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Child Care - Choices

HOME-BASED VS. CENTER-BASED CARE:  Which One is right for your child?

THE TEACHERS
  • Caregivers in center-based care may be better educated and may have received more specialized training than caregivers in home-based care, but not always - ask about the educational background of the provider or specific teachers in your child’s age group.

  • Center-based programs usually have a substitute pool so if a teacher is sick or on vacation, a substitute teacher can fill in for the day.

  • Family Child Care Homes usually have fewer children per adult.

  • Family Child Care Homes usually have smaller group sizes.

  • Family Child Care Homes usually have fewer infants and toddlers.

  • Family child Care Homes may have more mixed-age groupings and more interactions between siblings.

 

THE PROGRAM
  • Center-based child care often feels and looks like an institution and is usually located in large facilities
    .
  • Family Child Care is generally regarded as more natural and has similar surroundings to the child’s own home.

  • Family Child Care is often more flexible in serving mildly-ill children.

  • Family Child Care is more likely to offer longer hours and evening and weekend care.

  • Family Child Care is more likely to allow flexible schedules and allow for daily adjustments to the schedule (parent may call and ask if the child can stay longer than scheduled or not be charged extra if picked-up early).

  • Children in home-based care may watch considerably more television and may have fewer informative interactions with caregivers.

  • Children in center-based programs may be exposed to an educationally enriched curriculum that encourages literacy, language development, social and emotional development or may be exposed to a rigid academic curriculum which may be developmentally inappropriate and which can add stress and discourage future success.
THE COST
  • The typical cost savings of home-based care vs. center-based care is about $8-$12 per week, or $400-$650 per year.

THE IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD
  • The effects of Child Care, either negative or positive, have proven to be long lasting.

  • Children who receive poor-quality care as infants and toddlers have been rated as less compliant and self-regulated as preschoolers.

  • High-quality Child Care is associated with children displaying more complex play, less hostility, and better peer relationships. New studies have proven that children in good quality child care programs do better in kindergarten and have overall better success in elementary school.

  • Children in good quality child care consistently demonstrate better vocabularies, receptive language, and mathematics skills.

Both center-based child care and Family Child Care Homes offer advantages and disadvantages. Each individual family must make a choice based on individual preference and what is best for your child/ren. Most important, whatever your choice, choose a high quality program with low adult-to-child ratios, and with trained caregivers who offer loving, caring and developmentally appropriate curriculum.
see discussion on High Quality Child Care.

 

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