Child care center vs home daycare: Childcare Center vs. Home Daycare. Which is Better?

Опубликовано: September 22, 2022 в 11:12 am

Автор: alexxlab

Категории: Child

Childcare Center vs. Home Daycare. Which is Better?

Childcare Center vs. Home Daycare. Which is Better?

Choosing the right childcare provider can feel overwhelming. There are so many considerations – location, cost, availability, schedule, and more. If you have an infant or a child who’s never been in group care before, it can feel especially daunting.

Deciding if you’ll use a childcare center or home daycare is a significant consideration that impacts nearly all of the other factors. Often parents ask us which is better and the answer is that neither one is better than the other – but one may be better for your family or your child, depending on your needs. Some children thrive in childcare centers, some thrive in home daycares, and some thrive in either environment.

How can you determine if a childcare center or home daycare is right for you?

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Ratio & Group Size

Childcare Centers

Every state sets their own ratio laws indicating the number of children a provider can care for at a time, and they’re different for home daycares and childcare centers. Ratio laws also vary by age group, with infants having the lowest ratio of caregivers to children and school-age kids having the highest.

In early childhood education, there is generally a maximum group size permitted. For example, the ratio for preschoolers may be 1:12 with a maximum group size of 24, meaning you can’t have a class of 48 children even if four teachers are present.

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By law, childcare centers are often segmented by ages. Infants (which may include children up to age two, depending on the state) are kept separate from preschoolers and school-age children. You also may find further separation by age in a childcare center with infants up to 12 months in one room and 12 to 18 or 24 months in another.

The laws governing ratios, group sizes, and mixed-age groupings are different for home daycares than they are childcare centers.

Home Daycare

In a home daycare, children from infants to school-age may be mixed together, the group size will be limited by state regulations. There’s much evidence demonstrating that mixed-age groupings are beneficial for both younger and older children. Younger children learn from older children and older children take on leadership roles. This also mimics how children have been raised throughout history. It wasn’t until modern schooling in the 20th century that children began being segmented by age.

In most home daycares, there is a single provider caring for all of the children, though with larger groups a second teacher may be present.

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Local regulations will limit the number of children from each age group who are permitted. For example, a provider licensed for 10 children cannot have 10 infants – they may be permitted 2 infants, 6 preschoolers, and 2 school-age children.

Depending on the state, a childcare provider’s own children may or may not count toward the number of children they are permitted.

Scheduling & Flexibility

Childcare Centers

Childcare centers generally offer traditional hours for care. The hours often align with the 9-5 work day, with an hour or so on either side to allow time for drop off and commutes. You may find that some childcare centers offer part-day or part-week schedules but typically a family must to commit to the same hours each day they attend and the same schedule weekly. Long-term contracts are typical in childcare centers as well.

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Home Daycare

For many, home daycare provides more flexibility than childcare centers. While some will keep traditional hours and offer only full-time schedules, some are more accommodating, opening earlier, closing later, offering drop-in care, and not requiring the same schedule week-to-week. You may find a home daycare provider who is willing to modify their hours either permanently or occasionally if you have specific needs. You also may not be locked into a long-term contract in a home daycare.

Social Emotional & Academic Curriculum

Childcare Centers

Childcare centers may be more apt to have a formal curriculum than a home daycare. Depending on the age of your child and what you think is best for your family, you may or may not find this beneficial. Early childhood education is primarily for social and emotional development. Both it, and academics, can be taught without the use of a formal curriculum, however, you may decide that you prefer having one.

RELATED: READ ABOUT CHILDCARE PHILOSOPHIES & CURRIUCULA HERE

Home Daycare

Within home daycare, the type of services provided vary greatly. There are home daycares who have curriculums on par with the best center-based preschools and work hard to develop their own curriculum and lesson plans. There are some who purchase curricula like Mother Goose Time or Frog Street. Many home daycares don’t have formal curricula but instead incorporate various social emotional and academic activities. And other home daycares who see themselves as primarily providing care, not specific learning activities.

A daycare with a formal curriculum is not inherently better than one without. It really depends on the age of your child and what your family’s needs are.

Closures, Vacations & Backup Care

Childcare Centers

Childcare centers are unlikely to have unexpected closures, with the exception of emergencies. Prior to enrollment, ask the center for their yearly calendar so you can see how many days they close. While many offer year-round care, some childcare centers will only close for a handful of major holidays while others will have longer vacations, similar to a public school calendar. Others don’t provide summer care at all.

If a teacher is ill, a center will generally have accessible substitutes and will not close the childcare center or any particular room for the day because of a lack of staff.

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Home Daycares

When considering a home daycare, they should also be able to provide you an annual calendar prior to enrollment. However, some home daycare providers will not schedule their vacations prior, only include in their contract a specific number of vacation days they’re allotted and will indicate how much notice they’ll provide you prior to taking vacation.

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Home daycare providers often also include sick days and personal days in their contract as well. Most do not have substitutes for these days and you frequently won’t have advance notice. All home daycare providers will tell you to have backup care available for these circumstances.

Continuity of Care

Childcare Centers

At the earliest ages, having continuity in who cares for your child is critical. It may take infants or toddlers experiencing separation anxiety several weeks or even months to form a secure bond with a new caregiver. The childcare industry has a very high turnover rate and childcare centers sometimes struggle to find staff. Speak with the childcare centers you’re considering about their staff turnover rate and how they provide continuity of care.

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Home Daycare

Because home daycare takes place in the home of the caregiver, there’s continuity of care for your entire enrollment period. Children are able to form secure bonds and you don’t have to be concerned with a specific teacher leaving. Often a home daycare provider becomes an extension of your own family.

Final Thoughts

Both childcare centers and home daycares can provide an exceptional experience for your child. Every family has different needs and childcare centers and home daycares meet different needs for different people. Check out some of the articles below which will help you in your search for childcare.

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Paper Pinecone is the #1 most trusted childcare directory giving parents access to the best preschools and best daycares near you. Parents always search free and childcare providers always list free. Send inquiries about the best daycares and preschools to [email protected].

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In-home day care vs. a day care center: What’s the difference?

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You have a lot of factors to consider when deciding on the best type of child care for your family. Many parents ultimately come down to a decision between a commercial day care center and an in-home day care, which is often called family child care.

Of course, there are advantages and considerations for both day care options, and every family has different child care needs and requirements. To help you decide which is best for your family, here’s an overview of both types of day care, as well as our list of pros and cons that can help you make the most informed decision about what’s right for your child.

What is in-home day care?

In general, what sets an in-home day care apart from a typical day care center is the care setting. In-home child care is provided in a professional caregiver’s home or another private residence, so your child is cared for in a home-like setting, rather than the more institutional setting of a child care center.

Parents of infants often prefer an in-home child care for its homey setting and because it can be easier to find one close to home. Many have smaller caregiver-to-child ratios, too, allowing the staff to provide more the individualized care parents of babies sometimes prefer.

In-home child care programs usually offer a mixed age group with a collection of infants, toddlers and preschoolers, so it’s more like a family than a classroom. This diversity can be a great learning environment for kids of all ages.

There are two main types of in-home day cares:

Family day care: This type of day care typically has one caregiver who cares for six children or fewer, though the specific amount will be determined by state-defined ratios. These providers may limit themselves to a specific age range or care for children of all ages.
Group day care: This type of child care usually consists of two or more adult caregivers and a larger group of children of varied ages. The specific numbers will depend on state ratios.

Not every state requires in-home day cares to be licensed. You can review the requirements for your particular state at your local state government website or by searching the National Database of Child Care Licensing Regulations. Parents should choose a licensed and/or accredited provider whenever possible.

What is a day care center?

Parents often choose a day care center for its social, learning environment. It’s like an early an introduction to the classroom, in which qualified caregivers care for kids who are grouped by age, from very young infants all the way to school-age children. A day care center generally allows for more kids than you’ll see in an in-home day care, but you’ll also find more caregivers to watch over those children.

Some parents consider a day care a safer situation for their children, in part because day care centers are often made to follow strict rules and regulations. Day care centers must be licensed by the state, and the qualifications for licensing vary state to state. These regulations typically establish caregiver-to-child ratios and certain health and safety requirements, as well as additional requirements related to training, certifications and background checks for employees. Check out this map of state-by-state resources via Child Care Aware for the child care licensing information relevant to your family.

