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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How Do You Describe Group Care?
Unregistered 06:52 AM 05-02-2014
What is "Group Care"? I see this term a lot on this board. I assumed it just meant a group of kids however I have also seen a few times providers say that if the kids can't handle group care maybe they need to go to a center instead. So what is the difference? How do you describe "group care" to someone coming into your daycare for the first time.
preschoolteacher 07:11 AM 05-02-2014
I explain that group care means I must meet the needs of all the kids and not put one child's needs above the rest. I usually have to explain group care most often when a child starts potty training-- as in, bringing your child to the bathroom every 30 minutes prevents me from supervising the other children and puts the potty training above all, so I cannot do it.
Children also have to function in a group. They have to be able to adapt to our schedule. You can't cater to kids when you have a group. So kids can't snack all day (have to adapt to meal schedule), can't be violent or aggressive to others, etc.
Children also have to function in a group. They have to be able to adapt to our schedule. You can't cater to kids when you have a group. So kids can't snack all day (have to adapt to meal schedule), can't be violent or aggressive to others, etc.
NightOwl 07:11 AM 05-02-2014
I believe they're referring to a mixed age group. In centers, kids are divided by age into classrooms, in group care they are with mixed ages. Is that right?
Heidi 07:27 AM 05-02-2014
Center care is group care, as well. Just a little different.
Since most of us are FCC, group care for us usually means 1 adult for a mixed age group of children. A few of us here have an assistant, but primarily, we are alone.
In a center, it's still group care, but usually a larger class of same-age children with several adults.
If I were describing it to a parent, I would say what PP said. That the children need to adjust to the needs of the group of children. If a parent would prefer their child be in a child-centered care situation, they need to hire a nanny. That is one-on-one care, this is not.
I told my dcp's yesterday that as of next week, my toddlers are moving to one nap. So, I will be giving the little guy (10 m) a nap a half-hour earlier in the am, then put everyone down for nap a half hour earlier for a while, so that it's not such a long stretch for them. DCM of 10 mo immediately said "well, I just don't know if he'll be tired then yet". Ah....no, I am not going to have 3 over tired, screaming toddlers at the lunch table every day to accomidate one child. He will adjust just fine to sleeping EARLIER by 30 minutes. It's GROUP care.
Since most of us are FCC, group care for us usually means 1 adult for a mixed age group of children. A few of us here have an assistant, but primarily, we are alone.
In a center, it's still group care, but usually a larger class of same-age children with several adults.
If I were describing it to a parent, I would say what PP said. That the children need to adjust to the needs of the group of children. If a parent would prefer their child be in a child-centered care situation, they need to hire a nanny. That is one-on-one care, this is not.
I told my dcp's yesterday that as of next week, my toddlers are moving to one nap. So, I will be giving the little guy (10 m) a nap a half-hour earlier in the am, then put everyone down for nap a half hour earlier for a while, so that it's not such a long stretch for them. DCM of 10 mo immediately said "well, I just don't know if he'll be tired then yet". Ah....no, I am not going to have 3 over tired, screaming toddlers at the lunch table every day to accomidate one child. He will adjust just fine to sleeping EARLIER by 30 minutes. It's GROUP care.
Annalee 07:51 AM 05-02-2014
In my state, Family Child care is 7 children and below with one caregiver, group is 12 plus 3 school age not to esceed 15 with 2 caregivers. 
SilverSabre25 08:24 AM 05-02-2014
To me, group care means a group of children of varying ages/stages from more than one family. It's a group of kids....and it's very different from a mom home with her own kid(s)
cheerfuldom 11:31 AM 05-02-2014
to me, group care is not necessarily about mixed ages. Its about having a group with one primary caregiver, similar to a large family or a school situation. The teacher is not going to coddle and cater to one student because she has a whole classroom of students to consider. I have a small group of children to care for so at times, I can accommodate schedule changes and special requests but I cant always do so.
The big issues that this comes up is with crying babies that want to be held all the time, kids that dont nap/dont nap when the others nap/scream during nap, kids with crazy random dropoffs and pickups, and kids pottytraining issues (wanting frequent sits, long sits, rewards for trying, etc). I cannot care for children who needs or wants deviate too far outside of what my group is doing and what my program provides because this is group care.....one caregiver for a group of children and each parent is paying for only a portion of my attention to their child. The most I will ever have here is 9 kids, which includes my own. This means your child cannot demand or need more than 1/9th of my time and attention. It is not going to work for me if a child wants or needs more or if a parents wants or needs more than I can give.
The big issues that this comes up is with crying babies that want to be held all the time, kids that dont nap/dont nap when the others nap/scream during nap, kids with crazy random dropoffs and pickups, and kids pottytraining issues (wanting frequent sits, long sits, rewards for trying, etc). I cannot care for children who needs or wants deviate too far outside of what my group is doing and what my program provides because this is group care.....one caregiver for a group of children and each parent is paying for only a portion of my attention to their child. The most I will ever have here is 9 kids, which includes my own. This means your child cannot demand or need more than 1/9th of my time and attention. It is not going to work for me if a child wants or needs more or if a parents wants or needs more than I can give.