Looking for daycare is stressful! My DH is a teacher and on summer break, so we're in search of daycare for when he goes back to school next month. OMG! I feel like we're going to be cutting this close.
So which do you send your LO to? An in-home daycare or a center? Why do you like it? What was your reason for choosing one over the other?
hostess / eggplant / 11068 posts
My daughter is in a daycare and we love it! I didn't look into in-home just because I didn't know anyone in real life who had and was unable to ask questions to about it. I knew lots of people who put their kids in daycare and so I felt more comfortable. Plus, her daycare is super close to my house.
watermelon / 14467 posts
I'm in the middle of choosing daycare as well! We are going with a center. My husband was fine with an in-home daycare, but I had a really bad experience as a child at one. I know that there are different standards now as opposed to 1993, but I still feel better/safer about sending my child to an established center.
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
I love our daycare center. They are always up to code and have an experienced staff. I love that she gets all the interaction with other babies. They also provide all the diapers, wipes, formula/solids/table foods while she is there. The curriculum is strong and she gets a lot of love and care while she is there. We love love love it!
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
Center. I'm not comfortable with trusting ONE person with my child. I even know someone who is a ex co-workers wife. No thanks.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
I much prefer the accountability of a day care center to an in home day care. I have a friend who had a very bad experience with an in home day care where her one year old son was hurt badly by a four year old boy he was left alone with.
honeydew / 7091 posts
In-home daycare.
DH's best friend's wife runs an in-home daycare. We love her, she's amazing with kids, and it's sooo easy to leave DD with someone we know and trust. It's just a plus that it's cheaper 
pomegranate / 3917 posts
In-home!
I cried as I walk out the door's of the centre's we went to look at. Just not for us! Felt too hospital-like and not personalized for the sake of having to follow strict rules to stay open (which I appreciated and understand, but not for us)
Your gut will tell you, I was sure she'd go to a centre, but when we toured 3 of each option it was loud and clear what was the best fit for us, and it wasn't a centre!
grapefruit / 4441 posts
I'm sorry, I remember that time well and it IS so stressful!
You are starting earlier than me though. I'm sure you will find something! With many of the in-home centers, they wouldn't even talk to me until 4-6 weeks out, since they didn't know about their availability.
I ultimately chose a center because 1) the hours worked better for us, 2) we were eligible for a subsidy that paid for part of it, and 3) I didn't have any personal recommendations for an in-home daycare. I felt like a center would there is a lot more oversight. Out of all the deaths that have occured in daycare settings, there are very few that occur in centers; most are in home. Not to say that there aren't really great in-home options... if I'd found the right situation, I probably would have preferred in-home care because it has the potential to be cheaper/more personal (she'd be w/ one caregiver all the time, vs. different caregivers working morning and afternoon shifts). I was new to the area though and didn't have any personal recommendations to go by, which is what I think I would have needed to be comfortable in that situation.
I have some small issues with her daycare from time to time, but overall I feel very comfortable having her there. They are always very happy to see her in the morning and very affectionate with her. The place is squeaky clean and has the top accredidation in our state.
Good luck!
pomegranate / 3383 posts
We went with a centre but initially it was because I was super limited for time and couldn't do any research. However, we are super happy with our choice because:
-it's licensed and accredited so there is tons of accountability and they are very by-the-book
-my LO has attachment issues (i diagnosed him myself...haha) so I think it's really important for him to experience a variety of caregivers and several people going in and out of the room throughout the day
-LO gets exposed to kids of all ages but spends the majority of the day with kids his age
-they serve healthy meals and a great variety of foods
-i like how he gets to progress within his room and then progress into another room. For instance, my little man is now sleeping on a mat and he sits at a little chair and table for his meals (it's so stinking cute)
I will say that if an in-home daycare was recommended to us that was conveniently located, I would definitely consider it to reduce daycare costs by several hundred dollars a month!
bananas / 9357 posts
@regberadaisy: The one person watching 8 kids is what's holding me up.
@MamaMoose: Oy yikes. It's stories like that that make me lean towards center. We have interviewed one in-home so far. She comes highly recommended and we really liked her. My mind goes to lots of different bad scenarios. But the centers are not ideal either. 
@Beebug: so far the centers we've seen, I walked in and immediately knew it wasn't right. But so many bad scenarios play through my head with an in-home one. Ugh. I just have to wait until I find the one my gut tells me is right. That's what I did with hiring our nanny and I picked a good one.
grapefruit / 4441 posts
@mrskc: yep, trust your gut. You'll make the right choice.
One other thing to consider is whether or not you'll have to pay year round to hold your spot. I did come across one or two in-home daycares that catered towards teachers' kids and allowed them to take the summer off.