Day care centers may be privately owned for profit, or they may be held by non-profit organizations, like churches, schools or the local government. Examples of center-based child day cares include school programs, summer camps, faith-based programs, nursery schools, preschools and pre-K, as well as licensed, independently owned or chain centers. Each state’s Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency determines if a provider is required to be regulated and what regulations must be met.

Pros and cons of in-home day care vs. day care centers

We asked a few experts to share the pros and cons of both types of day care. Carolyn Stolov, family-life expert at Care.com; Kathie Anderson, an in-home day care provider in Austin, Texas; and Donna Van Hall, director of Graves Mill Early Learning Center in Forest, Virginia, offered their expertise.

	DAY CARE CENTER	IN-HOME DAY CARE
PROS	Multiple child care providers: If one teacher is sick and unable to provide care, additional teachers can fill in so that parents aren’t left without a backup plan. State inspected and licensed: Child day care centers must meet standards for cleanliness and safety, and comply with building codes. Quality teachers: The teachers in child day cares may have a stronger education background and take ongoing classes to fulfill requirements. Age-appropriate curriculum: Children are often in age-based classrooms, learning activities, outdoor play, arts and crafts and activities to develop gross and fine motor skills.	More individual attention: “Children are often a face in the crowd in a day care center,” Anderson says. “In a family child care home, we really get to know each other well.” Affordability: The cost of in-home day care may be cheaper than a day care center. Fewer germs: Because there are fewer children, your child may be exposed to fewer illnesses. More relaxed curriculum: Children may follow a curriculum, but there’s often more freedom for the in-home day care provider to change the schedule. Siblings can remain together: This is an important factor for many parents, especially those whose children are very close.
CONSIDERATIONS	Cost: Child day care centers are commercial properties, so overhead is higher than a private home, making the cost of a child day care center higher. Learn more about the cost of child care. Germs: There are multiple children to a class and multiple classes in a center, increasing the chance for illness. Children may have less free play: Because child day care centers often teach a curriculum, children may engage in less free play.	Limited backup plans: Most in-home child care providers have a backup plan in the event of illness. However, emergencies can happen. Less regulation: Licensing of in-home day care programs varies state-by-state. If your area doesn’t regulate these programs, safety and health issues may be a concern. Difference in philosophies: In-home providers are all individuals. You may find the provider’s philosophy isn’t in line with your family’s style.

Whatever day care option you choose, make safety your No. 1 priority. Check licensing requirements, run background checks on the people caring for your child and focus on finding the right fit for your family’s particular needs.

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Child Care Center vs Home Daycare: Pros & Cons

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I love the simple fact that the pros and cons were stated in this post. However one thing I’d like…

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I recently organized a child care seminar for parents and parents-to-be. The goal was to have an open discussion so that parents could bring all of their child care related questions, worries, hopes, and fears to the table. During the seminar, I realized the differences between child care centers and family child care (also referred to as home-based daycare) were unclear for a lot of families. I was also asked which environment was the best, child care center vs home daycare. My answer was simple: no option is intrinsically better than the other.

Whether it is better for you to go with the home-like environment of a family child care provider or with the school-like environment of a center depends on the quality of the caregivers, program offered, and the specific needs of your family and your child.

In this post, I will outline some of the similarities and differences the two options offer, so that you can decide for yourself which one would suit your family better.

Family child care providers typically have:

1 to 4 caregivers/teachers
smaller facilities with a home-like environment
fewer children (typically 3 to 12 children)
mixed age groups with children of different ages

Child care centers typically have:

larger staff (lots of caregivers/teachers, as high as 30+)
larger facilities with a more institutionalized feel
many more children (anywhere from around 20 to 150 or more)
separate age groups, i.e. all babies are together in 1 group, all preschoolers are together in another, etc.

The benefits/advantages of a home-based child care program include:

a home-like environment
a closer teacher to child bond since the caregiver often cares for the child the entire day
fewer cases of illnesses since the child is exposed to fewer children
mixed age groups allowing for more sibling interaction
better teacher to child ratios since there are fewer children per teacher
a more flexible caregiver who is accommodating to your needs (i. e. a more flexible vacation policy, more likely to allow for a flexible schedule, etc.)
lower tuition rates (usually)
a caregiver who often becomes part of the family

The benefits/advantages of attending a center-based child care program typically include:

potentially better educated/trained caregivers (although not always)
a more structured schedule and school-like environment, especially beneficial for older preschoolers in preparation for kindergarten
more likely to have an educationally enriched curriculum that encourages literacy, language development, social and emotional development
opportunities to socialize with more children and teachers
substitute teachers, so should the caregiver become ill, someone else will fill in
enrichment activity opportunities like soccer, dance, music or foreign language classes are common
the use of technology (i.e. computers, ipads, and smartboards) to assist learning (not as common in homes)
better secured entrance and possibly in-class video cameras for surveillance

The potential downsides/disadvantages of home-based child care include:

possibly less educated teachers and less educationally enriched curriculum
possibly more exposure to television
sole caregiver with little supervision, so trust is essential

The potential downsides/disadvantages of child care centers include:

different people caring for your children due to shifts and high staff turnover rates. Your child is less likely to form a deep bond with the caregivers
less flexible policies about sick leave, vacation, etc.
potential to be exposed to a rigid academic curriculum which may be developmentally inappropriate and could discourage future success
higher tuition rates (usually)

What’s best for your child?
Selecting quality child care is crucial to your child’s future. Studies have shown that positive and negative effects of child care have proven to be long lasting. Infants and toddlers in poor-quality care are more likely to become less compliant and self-regulated preschoolers, while high-quality child care programs help children do better in kindergarten and beyond.

Family child care providers and child care centers can both offer poor and high-quality child care, and each type of care has its advantages and disadvantages. Since every family is different, you must decide on which type of care is best for your child. Regardless of whether you go with a home daycare or a child care center, look for a high-quality program that is licensed, has low teacher-to-child ratios, offers a developmentally appropriate curriculum, and has trained and experienced caregivers who will be invested in your child.

Have you experienced other advantages or disadvantages in family or center-based care? What has your experience been like?

About the author

Evgeniya Usmanova

CareLuLu Mom-In-Chief
(Co-founder & COO)

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What’s the Difference Between Center-Based & Home-Based Daycare?

What’s the Difference Between Center-Based & Home-Based Daycare?
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April 08, 2021

The difference between center-based daycares and home-based daycares is primarily in the location. Center-based daycares are operated in commercial care spaces—not in the owner’s home; home-based daycares, on the other hand, are run in residential spaces.

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Which Option Is Better: Home-Based or Center-Based Childcare?

That really depends on what you’re looking for with childcare. If you work odd hours, a home-based daycare might be able to accommodate your needs. However, there might be fewer workers to keep the center staffed if someone gets sick. Your child’s care is ultimately up to you, so trust your gut when making decisions about what’s best for your family.

Home-Based Daycare

By definition, home-based daycare is a small childcare business operated inside someone’s home.

Pros

Lower Costs: Surprisingly, home-based daycare centers are normally cheaper than center-based facilities. Based on a National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) study, Americans spend more on center-based daycare than on home-based childcare in most states. ¹
Smaller Class Sizes: At-home daycares typically have one to three caregivers for three to twelve kids. This allows kids to get more bonding time with their caregivers and grow in a nurturing environment with more personalized attention.
Home-Like Atmosphere: Smaller class sizes and the facility being in someone’s home could make home-based daycares feel more familiar to your kids. If you have shy or timid children, this can help them come out of their shells faster.
Flexibility: Home-based daycares aren’t necessarily nine-to-five businesses. Since they’re smaller, home-based daycare owners may be able to accommodate a trickier schedule for parents who work late shifts or long hours.
Less Germs: Fewer kids means less germs. When kids are little, they pick up everything—and end up getting sick constantly. While this process is important in building a strong immune system, it makes for unhappy kids and parents. Limit your child’s or baby’s exposure to a mecca of germs by sending them to a home-based daycare.

