Originally Posted by daycarediva:
Maybe I am unfairly biased. There have been quite a few scandals recently in local well known/reputable centers. Sexual abuse, physical abuse and ratio issues severe enough that the state just shut one down (and they NEVER do that)....
That being said.... most of the clients I get chose me over a center (for preschool) based on the understanding of the child/teacher relationship and how important that is for early education vs the convenience of a center with multiple staff members. What I mean is, they are hiring/interviewing and choosing ME vs a building.
I am a stone's throw from my BA in ECE and then on to club Med! My home has dedicated space and is run like a classroom, and I do assessments and work with parents to raise some pretty awesome people, so it's worth it to my clients. I don't have cameras because the state would then have access to them 24/7 and it's my home....so ya. They also KNOW I would never harm their child and I do end up becoming ridiculously attached to 99% of them. Those I don't mesh with, I have the ability to term/replace. I believe in that relationship. It's IMPORTANT! 
I also know a few center workers personally. Barely a HS diploma, and I wouldn't leave a dog in their care. One of them had her own children removed by DCFS. We walk by a center nearly every day on our walks and the staff is lined up against the fence while the kids play. Doesn't matter WHAT the kids are doing, (screaming/hurt, unsafe behavior, etc) the staff is socializing and ignoring those kids.
Yup, some bias there. I realize not all centers and center staff are that way 
I am quite biased myself, stemming from over 12 years of experience working at various "high end" centers. I can say with certainty that there is no way I would send a young child to one of these places- a preschooler, maybe, but the older the better. It seems that the parents pay the most for infant/toddler slots, yet they are "taught" by the least educated and lowest paid employees- doesn't add up. I was teaching kindergarten when I became pregnant with ds- there was no way in h*ll I was going to put my child in a room with some of the women that were working in the infant rooms. I agree that the larger centers appeal to the parents, but most have far too many children in a room for their own good. I used to teach Pre-k in a class of 20 with 2 teachers (legal). Can you imagine the chaos?! Their solution...set up small groups and divide time. So what happens? One child is placed In a quality small group with most likely a caring, dedicated, and likely an experienced educator. Another child is placed in a group with anyone they could pull off the street (not literally), a person that really doesn't care much about the job and will quit in a week- and guess what?! Both parents are paying the same amount.