Seeking Moms Who Have Good Experiences with Childcare

J.,

Where are you located but I use an inhome daycare that is big on schedule. She works well with the kids and she does it through play so they don't even always know that she is teaching them something new. She is in Vadnais Heights MN.

I chose a center for my boys. I didn't want the kids watching tv all day or having snacks right before supper or anything like that. My boys love the center and their teachers. I love it too.

I visited a center for a day when I was a senior in high school and thought it was HORRIBLE! Too many kids, too much structure, not very much one on one attention, too many rules!

So, I decided to open my own daycare. (I did daycare for a total of 5 years.) The kids ONLY watched tv in the morning till 8 AM. Then, older kids were allowed 1 Disney movie during "quiet time". I did Mother Goose curriculum with all the kids ages 1 1/2 through school age along with projects for all the kids (including school age) mixed in. I had a schedule that was flexible but yet we mostly followed. We had some free play and scheduled items. We did feild trips about once a month to parks, fairs, picnics, and McDonalds playland. (I had a 12 passenger van.) The children prayed before eating. I almost always made homemade meals. The kids thought it was a huge treat to get chicken nuggest about once every two months! And I NEVER CLOSED MY DAYCARE on short notice. I always had a back-up come in and do daycare if I was sick or had a last minute emergency. (This only happened about 3 times in 5 years. I was sick or when I had my miscarriage.)

HOWEVER, I have some relatives who also do daycare and I would not necessarily bring my kids there. The tv IS ON ALL DAY and the food is not very nutritional and very little structure and activities.... So, you need to CHECK INTO a few different daycares before deciding. Get some recomendations from people in your neighborhood.

Ask TONS of questions. Drop in unexpected after you decide on a daycare and see what it's like. I always allowed my parents to drop in one or two times towards the beginning. (I told them to do it even.) Ask what types of food they feed. Ask when tv time is. Ask about who will be there if they have to leave for an emergency or such. GO FOR THE INTERVIEW DURING DAYCARE HOURS SO YOU CAN SEE THEM INTERACT WITH THE CHILDREN!!!

Go with your gut.

My daughter goes to an in-home daycare. We ABSOLUATELY LOVE it! She structures their day to keep them all occupied and on a schedule. My daughter brings home a TON of art projects, they have singing and story time, she gets healthy snacks and meals, and she does have time for free-play which I think is healthy.

My daughter is 18 months old, and interacts well w/ children of all ages in any type of setting because this in-home care offers her to play w/ children older & younger than her and not just children of her age. I appreciate that, and think that it has helped her to develop a little quicker than if she was at a center in a class room w/ just children her own age.

I will tell you that in-home daycares will be less expensive, and there is that personal touch if you can find the right one. I know that my sitter loves my daughter like she is one of her own, and shows her affection that she still needs as a toddler.

Daycare is a huge decision, interview both, and see how you feel! I interviewed both, and after walking into my sitter's home I just knew this was the place for my toddler! Good Luck!

Hi J.
I personally like a in home daycare but you need to keep your options open and interview both types to see which you feel more comfortable with. I like the in home setting because is more personal they are usually more willing to work with you on your childs schdule and they are the only one there with your child all day so they can tell you everthing that went on that day. as in a center you may have more than one teacher and when you pick you may not get all the information needed. just go with what your gut tells you good luck in your search I would make a list of all the things that are important to you. then go with the place that answers them the way you like best. T.

Each person is different... some prefer a center and some prefer in-home. You may want to check into both and weigh the pros and cons and what would work best for your situation.

For me, I have always had in-home childcare. I think my children have had more one on one with the providers that they have had. My son is in school, so I only have my daughter at a sitter. I LOVE my current sitter! She has a schedule for them to follow and rarely has the tv on. She has a play time, craft time, story time, lunch time, and nap time. Sometimes she has had a "field trip". She has taken them to the library, the pumpkin patch, and takes them for walks on nice days.

I know that centers have schedules also, but I feel that with more children in a building... the bigger chance of airborne illnesses spreading, etc. I once worked in a center and know that they do the sanitizing etc., but kids are kids and spread colds, etc. Another worry I have with centers is (eww) the lice (I've never had to deal with lice with my sitters). I don't really want my kids to deal with that until the school years (don't really want to deal with that at all)

With centers, I know that you may be required a certain amount of hours to hold your spot... which means you pay weather they are there or not. I only pay only for when my child is at the sitter and give her a schedule of when she will be there. She is very flexible.