Cons

Mixed Ages: Smaller daycare facilities will most likely not have enough separate spaces to keep newborns and toddlers separate. On the upside, it will teach children to be aware of each other.
No Back-Up Plan: If your home-based daycare owner gets sick or goes on vacation, you might lose childcare for that day or week. This can be catastrophic for working parents who can’t stay home with kids.

Center-Based Daycare

Center-based daycare facilities are in commercial buildings. These businesses are usually much larger than home-based daycare centers and can therefore take in more kids.

Pros

Greater Peer Interaction: The larger class sizes of center-based daycare facilities can be a good thing. Your child will be able to play with lots of kids their own age. This will help with sharing, conscientiousness, learning from others, and making friends.
Lots of Staff: You know when you’re about to head out the door and the babysitter cancels? Well, you won’t need to worry about being flaked on with a bigger childcare facility. These businesses have lots of caretakers, so there’s always someone there during business hours. This consistency is something working parents count on.
Regulation: More kids means more organization. Center-based daycares open and close at strict hours. They also normally regulate children’s schedules with mealtime, naptime, playtime, and more. These kinds of schedules can help your children learn organization.

Cons

Strict Hours: While regimens can be good in some ways, they’re not in others. If you’re running late at the office or stuck in traffic, you may have to pay a fee for picking kids up late. Center-based daycares don’t revolve around you—you revolve around them.
Higher Costs: Center-based daycares are typically much more expensive per month than home-based daycare facilities. The overhead on these businesses is more expensive since the owners need to rent space, pay salaries, and buy insurance for many employees and children—and you end up paying more as a result.

Other Childcare Options

Nannies and au pairs are also great alternatives to consider for daycare.

Nannies: Some parents aren’t comfortable sending their children to daycare. If you’re among that group and have the budget, a nanny is a great option. This way, you know your child is in your home, under surveillance of your own indoor video cameras, and with someone you know. Your baby will get personalized attention since they will be the only one in the nanny’s care.
Au Pair: Au pairs are nannies from other countries, and they’re generally less expensive than other kinds of nannies—though they do often live with the host family. If you want to welcome a caretaker into your home, getting an au pair is a fantastic option that will allow your kids to form a bond and give you peace of mind knowing someone you trust is with your kids when you’re not.

Whichever type of daycare you choose, make sure you know what sort of baby proofing equipment they use. Check out our guides to baby gates and baby-proofing locks to get a feel for what types of devices your childcare center—or your home—should have.

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Data as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. SafeWise uses paid Amazon links.

*Amazon.com price as of 4/8/2021 at 9:10 a.m. (MT). Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Sources

Child Care Aware of America, “Parents and the High Cost of Child Care 2016”

Written by

Celeste Tholen

Celeste has dedicated her decade-long career to reporting and reviews that help people make well-informed decisions. She oversees editorial strategy and production for SafeWise, with a goal to help everyone find the information they need to make their homes and lives safer.

Prior to SafeWise, she worked as an editor and reporter for KSL and Deseret News. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. In her free time, she volunteers at the local botanical garden and writers for the community newspaper.

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Child Care Centre vS Home Daycare: How To Choose

Deciding who will care for your baby when you return to work is a big decision! There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the best type of daycare for your little one. Many parents ultimately come down to a decision between a day care center and an in-home daycare, also called a home daycare. Here is everything you need to know if you are pondering the question – child care centre vs home daycare?

If you are a first-time parent, you may not know the difference between a daycare center versus a home daycare…and that’s okay. When I was a new mom, picking a place to send my precious baby, when my maternity leave ended, was a scary and confusing task.

There are advantages to each daycare option, and your family will have different child care needs than the next. Between my four young daughters, I have experience with both center-based childcare and homecare, so I understand the pros and cons of each.

Here’s is my overview of both types of daycare, to help you make the most informed decision.

What is Home Daycare?

What most sets an in-home daycare apart from a daycare center is the setting. Home child care is provided in a caregiver’s home, rather than a larger child care center.

Parents of infants often prefer in-home child care for its homey atmosphere, and because it can be easier to find one. Home cares often have smaller caregiver-to-child ratios – allowing the caregiver to provide more individualized attention to each child.

All four of my girls attended a licensed home daycare when I returned to work after my maternity leaves. Personally, I found comfort in knowing my baby was with a small group of children in someone’s home. I was fortunate enough to find a wonderful childcare provider who developed a tight bond with my girls.

In-home child care programs usually offer a mixed age group with a combination of infants, toddlers and preschoolers, so it’s more like a family than a preschool. There are government regulations regarding how many children of each age one provider can have in their home – to ensure children receive the care they require.

For example, in Ontario, childcare providers must follow the rules set out in the Child Care & Early Years Act. There are two types of home-based child care in my province of Ontario:

Home-based Child Care Options

home child care providers overseen by a licensed agency
unlicensed home child care

Here is a summary table of the main features of licensed versus unlicensed home daycare.

Licensed VS Unlicensed Home Child Care Comparison

Home Care Option	Number of Children Allowed	Responsibilities of Child Care Provider
Licensed Home Daycare (overseen by a licensed agency)	Up to six children under the age of 13	Count their own children if they are younger than four years old Maximum of three children younger than two years old Meet the regulations outlined by the licensed agency, as directed by the provincial government
Unlicensed Home Daycare	Up to five children under the age of 13	Count their own children if they are younger than four years old Maximum of three children younger than two years old Can’t operate in more than one location Inform parents in writing that they are unlicensed by the Government of Ontario (or other) Keep proof that parents are aware of unlicensed status

Child Care Centre VS Home Daycare Comparison: Licensed VS Unlicensed Information Table

Read: 15 Items Your Child Needs For Daycare (for babies & toddlers)

What is a Daycare Centre?

Parents often choose a daycare centre for what they consider to be its social and educational advantages. It’s like an early introduction to the kindergarten classroom – with larger groups of children in a preschool setting.

Qualified caregivers care for kids who are grouped by age, from young infants all the way to children about to attend school.

Daycare centres have a larger staff of early childcare professionals and are made to follow strict rules and regulations. They are licensed by the province and qualifications vary across the country. These regulations establish caregiver-to-child ratios, health and safety requirements, as well as rules related to training, certifications and background checks for employees.

Daycare centres are often run by organizations such as churches, schools or municipal governments. These centres may also operate before-and-after school programs, summer camps, early years programs, preschools, and can be independently owned or part of a chain.

What are the advantages of sending your child to a daycare centre?

Read: How to Choose Between the 12 and 18 Month Parental Leave

Child Care Centre VS Home Daycare: Pros & Cons

Daycare Centres

Daycare centres provide childcare out of a facility, such as a community centre, church, or school. Although I’ve never enrolled any of my daughters with a daycare centre when they were babies, my 2-year-old daughter now attends one and she loves it! I decided to move her from her home daycare to the centre because It is conveniently located at the school where I teach.

Here are some of the main advantages, and disadvantages, myself and others parents have found with having your child attend a centre-based child care program.

Pros

Consistency – Daycare centres are open weekdays during set hours and there is always staff available. So even if a daycare worker calls in sick, you know you still have child care.

Social – Daycare centres have a larger number of children enrolled and divide kids up by age groups, so your child will be able to socialize with more children his/her age, as well as more teachers.

Safety – Daycare centres are required to follow provincial daycare regulations, such as passing regular health inspections, hiring staff with CPR & First Aid training and obtaining comprehensive insurance. There are usually locked entrances and security cameras onsite.

Structure – Centres offer regular programs and activities for kids such as craft time, outdoor play time, story time and sing-a-longs. Many centres also take the children on daily walks, to the park, or on field trips to a petting zoo or apple orchard.

Education – Centres are more likely to have an educationally enriched curriculum, that teaches literacy, language development, and social & emotional skills – all of which are helpful for preparing your child for kindergarten.

Employee Training – The staff are educated & trained professional caregivers, such as early childhood educators

Read: Newborn Baby Essentials on a Budget

Cons

Cost – Daycare centres are more expensive. Private daycare centres will typically charge more to cover things like rent, staff salaries, insurance, utilities and food. To save money, look for one that is not-for-profit or government subsidized. To give you an idea of the price difference, I paid $37 per day for my daughter to attend her former home daycare. I now pay $50 per day at her daycare centre.

