Leaving your child’s daycare in the center–a daunting decision every family has to make for their child. For ensuring that your child only gets the best, you would naturally have questions like “Should I leave my child in a home-like environment, or is a classroom-like environment better?”. For child daycare, you will have several choices. Let us discuss two such options to help you make the best decision for your child.

Should I choose a home daycare or a child daycare center?

Both types of daycares greatly differ in the types of environment they provide to your child. As the name suggests, a home-based daycare makes your kid feel at home whereas a childcare center is more like an early classroom. Both can be considered based on several factors.

Family daycare:

Family daycare is usually set up in the caregiver’s home or another private residence. They have a smaller number of children, mostly from your neighborhood. You may also find children of all age groups playing and doing activities together. There are several advantages of choosing a family daycare center:

• Home-like environment: Your kids will feel more at home as they are at someone else’s residence. A familiar environment can help your child to socialize better, especially if they are shy.
• Low costs: Family daycare centers usually charge less than child care centers. They are usually affordable and you can easily find one in your neighborhood.
• Individual Attention: Due to the smaller number of children attending a home-based care center, the staff will be able to provide individual attention to each child. The caregiver may also be more accommodating to any special requirements

Child dayCare Centres:

Child care centers are set up in commercial buildings, have a larger staff, and also a larger group of children, usually of a similar age. For your child, this can serve as an early introduction to the classroom environment. Choosing a child care center has several benefits like:

• Professional staff: Child care centers always recruit trained staff so you can be assured your child is in safe hands. Also, they have more staff so you do not need to worry about the caregiver canceling childcare for a particular day.
• More social interaction: Due to a larger group of children joining child care centers, your kid will make more friends of their age. This can help develop social values like empathy, sharing, and caring.
• Discipline: Your child will probably learn more discipline in child care centers, as it is more organized and classroom-like. They have a timetable that your child needs to follow, which includes a designated mealtime and naptime.

What to look for in the daycare near me?

You can know a high-quality daycare by looking for the following points:

• A caring environment with happy children and fun educational activities so they can adapt to easy learning activities.
• A well-designed curriculum with various child-friendly activities
• Safe, clean childproof places
• A low ratio of child to caregivers

No matter the type of daycare you choose, make sure you visit the daycare, interview the staff and do all the required research before placing your child in their care. Choose a daycare that best suits your needs, as you are the best judge of your child’s requirements. Happy parenting!