If you can find a center that is willing to accomodate a one day per week arrangement, then I would recommend enrolling your child and trying it. If it is feasible for you, I would consider keeping her in the FCCh 3 days per week for now and trying the one day per week on the 4th/5th day of the week that you do not require care. That way, you can do it when you are not working, can start out with a half day, then move into a full day if your child seems to like it. You can then move your child into attending more often as needed. This way, you can also drop in unnanounced a little more frequently since you will not be working, AND you will not alienate your current provider by removing your child from her care one day per week, with her knowing that she will be losing your child to the center in the end. I would personally be willing to work with a family who was contemplating this change, however, you will find that many provders takeit personally and will not be happy about it at all.
That being said, if you do go with a center, I highly recommend that you:
1. Ask for references from current and PREVIOUSLY ENROLLED families.
2. Drop in unannounced frequently
3. Ask about teacher turnover: how long have the current teachers/staff been working there - if they are fairly new, ask WHY.
4. Ask what credentials teachers hold.
5. Tour the ENTIRE environment before enrollment.
6. Request a free day so that you and your child may attend together for a portion of the day to get a feel for the schedule/routine
7. Ask how they feel about parental involvement in the program.
8. What is their philosophy of early care and education
Of course, many of these things should be asked/done in FCC as well, but in my experience, many centers do the bare minimum in an effort to increase profit. Overhead is really high for centers, so often teachers are paid very low wages and have no/little benefits, resulting in high turnover and your child having to bond with new caregivers frequently. (I don't say these things just because i am a FCCP, I observe and assess centers for our R&R regularly and more often than not, centers recieve very low scores)
Best wishes to you and yours....