Inflexibility – Many daycare centres charge an extra fee to parents who are late to pick their children up or need to drop them off early. Centres may have less flexible policies – requiring you to pay for days your child is ill, for government holidays, and for vacation days.

Large Groups – Many daycare centres provide care to large groups of kids at once, separated into infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms. This may not be right for you if you’re looking for a more intimate setting for your baby.

Illness – When your child starts daycare for the first time, they are bound to catch several colds in the first year. In a larger centre, there are more children, therefore more germs floating around.

Staff Turnover – At a centre, your child will have 3 to 4 different caregivers in his/her classroom, depending upon enrollment. This could affect their ability to form a close bond with one caregiver.

What are the advantages of sending your child to a home daycare?

Read: How To Teach Your Kids French At Home

Home Daycares

Home daycares provide childcare out of a care provider’s home. The background and experience of the caregiver should be an important factor when choosing a provider. For example, the wonderful woman who took care of my girls was a former kindergarten teacher. That gave me lots of confidence in her ability to teach and supervise my children.

Pros

Small Groups – There are provincial regulations that strictly limit the number of children homecare providers can care for at once, meaning your child will have plenty of individual attention.

Flexibility – Home daycares are often flexible with pick-up and drop-off times, and some providers won’t charge you for holidays, sick days, or vacation time.

Family Atmosphere – Home daycares are similar to sending your child to stay with an aunt or grandma for the day. This was my reason for choosing this option when my kids were little. My girls formed a bond with their caregiver and a few other “friends” they played with at her home.

Close friendships – The smaller number of children attending a homecare can create close friendships between the children. Often the care providers are parents themselves who have their own young kids at home. My daughters became good friends with our providers own girls, often inviting them to their birthday parties or playdates outside of daycare hours.

Costs – Home daycares are often less expensive than child care centres. As mentioned above, I’m currently spending about $300 more per month sending my daughter to a centre than I did at a home daycare.

Fewer Illnesses – There should be fewer cases of illness since your child is exposed to fewer children.

Read: How To Save Money For Maternity Leave

Cons

No Backup – If your child care provider falls ill, goes on vacation, or has an appointment, you’re left without childcare unless you have family to help you out.

Safety – It’s up to you to verify if the setting is safe for your child if you place him or her in an unlicensed home daycare.

Space – The space available for your child to learn and play is dependent upon the size of the caregiver’s home and yard. Caregivers must have a dedicated space in their house set aside for the daycare, as well as a quite place for the children to nap.

Less Structure – The quality of the educational curriculum depends upon the desire and abilities of the homecare provider. Look for one who understands early childhood education, and can prepare enriched and engaging activities for your child to do each day.

Read: How To Make A Budget For A Big Family

Is a Home Daycare Or Daycare Centre Best For Your Child?

Placing your child in someone else’s care when you return to work is a heart-wrenching time for moms and dads alike. I remember, all to well, the worry and guilt I felt at having to leave my baby during the day for the first time…it just didn’t seem fair!

But, be reassured, that all will be well. There are both wonderful homecare providers and child care centres that offer high-quality care for children.

Since every family is different, you must decide on which type of care is best for your child. Regardless of whether you decide on a home daycare or a child care center, look for a program that is licensed, has low teacher-to-child ratios, offers an educationally appropriate curriculum, and has experienced caregivers who will bond with your child.

Do your research, check references, and reflect on the pros and cons mentioned in this article to help you make your choice.

If you enjoyed Child Care Centre VS Home Daycare, please share!

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Child Care Center Versus In-Home Care: What is the right choice for my family?

One of the hardest parts of parenting through early childhood years is making decisions about your child’s care throughout the workday. The importance of early learning and early childhood development cannot be overstated, as it’s well known to form the foundation of a lifetime of healthy learning and development. There are many considerations when it comes to selecting a child care program or in-home caregiver that is right for your family, and it’s completely normal for big decisions like these to come with a lot of complex feelings and conflicting opinions. Here are a few guidelines to help parents and caregivers objectively weigh their child care options:

Understand the difference between a regulated and non-regulated child care setting. A full-time babysitter who is only watching children from one family is not required to be registered with DSS Child Care Licensing. Without that additional oversight and regulation, parents or caregivers must have complete trust in their chosen babysitter. If a potential caretaker is responsible for children from more than one family that isn’t related to them, they are required to be registered as a provider with DSS Child Care Licensing. A regulated child care setting can give parents some additional peace of mind because registration means several things, including that the provider meets basic requirements for health and safety, DSS has the right to visit and evaluate the setting once a year, and all household members have completed required background checks to be registered.
Consider the pros and cons of each child care setting. For many parents and caregivers, convenience may be top of mind when a neighbor or friend offers to watch their child when they go back to work. Some pros for in-home care may be a more home-like environment, a closer teacher-to-child bond and potentially smaller caregiver-to-child ratio, less exposure to childhood colds and illnesses, and a more flexible caregiver. Some cons for in-home care could be potentially less qualified caregivers and less educational curriculum, less oversight and safety checks like video surveillance, possibly more screen/television time, and the lack of a substitute if the babysitter or caregiver is sick. On the flip side, some pros for regulated child care centers may include: a more structured and school-like environment, which may be especially beneficial for children approaching kindergarten; substitute teachers should teachers fall ill or be unavailable; potentially more educationally enriched curriculum; more opportunities to socialize with a wide variety of teachers and children; potentially more enrichment activities like music or dance; a better-secured entrance and possible in-class video cameras; first aid and CPR-trained staff are often on-site; and state registration with DSS Child Care Licensing. Some cons for child care centers could be less flexible policies when it comes to sick days, vacations, or late pick-ups; the chance of more exposure to childhood colds and illnesses; the possibility of different people caring for your child due to different shifts and work schedules; and occasionally higher tuition rates.
Place health and safety above all else. The health and safety of a child will always be more important than cost or convenience. So, one main thing to look out for is an in-home babysitter or caregiver watching children from multiple families who are not registered with DSS Child Care Licensing. When the number of children increases in any home setting, additional safety precautions—and state regulation—should be in place. Providers who are registered must hit several key safety measures, including meeting DSS defined basic requirements for health and safety, allowing DSS to conduct a visit and check things out annually, and passing central registry/sex offender/fingerprint background checks to rule out any past charges of child abuse or neglect.

Whether or not parents decide to go with an in-home daycare, babysitter, or a child care center, they should always look for a high-quality environment that is regulated (if required), has low caregiver-to-student/child ratios, offers a variety of indoor and outdoor activities to stimulate age-appropriate development, and one that places their child with a trained and experienced care provider (or providers). Parents and caregivers should always look for a situation in which they feel basic health and safety needs are met, but also somewhere they feel caregivers will be invested in their child’s overall education, development, and well-being.

For more information on ABC Quality’s grading procedure of participating child care providers in South Carolina, visit www.abcquality.org/what-is-abc-quality/.

By ABC Quality Team on December 22, 2021

Home kindergarten? How does it happen?

Sooner or later in the life of every parent, the question arises: should I send my child to a kindergarten, and which kindergarten to choose?

Today there are several categories of kindergartens in nature. For example, kindergartens are of a general developmental type with a priority direction (for example, physical, intellectual, artistic and aesthetic, etc.), child development centers and kindergartens of a combined and compensating type (speech therapy, orthopedic, eye, etc. ). And also according to the principle of management – municipal, departmental, private and domestic, or, as they are also called, family kindergartens . And if with all the rest everything is more or less clear, then what the latter are and whether they should be trusted with the upbringing of their children, not every parent knows today.

A family kindergarten is a small private kindergarten, which is usually maintained by a married couple in their own or specially rented apartment, where a playroom, a bedroom and other rooms necessary for classes with kids are specially equipped. If necessary and depending on the number of children attending home kindergarten , a teacher, nanny, cook, teachers and other specialists can be invited to it. But most often all these functions are performed by the hostess of the house.

Home kindergarten. Pros and cons

Family kindergarten is a relatively new phenomenon in Russia. Just like any other preschool educational institution, it has its pros and cons. Among the main advantages that are usually considered by parents are, as a rule, a smaller number of pupils and improved conditions for their stay (the so-called home environment). If the organizers really created their kindergarten with great love for the children who will attend it, and concern for their development, then, as a rule, the pupils of such institutions are really comfortable in them, and the kids are happy to spend time there. In addition, in a home kindergarten, by prior arrangement, you can always leave your child for an extra couple of hours, and sometimes even an extra day. True, you will have to pay extra for this, but, nevertheless, it can be convenient for those parents whose work schedule is irregular.

