Discussion About Day Care Centers Vs Home Center

[greenhouse]

Hi all- I'm just curious about others experiences with large day care centers ( if you ever had your kids in one, worked in one, etc-before you became a home provider ). I chose a well recommended and expensive($65 a day!) center and was so upset by the way my infant son was treated I pulled him out right away. Their general attitude was that infants needed to get used to not being picked up. My son was traumatized after being there. He currently goes to another home day care and loves it( until I get my own lisc.) My mother had worked at another center before she became a public school teacher and said she would get reprimanded if she held the babies too much because it was against policy. I visited a friend who runs a great home day care and her kids jump right up on her lap for hugs and were so happy. Interested to hear your opinions on why large centers are like this? Or maybe you've had positive experiences?

[MommyMuffin]

I have heard good and bad things about centers and home daycares. Honestly I think it just depends on the place and the people. I have had a few not so great home daycare experiences and 1 really really great lady. I also went to a center and after a interview I told myself that my daughter would never go there. But I only went to 1 center and I have heard that others near me are great! Thankfully I found that great home daycare lady first so I could stop my search.
I think you just need to find one that fits you and it may take a few not so great ones to do that.

[DCMomOf3]

There are a few centers by me and the opinions vary depending on which parent you ask. I think it's all about preference. I know people that love these centers and others who think they are terrible.

I had a great experience with my center when I was still working outside the home.

[kendallina]

I agree with previous posters that so much of it depends sooo much on the people in the classroom. I have worked at child care centers that I would send my own child to in a heartbeat and I've worked at others that I've quit within 2 weeks because I was appalled at what I saw.

That being said, having worked at and been solely trained in center-based care, I LOVE home based sooo much better and do not think at this point that I will ever send my child to a center based. As a teacher, I can see the difference that it makes for the children to have small group sizes and just one (or sometimes 2) providers every day.

One of the advantages that centers have, though, is accountability. There are often other teachers around and there is a director to go to with problems. Teachers in child care centers are very aware that they might be being watched at any moment by someone else. With a home provider, you don't really know what happens when you're not there. So, again, you have to choose the right person.

[melskids]

i did home daycare for 6 years before we moved to a new town 3 hours away. rather then re-opening i thought it would be easier to just get a job at a center.

i made it less then three months.

i left crying every night. its not even worth my time to type all the things that went on there. it makes me sick just to think about it.

so i went and got licensed, and am doing home daycare again. i would never recommend center care for anyone... ever. of course, this is just because of my experience at a bad one.

[juliebug]

I have worked for a few mostly good ones.

The thing i hate the most is the turn over rate there.

We would sometimes get temps(warm bodys) to help us and they never did anything so then i would be trying to care for 8 6month olds! it was crazy and in all our infant rooms it was 1 caregiver to every 4 infants. well when all the babies are 6wks to 3month that is hard! could you imagaine caring for 4 small infants at one time all day! i felt so bad i couldn't hold those children more but i have 12 infant 3 adult in one room and we have to at least get them feed and changed every 2 hours!

[Blackcat31]

I also think it is a matter of personal preference and what works for each child and his/her family. However, the most common complaint I have heard around here was that say mom or dad works from 9-5, when child gets dropped off at center they see Miss A but when they get picked up they see Miss B and when parent asks how day went, Miss B can't give a detailed account of child's behavior b/c she wasn't with child all day. My personal opinion is that I think centers are good but I would think 3-5 yr olds would like the activity more but with infants and bonding etc I wouldn't personally use a center for my infant. Just my personal opinion. To each his own though.

[[email protected]]

My own personal opinion is centers are cold, not temp wise but emotionally,... the kids bond easier with a smaller more stable group. I love HOME CHILDCARE. =-) its my life.

[kidkair]

I had a parent interview for an 11 month old and she decided that she was going to put him in a center instead as it was cheaper and closer to home. 7 months later he was here and I was working with him on what I considered behaviors he picked up from being in the center because of the lack of one on one attention. He was so loud and would wail when he needed any sort of attention. He pushed, scratched, and bit when he got tired or hungry and I was making food. I nearly termed him because of the behaviors but I stuck it out and I'm glad I did because I have helped him turn around and become a very loving kid.

I've seen benefits & problems to all sides. I used to send my children to a small dc/preschool run by a local church and both my children & I loved it. I loved the teachers and knew them personally. Now, I work in a smaller privately owned daycare and if I had children, I'd first try to get them in a center I was working in and if that wasn't possible, I'd look for a home-run dc. My last choice would be a large preschool chain. I think the environment is less nurturing. We've received loads of transfers from the local chains. We are cheaper (they charge a fortune) and we have less kids. And our director doesn't believe in letting babies or toddlers cry it out... she's all for the hands on approach and I'm totally with her.

[Michael]

A previous thead on the subject: https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22103

[Evansmom]

In my 15 years of child care experience I have worked at a super good large center environment that was privately owned and operated. But I've also worked at more than a handful of large chain centers where I had to quit only a few weeks after starting b/c of not agreeing with how they treated children and one that I had to call the state on and report.

But I've also searched for home care for my daughter and son and been to more than a handful of homes that I would never leave my children at ever.

I don't think it's a large vs. small thing I really think you can find great and terrible in both.

I work in a center we do NOT do infants or toddlers.

However, when I had my son in a center when he was in 1st grade, for only a short while, I NEVER saw those babies being held unless being fed. That is a state law I believe that you must hold a baby while feeding.

I would NEVER put a baby at a center. This is just my opinion.

I would lean towards a home daycare provider for a baby. And be picky there is a good one out there just for you.