Good luck with your search. Do what works for you and your family. Everyone will have different opinions. You do what is best for you.

~SR

I use a center and absolutely love it! I considered in-home but hours and locations weren't convenient. I love watching my son interact with the other kids his age and I think he has progressed well developmentally by being around the other kids. While some moms think in-home has a more personal touch, in a center, your child is in a room with kids of the same age and the teachers are all focused on the developmental milestones at that age. In-home has kids of all ages and they have to try to work with each age to challenge them. If you are in the Plymouth/MG I can send you the name of the place. It is a franchise, so the owners still have personal interest. I tend to find having good teachers has a lot to do with it.

My son just turned 2 and he is in his 4th daycare! We finally found a winner, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it remains that way.

When he was 3 months old we took him to a large center. It has its pros and cons. It's nice b/c there are several employees, so the chance of anything shady going on isn't as likely. However, there wasn't near as much one-on-one there as I have found with in-home providers. I would most definitely not take a newborn to a center again. Toddler age is different, but even then there are so many kids. I always walked through the toddler room to get to the infant room and it always seemed like pure chaos.

There are so many different types of in-home care, it's impossible to make a blanket statement about them. The important thing is to find someone that you can really trust and communicate with.

We took our son to one provider who didn't do any special activities with the kids, and she let them have "free play" all day. She also thought her way was the only way, and did not respect our wishes when it came to our son. Although she truly cared for the kids her care did not meet our expectations.

Now we have the most awesome provider. She is extremely organized. She does preschool activities and even let my son participate before he was 2. He has learned so much. She has a monthly schedule for all of their lessons, art and movement activities. Their day runs on a schedule so all the kids (and parents) know what to expect. The tv is only on in the mornings while they wait for all the children to arrive, and at naptime for the older kids. I feel that we are getting the best of both worlds... activities that a center provides with the personal love and care of an in-home provider.

It's definitely possible to find the perfect provider, but it may take some time. I wish you luck!

I prefer in home licenced care. I have never had my kids in a center, but I did interview a few. For my family in home licenced care is best. I feel my children get more 1 on 1 attention and I choose to use providers with licences for smaller groups. Ours is great, lots of learning, the kids are the same ages and it makes for a nicer family environment.

I would start your search at
www.resourcesforchildcare.org

you can get referrals to licenced centers or licenced in home providers with openings.

I've tried both in-home and center daycares.

I loved the in-home while my baby was under 6 months. There were only 2 kids and it really felt like an extension of our family. That ended because my work schedule changed.

I've had great and only-okay experiences with center daycare. It seems very dependent on the teacher in your child's room. My daughter has liked all of her teachers, but one place had such high staff turnover that she could never get comfortable with any of the teachers. We switched her to a new center at 12 months, and she loves her teachers and the center.

My advice is to visit the centers, meet with the actual teachers your daughter would be with, and go with your instinct on how you feel. Try the best one, give it a few months to let her adjust to her new routine.

Good luck!

Dear J.,

I have to respond to the advice from Amber and Dawn. I am an in-home licensed childcare provider and I think it is an uneducated thing to say that all in-home childcare providers allow their children to "watch t.v. all day and eat snacks right before supper." The children in my care rarely watch t.v. and our snacktime is usually between 2:30-3:00pm, depending on the weather. On nice days, we are outside from 8:00am until we HAVE to come in for lunch/nap and then a quick snack and back outside for the afternoon until it is time to go home. During the colder weather, we have planned activities from the moment they arrive until it is time to go home, some of which is free-play, not very much of which involves t.v.

To make a blanket statement that all in-home childcare providers allow t.v. and late snacks is not at all true. The downside to centers for children is that a lot of times, I think that the children in attendance don't get the one-on-one care that is so important at this age. It is usually very loud, many times, unstructured and chaotic. This statement comes from numerous parents who have had their children in center care and have since left for a more structured, calmer environment provided by in-home childcare (which to some degree baffles me as it can get pretty doggone loud at my house!)

There are pros and cons to either choice. I would suggest that you interview both types of care centers and choose the one that feels right for your child. There are many in-home childcare providers whose program is probably right up your alley.

Good luck and let us know what you decide! Happy New Year!