The family kindergarten also has its drawbacks. First of all, the activities of such establishments in Russia are unofficial. There is no need to talk about a license for educational activities at all. For the same reason – the illegality of the business, the quality of food is also not monitored and controlled by someone else, except for the organizers of the home kindergarten. And what parents have to rely on in this case is their honesty, decency and luck.

This is perhaps the most serious disadvantage of the family kindergarten. Although there are others. Such as the quality of your baby’s education, which can suffer significantly compared to your visit to any other private kindergarten – because of the small budget, such institutions cannot always afford professional teachers with extensive experience in the field of education.

In addition, such a kindergarten does not have a specially equipped playground for walking, children usually walk in the courtyard of the house where home kindergarten is located. In the course of this, babysitting becomes much more difficult, additional risks appear.

And finally, given the location of the kindergarten, after the first complaint from the neighbors of the house about noise or just a report about the illegal activities of the organizers, such a preschool institution can be closed, and its owners brought to justice . ..

In general, when sending a child to such a kindergarten, parents should remember that with all the advantages of such an institution, no one except you yourself bears real responsibility for your child in it …

A good alternative to a family kindergarten is a mini-kindergarten Montessori

If you are generally satisfied with the principle of a private kindergarten, then there is another form of preschool that has recently appeared, but is already popular. This is a mini-kindergarten or, more simply, a part-time group of a kindergarten operating on the basis of a children’s development center. This is a new promising direction in the system of preschool education for toddlers, ideal for loving parents who do not plan to send their child to a regular kindergarten.

The Sozvezdie network of children’s developing Montessori centers offers you its mini-kindergarten program, based on Montessori developmental classes and which is actually a part-time kindergarten group, but with very high quality training and loving staff, where everything is created for in order to grow out of your baby a truly unique and inimitable personality. In our mini-kindergarten groups, your child will easily and in an interesting way receive all the knowledge necessary for entering school, as well as the most important skills in modern life, such as interaction with others, self-discipline, responsibility, love of learning and many, many others. .

Part-time kindergarten groups of the network of children’s developing Montessori centers “Sozvezdie” – it is always an individual approach to education and upbringing, an interesting teaching program, very high-quality preparation for school and loving staff, looking forward to each new meeting with their pupils .

Come and see everything with your own eyes!
Trial lesson is free!

Transition from theoretical articles to practical exercises HERE

Nesadovsky or home? How to live without a kindergarten

It is believed that “non-kindergarten” children are deprived of something: socialization, development, even the ability to obey adults. Is it so? Is it necessary to attend a kindergarten and what is required from parents if a child grows up at home, we discuss with psychologist Anna Skavitina.

Anna Skavitina, psychologist, analyst, member of the IAAP (International Association of Analytical Psychology), supervisor of the ROAP and the Jung Institute (Zurich), expert of the Psychology journal

Garden for all

Not so long ago, children were divided into “kindergarten” and “non-kindergarten”: it was assumed that those who are in good health and got a place in the institution must go to kindergarten in order to receive a package of educational and educational services. They looked at the “non-Sadovskie”, domestic children with sympathy, regretting the serious losses that their recently begun life suffered, and pondering how to compensate for the gaps in socialization, without which schooling was seriously threatened.

I think many people know that kindergartens were invented so that parents could go to work and join the social labor market without thinking that the child would be left without care. Later, additional educational functions were “attached” to kindergartens, and subsequently attending a kindergarten began to be interpreted as an indispensable element in the development of a child. And even the presence of free grandparents in the family, who are happy to take care of their grandchildren, has come to be seen as an insufficient factor for adequate supervision and intellectual development. Children began to fall under state care from an early age.

Today we see a reverse trend: the value of a child grows along with the desire of parents to bring up and raise a child in the way they consider it right. This has been helped in no small part by the fact that today’s adults have become more sensitive to situations of violence. Having experienced unpleasant moments in kindergarten themselves in childhood, when they were forced to eat, sleep, planted in a row on pots, “hewn and planed” so that they were less sensitive to their emotions and needs, they now do not want the same for their children – fantasizing that everything will be the same in modern kindergartens.

All this has led to the emergence of numerous alternatives to public kindergartens: private kindergartens based on different educational paradigms, short stay groups that develop children’s centers, hobby groups, a revived institute of nannies and governesses, etc. And for children who are not never went to kindergarten, now it is not necessary to have an excuse in the form of health problems. And it also turned out that children who do not attend kindergarten may well be physically, intellectually and emotionally developed at all no worse than children after kindergarten training.

Are we sure we can do it?

The main purpose of the kindergarten is to provide care and supervision, that is, to temporarily take over the functions of parents. Parents who have chosen not to send their child to kindergartens at all usually understand that he will be with them 24/7. And all educational functions that could be outsourced will need to be taken over. In general, this is possible, because many generations of people raised children without social structures, but in the current world, the amount of what exactly a child should be able to and know by school age has seriously changed. It’s another matter that very few parents can combine a full-time paid job, even without going to the office with a child, and even more so with several. Therefore, it is worth deciding whether they have enough psychological, time and financial resources to cope without the support of a kindergarten.

Which of the “basic development kit” should be organized for the child at home?
⁃ Communication in a team. Closer to the age of three, most children become so interested in the company of their peers and the opportunity to play with them, and this is such an important factor in their development, that it will be necessary to provide children with regular opportunities to develop communication skills. This task will be helped by the company of your friends and girlfriends with children, the playground in the yard with its regular conflicts and attempts to resolve them. The fact that children on the playground are of different ages and from very different families gives the child the opportunity to get in touch with real life, but with the support of a loved one.

⁃ Communication with adults outside the family. In kindergarten, the child gradually begins to understand that there are adults besides parents who have to be heard and listened to. They can take care of you and teach you new things while your parents are busy, but you cannot immediately get support from your parents in difficult situations for you. That is, the child learns to accept the rules of interaction in the social environment, to cope independently for some time with difficult emotional situations before the appearance of parents. This task can be taken on by those adults to whom you are ready to entrust the child: grandmothers, nannies, your friends, teachers in developmental classes.

⁃ Intellectual and physical development. Here it must be admitted that many mothers can provide much better conditions for the development of the child than the average kindergarten. If only because the kindergarten is designed for the average child, that is, it does not take into account his individual abilities and characteristics. If a child spends a lot of time with relatives in conversations, takes part in household chores, then knowledge about many areas of life is acquired without long and forced sitting at a desk. Of course, if he is left to himself all day long, busy mainly with gadgets, then any state kindergarten will give odds to such home education. The minimum set of modeling, drawing, construction, self-service, music lessons and physical education is included in the program of an ordinary kindergarten. Consider how you can provide this at home.

⁃ Life on schedule. For most children, life according to an understandable schedule is the path to a stable mental state and understanding of the world order. Kindergarten provides this automatically; it is more difficult to organize this at home, especially for parents who are used to living in accordance with today’s mood and not adhering to a stable schedule for themselves. You can live with a pet child according to any schedule, if it suits all the inhabitants of the house, but it is better to have one, at least an approximate one. The schedule may well not be strictly tied to hours and minutes, but at least to a sequence of actions: after waking up, we always wash our faces, then have breakfast, then walk or draw. Children love sequences and rituals, and if parents take this fact into account, then many things will happen without the undue stress that is created by having to strictly fall into the schedule.

How do you prepare for school?

There are no mandatory competencies that a child must have before entering school, but there are unspoken ones: they will help you more easily adapt to the next stage of development, if, of course, you plan to send him to school, and not continue home schooling (now this is also no one not surprising). It is these unspoken competencies that parents need to focus on in order to assess whether everything is moving in the right pace and direction. What are these knowledge and skills?

