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Childcare is an important factor in many family lifestyles today. You need to work, but you also need to feel like your child is receiving the best possible care, besides your own.
What can you do? First, you need to assess your child. Does your child need socialization and relish the opportunity to mix with a variety of other children? Is your child comfortable in a larger group of children? This type of child may do very well in a daycare center.
Is your child shy and only able to warm up to people in smaller more intimate settings? Do large groups make your child uneasy? You may want to look into home day care for your child.
Is your child lacking some of the necessary skills for Kindergarten? Does he/she need to practice school habits such as listening, taking turns, and sitting quietly while others complete their work? Preschool may be the ticket, then.
Are you eligible to send your child to a Headstart program? These programs are generally open to lower income families and single parent families. They are publicly funded and usually very well run.
Does your child need to attend a special needs preschool? Check with your local school district for more information on what's available in your area. Your child may need to meet with several school professionals and undergo some testing to qualify for this type of program. It is generally well worth the time and effort, however, as inclusion in a special needs preschool often gives special needs children the extra help they need to succeed in Kindergarten.
Childcare choices today include daycare centers, home daycare programs, part-time childcare programs such as preschools, public school run special needs preschools, and publicly funded preschool programs such as Head Start.
Daycare centers can be privately run, but are often associated with a local church, corporation, or community center. Home daycares are usually housed in a family home and run by a working stay at home mother. Preschools may be held in local schools, privately owned business settings, or other center-type buildings. Daycare centers and preschools tend to be much more regimented in comparison to home daycare centers.
Here are some of the pros and cons of each to help you consider what type of childcare will be best for your child:
Pros of Preschool: Structured atmosphere
Well-regulated, licensed
Dependable
Developmentally appropriate academic curriculum
Teachers have early childhood education training
Children socialize with peers
Cons of Preschool:
Teachers generally have minimum teacher/child ratio of 1:8
When children are ill, preschools do not have program to care for them
Closed on holidays
Fixed pickup and drop-off times
Pros of a Center Daycare:
Reliable
Sufficient supervision
Children socialize with other peers of same and/or other age groups
Staff members are trained in early childhood education
Licensed and regulated
Cons of a Center Daycare:
Teachers care for more than one child
Centers don't provide care for sick children Closed on holidays
Fixed pickup and drop-off times
Pros of Home Daycare:
Warm, relaxed atmosphere
Smaller groups of children
Less expensive than most other childcare
Children socialize with children of varying ages
Flexible pickup and drop-off times
Cons
Sometimes less reliable
Most providers don't have formal schooling in early childhood education
No caregiver supervision
Fewer licensing requirements
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