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Unregistered 10:04 AM 07-12-2011
Sorry to hear your only center in town is closing. Personally, I think it's much easier for a baby to adjust to a new daycare than older kids. I personally would pass on the daycare you're describing for several reasons. In our state, those daily sheets are a licensing requirement - it tracks feeding amounts and diapering to parents and nap times - this helps parents track if something goes wrong with feeding or gastro and to report to their doctors during regular checkups but the main point is to report child's progress to parents. It would be too difficult for a teacher to remember this information at the end of the child's day at pick up, even if there were only 1 or 2 babies. Teachers are supposed to be putting that information at each diaper change and after each meal - not waiting until nap time. In the centers in our area, teachers complete this info immediately - I've witnessed it. The no curriculum thing is a hard one, because I'm a big believer that children should have a curriculum regardless of age. It helps them with transition, variety, skill sets - tummy time, crawling, block building, shape sorting - may sound trivial, but they're important milestones that your doctor wants to see your child achieving on time when asked at your appointments. While coloring and games are important, actual teaching and circle time are important as well. TVs aren't allowed in our state as part of the curriculum. I'd be very leary of a daycare that had one in the playroom where the daycare kids were all day - odds are they're using them as babysitters more regularly than you'd like. I know a local daycare where they have a movie and popcorn every Friday. Another one plays Sesame Street every morning as part of her curriculum (not allowed with licensed providers). Every friend I have that used a home based daycare moved to a center for preschool - not because the home daycare didn't provide "preschool" curriculum - it's because every one of their kids were behind where they should have been during their kindergarten prescreening and all of them were recommended to headstart. The parents all opted out and chose center based preschool instead and every one of their kids got caught up within 6 months of being there. I don't hire a babysitter - I hired center daycare to provider care and to teach and and measure my child's learning so they are ready for kindergarten, both academically and socially. There are home providers that run smaller center types out of their own homes with seperate areas, etc - you just have to find them. I would get recommendations from your neighbors and co-workers. If you have to drive out of town for work, maybe you could try finding a center close to your work or on your way to work, but outside of your town. Many people I know do this and are happy with the arrangement - they're able to take their kids to appts and go out to lunch with them and attend daycare events more easily. Good luck with your search. Just remember that you already found red flags with this provider - best to move on to someone else.
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