1. Knowledge about your family: name, surname, family composition, who is related to whom, what parents do, address and at least one telephone number.
2. Time and space. Seasons and months, orientation in hours with hands and in the schedule of the day. Left-right, top-down, shapes of objects and their colors.
3. Basic safety rules. Do not leave alone or with strangers, know the rules of pedestrian behavior, etc.
4. Communication skills. Ability to interact with children and adults, work in a team with other children, present the result.
5. Speak and know the alphabet. It is not required to be able to read before school, but it is easier for children who read to adapt. Understand simple text and express it in your own words.
6. Count. This does not mean just pronouncing the count to 100 or 1000 – this is to be able to count the number of objects or people, to understand “less” and “more”, to have an elementary idea of fractions: half an apple, its quarter.
7. General development. Ability to use simple objects, cut with scissors and use glue, put things in place, follow verbal instructions, etc.

This is a short but basic list of preschooler competencies. Are there any skills that must be acquired in kindergarten? Absolutely not. Therefore, whether to send the child to kindergarten or leave him at home until school or beyond, each family decides based on its own resources and the characteristics and abilities of the child that he discovered. There are no perfect and only right solutions. Questions on the adaptation of a “non-Sadov” child in school are no more difficult to solve than those who went to kindergarten, if the parents took care of the aspects that we discussed above.

See also:

The best gift for a teacher: 5 things for which they will say “thank you” in kindergarten

We don’t get bored at home! What to do with a child while he does not go to kindergarten or school

8 books for those who are going to kindergarten soon

Photo: VGstockstudio, Oksana Kuzmina, Studio Romantic/Shutterstock

upbringing

making a decision.

— Directory of private kindergartens and nurseries

Have you opened a home kindergarten? Then we go to you!

“When a home kindergarten opened in our area, not only me, but many other mothers breathed a sigh of relief,” says Svetlana, mother of three-year-old Alina. – I was forced to go to work when my daughter was two years old, a retired neighbor volunteered to “look after” her for a small fee. Of course, I had no complaints about her – the child was supervised, fed, but my heart sank from the fact that Alina spent almost the whole day watching cartoons, did not communicate much with her peers, did not attend developmental classes. Now she only chirps about what plants she and her teacher grow on the windowsill, in which games Alina turns out to be more agile than other children, or what thematic lesson she remembers more than others.

Why do we need a home kindergarten?

Almost all parents apply to place their child on the waiting list for preschool immediately after receiving his birth certificate. Some mothers, especially concerned that their child will not get a place in a particular institution, agree with the head long before the birth of the baby himself, the price of the issue sometimes reaches the six-month payment for a private kindergarten. But despite these measures, queues for municipal kindergartens are as long today as they were in Soviet times for an apartment or a car.

What to do if a place in a preschool educational institution should appear only by the age of four, and the maternity leave of the mother is paid only up to one and a half years of her child? In such a situation, child care centers or home kindergartens come to the rescue. Sometimes home kindergartens are founded by enthusiastic parents to collectively solve the problem of organizing leisure time for their beloved child. Often, educators for children act in turn, united mothers. A vivid example of this is the story of Irina Vyazemskaya, who not so long ago opened a kindergarten (or rather, it should be called a children’s leisure center) at her home.

The idea of creating a home leisure center came to Irina not as a kind of business idea, but rather as a salvation. Irina is a teacher by education, a single mother raising a 2-year-old son. “I, like many mothers, faced the problem of placing a child in a state kindergarten,” says Ira. – Paid maternity leave was coming to an end, and there was no question of going to work: I had no one to leave Mishenka with, my mother worked 5 days a week herself. In order to carve out at least some free time and devote it to work, I came up with the following scheme. Having agreed with my friends who have children of the same age as Misha, I suggested that they take turns looking after our children, for example, today from 10 am to 1 pm all the children play at Olya’s house, tomorrow at Masha’s, and the day after tomorrow at mine. Gradually, I became so involved in the work of a teacher (my pedagogical education came in handy) that I decided to arrange a mini-leisure center for children.

Irina converted one of the rooms in her apartment into a playroom, purchased educational aids for children, and prepared play sessions for children. The first visitors to such a play center were the children of the same friends, but Irina was looking after them for more than a fee. Now there are 5 guys in the group in the first half of the day and 3 in the afternoon.

Recently, this type of home kindergarten, created by amateurs, has been replaced by commercial ones.
Such a kindergarten is distinguished by the level of training of educators and the presence of a unique offer. This can be teaching kids according to a popular developmental methodology (many creative centers work according to the methodology
Maria Montessori
, system
Glen Doman
, teach reading using Zaitsev’s cubes or the Cecile Lupan method), the availability of a special menu for children eating on a special diet.

Most often, a home kindergarten is a two- or three-room apartment that meets all the requirements of young visitors. There are: a game room, a bedroom, a kitchen where the guys eat at a large common table, like at home. In home kindergartens, there are also specially equipped sports corners with a wall bar, a horizontal bar, and large gymnastic balls. If a kindergarten is located in a private house, then, as a rule, it has its own playground.

The composition of the group usually consists of three to ten people. For each of them, educators promise to find an individual approach, which will help to maximize the development of the child’s innate talents.

You have decided to open a home kindergarten, weigh all the pros and cons!

Such a form of employment of children as a home kindergarten in our country is still a novelty, it is not as widespread as, for example, in the United States, but it already has its supporters. As you know, demand creates supply, and this gives confidence that home gardens will take root beneficially on our soil.

Opening your own home kindergarten is a great idea not only for parents who dream of a permanent income “without leaving home”, but also for private entrepreneurs who plan to try their hand at a new business area.

What are the benefits of opening a home kindergarten:

Your own child is supervised, you have the opportunity to choose educators for him and a good company of children, you will be sure that he receives quality food.
This is a demanded and profitable activity with relatively low costs and low risks.
You will have the opportunity to prove yourself as a private entrepreneur, director, manager, educator, learn time management, and therefore grow professionally.
Formally, in order to open a home kindergarten, or rather a child care center, you only need a work permit and contracts with parents.

Home kindergarten is an excellent alternative to public and private kindergartens, but this business has its own nuances that should be considered in advance. For example:

lack of own playground. Most often, children are either indoors or taken out for a walk in the nearest park or square;
subject to renting a room (if you do not own an apartment that can be converted), the very next day a crowd of disgruntled neighbors may appear at your doorstep complaining about the noise. However, if you are a sociable person, then solve this problem in no time;
you cannot suddenly fall ill or go on vacation for a long time. The issue with your replacement should be decided in advance.

The organization of the upbringing and leisure of children is not an easy task, requiring the investment of considerable effort and imagination. Therefore, it will be especially pleasant when your undertaking will be fully realized and will benefit not only you, but also your little visitors. Good luck!

You can learn how to prepare for the opening from the following article.
Alisa Ivannikova

pluses and minuses, prices in private kindergartens, from what age do they start in Ukraine in 2022

At what age to give the baby to the kindergarten, each parent must decide individually. However, there are certain recommendations of experts that carry the message: “The later – the better.”

For a one and a half year old baby (namely, from this age some kindergartens accept children), mother is the center of the universe. And wherever the child spends time, with whomever he plays and communicates, he needs to feel her constant presence. Giving a garden to a baby at this age is not the right decision, and it can only be due to extreme necessity. Those parents who believe that they will “get used to it faster” simply do not know that the child will only come to terms with the inevitable circumstances. And yet, it will endure stress, which subsequently, for sure, will affect the emotional state and physical health of the child.

For a two-year-old child, the process of psychological adaptation in the garden can already be much milder. After all, firstly, it will be easier for him to “let go” of his mother, and secondly, the baby will acquire the necessary independence skills. Thirdly, if the staff of the garden is really professional, and the kid is sociable, then he may like it in the garden and he will easily enter the children’s team. However, the child is still quite small, and if the baby’s adaptation to the nursery is problematic, then it is worth postponing their visit.

When the child is 3-3.5 years old, it is already possible to start getting acquainted with the kindergarten. Now the baby understands that playing with peers is very fun and entertaining, and it can be interesting not only next to mom. But if something goes wrong at the age of three, attempts to introduce the child into the team should be postponed until the age of four – it is what experts call ideal for starting kindergarten.

Where is the best place?

Whatever a mother chooses for her child – attendance at a nursery or home education – she should know that any of the options can have its own advantages and disadvantages.

