Child care is an essential service for most working parents. However, with so many child care options picking the best daycare for your child can be challenging. According to research, most children under three years thrive in home-based settings, but they can benefit significantly from a commercial daycare facility. It’s no wonder parents have a hard time deciding which is better for their child.
1. The building
As the name suggests, in-home daycares operate from the caregiver’s home. This means that your child will be in a home-like environment. Many parents prefer this option for their infants and toddlers. Being in a home-like setting also means that numbers are minimal, creating a tighter bond between the daycare worker and your child.
On the other hand, a commercial daycare center is a much larger facility with several child care workers and large groups of children. They are more structured compared to in-home daycares with specific activities for different age groups. Children are also grouped according to age, meaning kids will engage and play with others of the same age.
2. Availability or openings
One of the tips on how to choose a daycare is to start early. This is because many daycare centers have long waiting lists, and it’s hard to get a spot for your infant or toddler. Most child care centers are also expensive, but it depends on the location. A quality daycare center can cost you more than $15,000 per month, which can be challenging for some parents to afford.
It’s easier to find an in-home daycare for your child. Most parents know about them through word of mouth, so talk to your neighbors or family members. Home-based child care services are also significantly cheaper than traditional daycare centers. Besides their affordability, some parents also prefer in-home care because they can enroll all their children meaning siblings can be together.
3. Schedules
Commercial daycares operate during specific hours, which can be convenient for many working parents. However, for stay-at-home moms, it might be inconvenient because they might need different child care hours. In this case, going with the in-home care option is best because most of them have flexible working hours. While traditional daycare centers might be closed during the holiday, some in-home cares are open, and parents can still take their kids to daycare.
4. Age groups
Most in-home daycare services have mixed age groups in the same space. They have different educational materials and daycare games, but a larger variety lacks because of smaller spaces and the cost of daycare equipment. Daycare centers usually deal with a specific group of children, most of them up to the toddler stage. The children’s activities are well planned and precise depending on each age group to help develop their social, emotional, literacy, and language skills.
Finally, both in-home daycare and daycare centers need licensing and certificates to operate. Both facilities must adhere to the state’s safety and health regulations to ensure your child’s wellbeing. To answer the question of which is better ultimately depends on your family’s needs and where your child feels most comfortable.