daycare. Elementary school is school.

I've been doing some extensive research on this recently and I can't speak on the overall educational experience until I go and check it out myself. So far, all of the preschools I have seen (with the exception of DC public schools) are run like academic institutions -- meaning you have to apply, have an interview, a playdate judging session, and then they let you know if you're accepted or not. Open houses for these schools start in the fall with acceptance letters going out in March. Most aren't 8-6 but some offer before/after school to get you there. Daycares, on the other hand, have waitlists -- meaning there is no real assessment of whether your child will be a good fit. Unless there's something blatantly wrong with you or your little one you pay the application fee and you go to the bottom of the list. It's a first come first served scenario. Daycares will run from at least 8-6 included in your monthly payment. Again, I'll let you know my impressions and comparison of the curriculum/education, teachers, etc. once I have a chance to tour them in the fall. For the record, my LO is currently in "daycare," but I wouldn't hesitate to keep him there or move him if I thought he could have a more enriching experience at a "preschool". I'll be able to make that assessment in a few months...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daycare is when you drop your kid off all day so you can work. Preschool is a few hours a day.

This.

So what do you call elementary school with extended day programs?
By your ridiculous and condescending definition that is also daycare as your kid is there all day so you can work.

Daycares are generally centers that offer care (and for older kids, instruction) generally from infant through 5/6, sometimes having an KG onsite as well.

Preschools are generally only for the preschool years, so 3 (or almost 3 - most don't start at 2, though they may allow a 2.5 yo into the 3's room) through 5/6. They're often part-time but not always. If they're attached to a K-5/8 private school, then there might be onsite aftercare you can opt into, though that's not super common.

Either can have curriculum certified by various state and 3rd party institutions, like AMI. Either can have lead teachers with MA in Early Education - or either can be staffed by just regular people who enjoy working with children.

Preschool is what you call a daycare that follows a specific structured curriculum, also what you call programs that don't run year-round or all day, like the DCPS PreK-3 and PreK-4 programs.

Anonymous wrote:Daycare is when you drop your kid off all day so you can work. Preschool is a few hours a day.

Ah, welcome back lady who insists there is a difference between preschool and daycare.

My kids never went to Montessori schools but I thought a true Montessori school has a very particular setup--distinctive centers and toys, mixed age classes, kids doing different jobs around the classrooms, and the school day ends earlier than a daycare.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daycare is when you drop your kid off all day so you can work. Preschool is a few hours a day.

This.

I agree that this is the common use of the terms. If you need the childcare to work, its daycare and there's nothing wrong with that! (And I have no dog in this fight as I WOHM). Daycares call themselves "preschools" as a marketing tool.