Benefits of kindergarten:

In kindergarten, a child spends a lot of time with his peers – he learns to build relationships, communicate, make friends, share and help. There, the child can feel part of the team. In other words, he goes through a mandatory period of socialization.
Kindergarten is, of course, a regime and discipline, the observance of which will positively affect the health and upbringing of the child.
In the garden, the baby, looking at other children, will learn to be more independent. However, parents also need to prepare their child for kindergarten: eat, dress and use the potty on their own.
Kindergarten works according to a special program for the intellectual and physical development of the child, which provides for his versatile development.
In the garden, kids are required to participate in the preparation and holding of various holidays and matinees, which will help develop the creative abilities of children.
Bonus for mom – a few hours of free time for herself while the child is in the garden.

Disadvantages of kindergarten:

Usually a kindergarten group has more than 20 children, sometimes even 30. And there is only one teacher. And no matter how conscientiously he does his job, he is not able to keep track of all the children at the same time.
If the group is large, there is no guarantee that the child will fully master the necessary knowledge and skills provided for by the educational program of the kindergarten.
Nutrition in kindergarten cannot be compared with home.
Starting to attend kindergarten, children get sick quite often, and not only with colds, but they can bring home a worse infection. In addition, in the team, childhood diseases (chickenpox, whooping cough, rubella) go in circles and, as a rule, end in quarantine.

Advantages of home education:

A home child is always supervised, so the mother has the opportunity to provide him with constant and high-quality care and care.
Daily activities with the baby will bring incomparably more benefits than similar ones in the garden.
At home, the child’s diet is entirely under the mother’s control.
Lack of contact with sick children, who will definitely be in the kindergarten group, will have a positive effect on the health of the crumbs.
The most important point: not a single, even the best educator, will provide the amount of warmth, attention and care that a baby needs. Only a mother can give it. Having received such valuable baggage in early childhood, the child will be emotionally more stable, open to communication and self-confident.

Disadvantages of home education:

The most important and difficult task for a mother is to ensure that her child communicates with peers in the right amount. Playgrounds, playrooms, various mugs for kids will help her.
A mother may not always be able to devote the right amount of time to her child due to household chores. However, it is important to remember that the mother’s profession is the most important.

Any options?

A mother who has decided to work with a child at home should know that this process requires thorough preparation and consistency. Whichever of the developing methods the mother stops at, it is important to remember that she will need to devote time to the development of the baby’s speech, exercises for fine motor skills, creative activities, and also mastering the basics of mathematics.

Today children’s development centers come to the aid of mother. In addition to all of the above, they offer early development classes for children up to a year old, foreign language, music and dance lessons, art therapy, and hold various holidays. In addition, visiting such a center, the baby is in the team.

Some toddlers may benefit from a part-time group. This service is provided by development centers and private gardens. In addition to classes, such a group may include a walk and lunch.

Public or private nurseries?

Of course, a full-fledged nursery means care, supervision, and development. But one cannot count on an individual approach to a child in state nurseries – there are too many children per caregiver. In a private kindergarten, groups are much smaller from 5 (home kindergarten) to 20 children maximum, but usually up to 10-15 people. This allows the caregiver to devote more time to the individual child. In addition, in a group with a smaller number of immune adaptation in a child will be easier.

Private kindergarten teachers are not just people from the street, as is sometimes the case in state institutions. These are professionals with experience who love and appreciate their work.

Private gardens in Kyiv are usually established on the basis of state ones, and even their food can be the same. As in public kindergartens, private children are accepted from 1.5-2 years old. Opening hours are mainly from 8.00 to 19.00, sometimes – until 20.00-21.00.

The curriculum in the public garden usually consists of a classic set of classes. And only recently has it become possible to supplement them with various exciting courses for a fee – logic, creativity, a foreign language, dance, etc. In a private garden, the program initially consists of a large list of various special courses and may include elements of a particular development methodology.

The material base, grounds and the territory itself in a private garden will be much better than in a public one. But with all its advantages, not everyone can afford teaching a baby in a private kindergarten. That is why, the services of such an institution are used by people of a certain social level.

How to open a kindergarten: step-by-step instructions for a startup

How much does a private kindergarten cost?

If we are talking about a public kindergarten, then, in addition to the monthly receipt for paying for food, parents must be prepared for regular contributions. This is the fund of the group and kindergarten, fees for repairs, the purchase of new furniture / tulle / bed linen, various holidays. In addition, do not forget about the “charitable” entrance fee.

In a private kindergarten, the relationship between its management and the child’s parents is contractual, all amounts are specified in the documents.

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Home kindergarten (metro Novye Cheryomushki, South-Western Administrative District)

Tatyana Yarygina, Ulyana’s mother

My daughter went to the Brothers Rabbits kindergarten for two years before going to school. This kindergarten was fourth or fifth on my list, and I didn’t even look further. Elena won me over right away, because she started the conversation with questions about the child: what is the name of your girl? What does she love? What doesn’t he love? What games does he play? Does she like to play with other guys? Oh, it’s great that you have such an active! And then she invited us to come and get acquainted, to look at each other. This felt a sincere interest in the child and love for his work, while the rest immediately reported how much they would have to pay, and at the same time they were not at all interested in the child.

Ulyasha liked the “Brother Rabbits” right away. And for me, the absence of the usual kindergarten violence was decisive: your child does not sleep during the day – well, you don’t have to, no one will put him to bed, there will always be something to do, or you can go for a walk. And food will not be forcibly stuffed, they try to take into account the habits of everyone.

I specifically asked my daughter: why do you love your kindergarten? She wrote down the answer: “I love kindergarten, because there are wonderful teachers (well, this is already a school word), there are good guys. I like to have breakfast and lunch there, because they distribute food there, whoever wants what. There are many more toys. And I especially like the turnstile (this, apparently, is a sports complex)).

Preparing for school was also great: Ulya learned to read and write in block letters in the garden, count up to 100 and beyond, perform simple arithmetic operations, Aunt Lena also taught them English. In any case, we didn’t take the child anywhere else before school – what she received in the kindergarten was enough for her. And what crafts and applications they did! And New Year’s holidays were cheerful.

In general, my daughter from kindergarten (and she is already in the second grade) is still very bored and often remembers, and if we meet Aunt Lena or Aunt Olya on the street, she runs to hug them and tell excitedly her school news. She was very good! Thank you very much for that))

Sophia Arendt, mother of Vera

We sent our daughter to kindergarten when she was not even three years old. I urgently needed to go to work, we could not afford a full-time nanny, and we did not dare to send such a small child to a state kindergarten. My husband and I still have memories of kindergartens that we went to as children, our children want something different. In addition, at such a young age, only GKP is offered to a child in state gardens, and this is an insignificantly small number of hours, it is absolutely impossible to combine this with work. Well, the main point. For us, the most important thing was to find a teacher we would trust. Which will please both us and our daughter. To work calmly and know that at this time our girl is in the safe hands of a responsible, kind and caring adult. That she will not only play with her peers and eat and sleep on time, but a safe environment will be created for her (latches on the windows and the complete absence of elements threatening the life and health of the child in the room) and there will be a kind, stable, calm person next to her, who truly loves children and his work. Our friends have already taken their son to Aunt Lena, and we decided to try. We came to get acquainted. The door was opened by a pleasant young beautiful woman, and somehow everything became clear at once. The daughter smiled, answered a few questions of the teacher, and immediately ran to play in the playroom. For almost 4 years that we have been in the “Rabbit Brethren”, my daughter has never had “kickbacks”. The tantrums that many parents tell about when they send their children to kindergartens, especially at first, I know, can be very difficult. Our daughter is a very sensitive, gentle child, we were afraid that it would be difficult for her to adapt, but all our fears were not confirmed. And it’s great! Now we have to go to school. My daughter reads well, counts well, she has a lot of friends in the garden, and we, of course, will come to visit! Thank you, aunt Lena, it seems that everything turned out quite well)

Olga Klysha (mother of Olesya, 5 years old, and Stefan, 3 years old)

Olesya and Stefan have been attending kindergarten for three months now. I see that during this time the children there have learned a lot. For example, Olesya often says something in English, and she likes it. By the way, Stefan is also not far behind her.

