Originally Posted by Doodlebug:
You have every right to have your individual expectations for your child at daycare. As a parent you are your child's advocate and understandably want the very best for them. It is extremely important to have an open line of communication with your childcare provider whether it is center based care or a private in home program. When you interview for any placement, look for the specific things that will and can be a deal breaker for you. Ask questions! But please understand that a program does not have to change its daily routine, policies, or curriculum to meet your needs.
It is very hard for a child at any age to make frequent changes. A child develops a trust with their caregiver and so do you as a parent. The caregiver needs to learn each child's needs and will learn specific ways to comfort a child as they get to know them. At 9 months of age, it is more important for them to be in a nurturing environment where their physical and emotional needs are met. As their development progresses, your child will move forward in different areas and will need stimulation to help them grow.
There are positives for centers and home based programs. Centers (at least the one I was at) are geared for specific age groups. Infants with infants, toddlers with toddlers, etc... The staff work with that age group and work with those areas of development. There are different staff members that care for your child during the day. The turn over is more frequent due to work schedules and time limits. Your infant is exposed to the development of the other infants as well. A lead teacher in my state can be in charge of up to 8 infants, 4 by themselves. It can be challenging to give each child the individual attention they need when they need it and want it.
Home based child care is different and meets the needs of a child in a different way. Your child is exposed to a mixed age group. Because the group of children can range from school age to infant, your child is allowed to try the next developmental stage and even if they don't participate in that activity, they observe what is happening and a lot of learning goes on. It has been my experience that my toddlers move ahead quicker in their development because of that they are allowed to try. My toddlers (12 mo - 2 years old), have their own journals to color in because the other children have them on a daily basis. We have circle time and learn songs and finger plays, even though they can't talk they can dance and do the movement with us. They know it even though they can't say it. Their language tends to develop quicker for me. My preschoolers read books to the younger children and the younger ones strive to do the same. They can't read words but they "read" the pictures to my older ones. We play outside and my littlest ones ride the bikes (by pushing with their feet they are too short to reach the pedals), push trucks, write with chalk, run, roll and play. You get the idea.
The notes can be a big deal to parents with infants, I understand that. If that is important communicate that, but remember with a home based child care provider you will get their individual time at the end and beginning of each day to talk about your child. Your provider will listen and give feedback. If they don't and you need that, it isn't a good fit. You need to remember that caregiver (center or home based), is responsible for more than your child. They need to be attentive and supervise everyone in their care. I do a monthly newsletter or sometimes every two months depending on how busy we are to let my parents know what we are doing. But that is just my program, the best part of daycare is finding the unique place that fits you best.
A parent needs to be open minded but have specific expectations for the care of their child. You sound like a loving parent that wants a quality program for their child. But remember a child's development progresses in a certain manner and can't be pushed beyond its limits. A child's development grows in so many different ways, it needs to happen in little steps. They need to master one level before moving to the next and no steps can be missed. Also they will regress in one area as they move ahead in another.
I don't want anyone to think I think center care is inferior to home based care but I made the change to develop my own program because of the stringent scheduling and the pressure to conform the children to what the board of directors felt was most important and that was $$$$. I could provide a program at my home, developed around the needs of the children in my care. If we didn't want to paint at 10:00 we don't have to. If I don't want to base an entire week of curriculum on one subject I don't have to. I could expose the children in my care to different cultures and the foods they have as well as celebrating holidays and expanding their world. It just works better for me.
One of my points, exactly. In Kindergarten, children don't have the choice. The schedule is the schedule and it's critical that children understand that they have to mind that and transition to the next part of the curriculum.