C.

J.,

As with anything you have to decide what's best for you and your situation. However, I have had my children in both environments so I think I can give you some insight.

With the in-home child care, if your lady or her children are sick you may be left scrambling to find care for your children the night before or the morning of. That happened to us a few times and it certainly wasn't ideal. In my opinion the accepted "ratio" of children our in-home provider was allowed to have was too much. I know by law she had an appropriate number of children but I often felt like she was in over her head. There often seemed like a lack of structure and the television was always on. My husband and I found ourselves growing more and more uneasy about the lack of accountability of exactly what was going on during the day. We decided to check out day care centers in our area. Thank goodness there were some great options once we decided to go that route!

We have been very pleased with our children's day care center. (Of course, it depends greatly on which one you choose! There are some out there that are horrible! Ask lots of questions and be sure to drop in sometime without making an appointment. Things can be different when they know they have visitors.) Ours had just opened, was cleaned, well staffed, had a curriculum and was very close to our home!) What my husband and I love the absolute most is both of our children (4 1/2 and 1 1/2) have separate rooms in which there are between 1-3 teachers in their respective rooms depending on the number of children in the room that day. We never have to worry about not having care because our provider or her children are sick. With a center you don't have to worry about that because there are always plenty of teachers to fill in. Our center is closed for the major holidays or if our school system is closed due to weather conditions. Also, with a center their is typically a director who oversees the individual rooms. (If you're a non confrontational person like me) it is often easier and less uncomfortable to bring up concerns with that person rather than the provider herself.

You will know you have found the best place for your daughter when you feel great about where she is and how she's being cared for during the day. Peace of mind is so important!!! : )

Good luck!
H.

i have never had any of my children to a center so i can't weigh in on that side. when i worked i had my older children in an in-home day care. the lady was wonderful! she has free time and scheduled activies and the tv was only one during nap time and it was the classical music channel.

i do in-home day care now, im regestered with the state so i can have parents who get child care assistance but im not licenced. but im required to have pretty much all the same things with out all the paper work and the classes i would have to take. with 5 kids and the hours my hubby works i wouldn't be able to make the classes required by the state.

we have meals that are nutrious ( i would have them anyways with my own kids), all working smoke detectors, fire and tornado drills, etc. we have free time, art time 2 days a week, music times 2 days a week, nap time, we try to be outside for a little bit every day even if its a walk around the block since its cold. during the summer we are outside as much as possible. we have a morning snack around 9am, lunch at 11:30 and afternoon snack at 3 when the older kids get home. the only time i have the tv on is when the children are sleeping and that is my "break". i do let the children watch tv for a 1/2 hr after they get home from school because after talking to the mom that is the time that the childrens show is on that the mom allowed her kids to watch before returning to work. if they have homework, then we do home work and it has to be done before they can watch it. its a show on disney so its ok for all the children.

since i have 2 small children of my own i wont take very many kids. right now i have a 9mo old 3 days a week, a 5 yr old 4 mornings only and 3 school age children only here for 2 hours a day (1hr in the morning and 1hr in the afternoon). i have turned parents away because i know more than i have would be too much for me and for the kids to have the one on one.

its just another thing to think of.. just because they are not licensed doesn't mean that we aren't quilified or anything wrong with the place. just trust your gut and talk to others about the person and ask for refrences and past clients phone numbers, if they have nothing to hide they will gladly give them out as with any place you look into. good luck in your search!

my son is 16 months old and in an inhome daycare and we all just love it. he was in one right at 7 weeks old and she was just great. she ended up switching her hours though and so we had to switch. we contacted the state for a list of referalls and interviewd a few and found a really great woman. she is wonderful and my son loves it there. it is nice to know when i go to work he is happy where he is at. i like that he gets more personal attention than in a center and he loves the other kids there. half the time he dont want to come home. i used to work in a center a long time agao and saw how kids changed and not for the better so i refused to ever put my kids in one. i love in home and would never go any other route. he is not in front of the tv all day long. they do activites go outside and he is learning something new everyday. you have to do what is right for you though. if your daughter starts preschool some in home providers will even bring your child there and back if its close. good luck!

I have to agree with the moms who responded before me. You have to interview both types and find out what works best for you. I have had both in home and center care and there are pros and cons to both.