They have made great progress in physical education – they do different things that they did not do before, and all this with pleasure. Olesya often tells me or shows me what exercises she did in the kindergarten.

We, as parents, get great pleasure when children bring home various clay crafts. Real masterpieces! I am very glad that much attention is paid to the development of children’s creative abilities in the kindergarten.

Stefan also learned to dress himself in kindergarten, which is also a big plus. Olesya also often tells me that she liked some soup or something else in the kindergarten, and she eats a full plate. I am very pleased that they eat well there. In general, I see that the children are in a cozy and warm atmosphere.

Ivanenko Elena and Gennady (Zhenya’s parents – 3 years old)

We are very glad that we have found a kindergarten that fully meets all our requirements and wishes. We brought Zhenya at the age of three and after two weeks we began to wonder how our son had changed (for the better). He became much more sociable, more organized. The whims that had previously “accompanied” us every day have practically ceased.

The child is at home, in a very good team. We like the fact that Lena cooks her own food and they go for walks every day.

Zhenya learns in the garden: to sculpt from plasticine, dough, clay; draw with pencils, crayons, gouache, watercolor; make applications; decompose geometric shapes into appropriate shapes, etc.

The child sang!!! (Song of Cheburashka). He began to recite poetry, learned to count to ten. At home, he sculpts and draws with pleasure, he learned to play on his own, which we have not seen before.

The garden has a very friendly atmosphere and the child is respected as a person. It is indicative for us that the child, coming home in the evening, says: “I want to go to kindergarten!”.

Egor Kopylov’s parents (4 years old)

We visited many gardens when choosing a place for our son. We liked “Aunt Lena” the most. And all because the most important thing with children is not “where” and “how”, but “who”. Aunt Lena is a very good, intelligent, smart and, most importantly, sincere person. And she is still interested in what she does.

A year and a half after we arrived, we decided to help Aunt Lena make a new site so that the form matches the content better. It is unlikely that we would do this if we had even the slightest claim to the kindergarten.

Shuman Elena (Georgy’s mother, 4.5 years old)

My son attends this kindergarten with great pleasure for almost a year. And he likes it there so much that he looks forward to Monday on the weekend, and this is an indicator. And I fully share his enthusiasm: I am impressed by the individual approach to each child (both in upbringing, and in nutrition, and in education), I like the variety of activities carried out with children, and the friendly atmosphere in the garden pleases me.

Many thanks to the teacher Elena for the fact that my son has such a wonderful kindergarten!

Lilia Reshetova (Timur’s mother, 6 years old)

Kindergarten is the child’s favorite place, by the end of the weekend she is already waiting for Monday and kindergarten. I love the warm family atmosphere. The child began to go to this garden at the age of three, from the very first day he got used to and enjoyed such a new occupation in life. Then we moved, went to another garden, also private – but everything turned out to be bad, to put it mildly. As a result, we returned to our favorite garden, and although we have to spend a lot of time on the road, it’s worth it. I would like to express my deep gratitude for the happy childhood of our boy! This is the great merit of the kindergarten.

At the age of 5, school preparation classes began, and at the age of 5 the child counts well, writes and reads, and does all this with joy.

Advantages and disadvantages of home kindergarten

A problem that 90 out of 100 new parents have to face is the lack of places in district kindergartens, if any, nearby.

Some mothers solve this problem almost a few months before the birth of a child: they turn to the heads of municipal kindergartens, agree and stand in line, which, if you’re lucky, will come up in 3 years.

But, unfortunately, not all parents are so prudent, it also happens that the end of the decree comes to the father, the young mother needs to go to work, the father also works constantly, and the grandmothers live in another city. What to do then? As they say, demand generates supply, as a result of which private kindergartens began to appear actively, where, for a fee, your little child goes through the basics of education, is always supervised, fed and well-groomed.

Usually, private kindergartens even have the necessary set of documents, a license, however, and they are called differently, something like “Child Development Center” or “Early Development School” and so on. Together with them, another alternative to municipal institutions appeared – home kindergartens.

Most often, they are organized by the same young mothers who do not work and still sit with their small children. Sometimes this becomes a real lifeline against the backdrop of an endless sea of hopelessness, parents find a way out of a difficult situation, and a young mother looking after your child has the opportunity to earn extra money.

Contents

1 What is home day care?
2 Advantages of home kindergartens
3 Disadvantages of home kindergartens

What is home kindergarten?

Such “institutions”, no matter how strange it may seem to anyone, are really gaining popularity in our country, but in the West this is a completely normal trend that young parents have long been accustomed to and take advantage of with pleasure. How to organize such a phenomenon?

Usually the organizers, and, most often, a whole family, have a newly-made kindergarten right in their apartment, usually having at least two rooms becomes a prerequisite. In most cases, the family members themselves act as staff: mom is the educator, dad is in charge of maintenance and delivers products, grandmother, if any, usually cooks.

If there are older children in the family, they sometimes act as senior mentors, as a result – a whole family business, which, alas, in most cases exists semi-legally or without any registration at all. Basically, in such kindergartens, the group is quite small, from 3 to 10 children, which, of course, is tempting, because the child is given much more attention than in the usual municipal counterpart.

Sometimes home centers are arranged in country cottages, in such premises it is much easier to process documents, and noisy children at that age will not interfere with their neighbors. Of course, although it may be convenient for the organizers themselves, suburban premises do not always suit parents, because driving a child through traffic jams across the city every day is not the most exciting experience.

Advantages of home kindergartens

One of the main advantages of such organizations is that there is no need to wait in line and age for a child to enter the kindergarten, because a child can be accepted here at almost any age.
Due to the small number of children in groups, more attention is paid to each, an individual approach is developed, which is based on the child’s character traits.
Thanks to the home environment and the small number of children, a new child quickly adapts to new conditions.
Usually, in home kindergartens, the owners, parents, mothers or grandmothers themselves cook, they do not save on food, since this moment is always easy to control. Plus, it’s much easier to create an individual diet if your child requires a certain diet.
Usually, only new toys and equipment are purchased from such organizations, in particular, this may be of interest to those parents who are not satisfied with the dilapidated furniture and broken toys of municipal kindergartens.
All pupils of home kindergartens, most often, are of different ages, thanks to which the elders can help very young children, and the younger ones develop faster.
At Home Nursery, there is no problem with not having any vaccinations, you won’t be reprimanded for absenteeism, and you can always arrange a flexible schedule for attendance if you have a non-standard working day.
Home gardens are much cheaper than private gardens.

Disadvantages of home kindergartens

No matter how good home kindergartens are, there are many important “BUTs” that every parent must consider before entrusting their child to “home” caregivers. Perhaps, precisely because of the impressive list of shortcomings, such organizations will not reach the official level.

We must not forget that in most cases the activities of such a club are not licensed in any way, the organizers often do not have any documents at all that would confirm the existence of a home kindergarten. And this means that the safety of your child remains in question: the institution is not controlled or checked by anyone, in the event of some unpleasant incident, you will have nowhere to complain and nothing to rely on to prove your case. Even if you enter into an agreement with the organizers when joining, it will be very difficult to prove anything with its help. It turns out that you leave your child, relying only on the “word of honor” of the educators.
No one controls the quality of classes with children, just like the attitude of the educator towards them.
Another serious problem of home kindergartens is the lack of nearby territory for daily walks. Most often it happens that children spend the whole day in the apartment or go out for a walk in the yard. The problem also lies in the fact that in an ordinary park or playground it is rather difficult for one adult to keep track of all the children, and, as a result, to ensure their safety.
There is usually no qualified doctor in the home garden, and therefore there may be problems with the provision of first aid.

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Home kindergarten (metro Novye Cheryomushki, South-Western Administrative District)

Tatyana Yarygina, Ulyana’s mother

Sophia Arendt, mother of Vera

Olga Klysha (mother of Olesya, 5 years old, and Stefan, 3 years old)

Ivanenko Elena and Gennady (Zhenya’s parents – 3 years old)

Egor Kopylov’s parents (4 years old)

Shuman Elena (Georgy’s mother, 4.5 years old)

Lilia Reshetova (Timur’s mother, 6 years old)

Advantages and disadvantages of home kindergarten

What is home kindergarten?

Advantages of home kindergartens

Disadvantages of home kindergartens