When my son was 3 mos and had to start daycare due to my return to work, I had him at an in home. This one had (depending on the day)5-8 children a day and was an older couple who were both licensed. They were very friendly and attentive with the kids however, the TV was on 24/7 with them. I didn't mind when he was such a young age. Then I had to switch daycare due to medical problems with my provider. I changed to another in home provider who had a schedule, did activities (crafts, education, etc) with the kids but had to change from her within a month due to work conflicts.

We then changed to a center and beleive me the two are like night and day. with the center, we never had to worry about vacation days or sickness for the teachers so we never had to run around at the last minute looking for care. However, he did get a LITTLE less personalized attention but not enough to really matter in my mind. He did structured activities and crafts and play catered to a 7-12 month old child. that is one nice thing about the centers, our is set up so each age group is separated so they are all about the same maturity level. I don't like that a lot of times when you drop off and pick up that you aren't talking with their teachers but someone who just came into the room 15 minutes ago and cannot get all the information from the day. However, our center has a 'list' they keep for the kdis with meal times, number and how much ate, diaper changes, routine with activities listed, etc.

Between the 2, for my husband and I we have preferred the Center for the kids even though it was more expensive and less accomodation for days off. If the kids aren't there you still pay for the day if you don't have vacation days left. this hasn't been a huge issue but some parents are pretty upset about it.

Just remember the age old advice "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR". In Wisconsin, certified providers are required to have a lesson plan for kids and are supposed to follow this for education. Check with your state regulators and find out the potential providers you are looking at to find out if they have an grievances, penalties, violations, etc. Go with your gut and if you notice changes in your childs behavior, SWITCH to a different provider.

Good luck and you may find your preference may change over time some centers are great, some are not, same for in home. It is all what is available in your area.

Hi J.:

I would like to recommend a third option: having someone come into YOUR home to watch your daughter.

We had our son in a small, licensed daycare, and it was a nightmare. (Since you're only asking for positive experiences, that's all I'll say.)

We only needed daycare PT, and after doing our research and calling around, it became apparent that we could pay a SAHM to come into OUR home for the cost of sending our son to one of the mid- to higher-priced centers. She had 1 daughter that she brought with her, and it all worked out beautifully. My son got the attention I wanted him to get, he wasn't forced into a rigid schedule at a center, and he still got to be around another little kid.

Good luck to you!

I used to be a director of a child care center and definately know the pros and cons of them. Even though I have moved on from that position, I would still probably chose to put my child in a center for a couple of reasons. I am not originally from the area and am not sure of who I would trust for an in home day care. I feel like at a center, staff are required to have certain training and educational requirements. Also, there are standards that must be adhered to. At a center, employees are held accountable for their actions and you can ensure that there is some curriculum being implemented. Children in centers are surrounded by children their age and learn great social skills.
I do know that just like a home day care, there are centers that are not excellent and I also know that a center tends to be more spendy but it would be my personal preference. Some children do really well in a center setting and some do better at an in home with a smaller number of children. good luck

I chose a daycare center for my son. I thought that he would do better with more teachers around, have structure/ activity to the day. I worry about the TV being on too much. I needed a center that is reliable and not cancel/ close/ vacation too often. My friends who have hired a family sitter had to find alternate arrangements if the sitter was sick or on vacation. I liked that he was around more children since he is an only child right now. He is attending a religious daycare center that he really seems to enjoy. The rates that they charge are very reasonable and they have an excellent playground. Just be sure to check references, drop in and visit places and check with the state for any violations before placing your child.

J., I am guessing you have found a child care as you had hoped. I have an early childhood teaching degree and plan to open a day care in my home (Sartell). If you are interested or know someone who may be please let me know! Take care!!!

My daycare is great - she's been doing daycare for about 20 years and a nursery school teacher comes in 1 day a week for the preschoolers. she lives on 2 acres and the kids play outside so much! they all have a great time and I feel wonderful knowing where she is each day. If you'd like her info, email me. She's in Lakeville - I'm not sure where you are or which area you are looking for.

Where I live I can contact the licensing center for in-home childcare and they can get me a list of providers. After I've interviewed some I can do background checks on them by contacting the licensing center again. I'd google and see if you have such a thing. I saw this and I'm not sure if it'll help http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title...

I see you're looking for good experiences so I won't get into my two in-home experiences but wanted to give you an idea and a link as you locate what is right for you.