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6581 posts
We decided to go with a center. Originally I wanted an in home place, but I couldn't find one I was comfortable with. I was actually surprised we ended up with a church day care. It's very friendly, a great price and location, etc, and the woman in charge used to work for the state licensing agency.. I like that she knows her stuff
pear / 1616 posts
we use a center and we love it. we checked out one in home daycare and i came during "tv time". altho i'm not necessarily against my baby watching tv, that isn't what i'm looking for in a daycare! i like the structure of the center and i like how as she gets older it's more school-like. and i agree with previous posts about the accountability of the center. having said that, i think there are some good in home daycares out there. i probably wouldn't chose one unless someone personally recommended it
eta - my husband was a teacher too (just got a job as an assistant principal!) and one bad part about the center is that you can't just pull your baby out for the summer without losing your spot. this may be the same for in home tho but in home may be more lenient with it
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
It truly depends.. I've looked at a lot of options and I know eventually we plan to move so my brother won't be able to be our nanny. So we've weighed a lot of pros and cons
CENTER
Pros::
- accountability among several workers
- more structured programs and educational activities.
- age appropriate rooms/activities
- more room (usually) to play around, outside
- usually provide extras like meals/snacks, sometimes even diapers/wipes (although not necessarily healthy meals)
cons:
- generally more expensive
- usually not healthy meals
- generally children get sick more often
- less personalized one-on-one care (depends)
IN-HOME
Pros::
- sometimes more personalized care
- more of a homey feeling
- less expensive
- if you find an in-home with someone you know or friend of a friend it can be a GREAT fit!
Cons::
- little accountability
- sometimes less space indoors/outdoors
- just from what I noticed, sometimes they provide activities like TV time whereas centers usually don't
It also comes down to what you're most comfortable with. A good friend of mine had a terrible situation with an in-home provider that resulted in her suing the provider. It was awful. She was so upset and hurt. She switched to a center and has been a lot happier. But I know in-homes are great especially if it's someone you or someone you know knew prior and has that established trust.
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
I would never consider a home center because I want my children to be exposed to a variety of children...I don't do playgroups yet or attend church and my friends don't live nearby.
Of course the downside is germs...my LO was sick a lot her first year!
squash / 13199 posts
our LO is in a center. I prefer it over a home daycare because I feel the rules are better enforced in a center and random people can't walk into a center, whereas in a home the friends or family of the people who live there can stop by
grapefruit / 4717 posts
We send our LO to an in-home daycare. Absolutely love it. There are maybe 5-12 kids at any one time, and there are 3-5 staff. I feel like my son gets more individualized attention than he would at a center and they still have to have the right license and credentials. The kids range in age, and I like that he gets to hang with older kids and learn more. They are more flexible with hours and are less expensive than a center. It's very close to home, so that's really helpful. When I walked in for the first time, I had a great feeling about the place, and I know it's the right fit for us -- LO has been going for 8 months.
ETA: ours is also a preschool, so there are activities all day and no TV at all.
bananas / 9357 posts
@78h2o: @kodybear: the one in-home we've looked, we have to pay half the tuition to hold our spot during the summer. It doesn't bother me because I expect that.
@Mrs. Pen: The food thing at the center we looked at bothered me. California has this state food program and supposedly no outside food allowed. I wasn't very impressed with their "healthy" menu. And I didn't like that I couldn't send him with his own food everyday. I just hope all centers aren't like that.
Maybe an in-home one that has an assistant would make me feel better.
@Mrsbells: that's another thing with home ones. The one we looked at, she said her kids have their friends over. So that means there's potentially a bunch of kids in the house. One of her sons is 18, so there could be a whole bunch of 18 year old boys there. She said she sets boundaries, but I still worry.
bananas / 9357 posts
@pregnantbee: That sounds perfect! I think I would love an in-home one more if there was more than one person there watching the kids. I found an in-home one close to our house that is licensed for 16 kids, so that means there's always an assistant there. I think no more than 4 kids under 2. But I just found it through a google search. I prefer an in-home that comes recommend, but I guess I could call references.
grapefruit / 4717 posts
@mrskc: Does your town have a town-run community services division? If so, they may be able to provide a list of screened/recommended daycare providers with contact info. Also try searching on Yelp. This is how I found mine.
bananas / 9357 posts
@pregnantbee: our community referral is a joke. They just give you a random list of 10. I don't want a random list! lol If you found yours on yelp then I don't feel so bad finding one through a google search.
grapefruit / 4717 posts
@mrskc: Totally understand. I found mine first on a list from my city's community services division then didn't a secondary search on Yelp. I do have a friend that found a place she likes through Craigslist. That one is just 1 person watching maybe 4 kids, though, so different from what you want.
pear / 1992 posts
We chose to send our daughter to an in-home daycare. There are maximum 4 children (at the time we started there were two 2-year olds and another infant).
What we like:
Invested caretaker - our daycare nanny truly cares about each child she watches and her references reflected that. Each mom I spoke with had their child with her for between 1 and 2 years and had only changed childcare due to a move or because they were older and needed more of a 'school' atmosphere.
Flexability - we have a schedule that we keep that works for both my husband and I (drop off and pickup). If she needs to come early, no biggie just text the nanny. If we are late, we're not charged for every minute past 5. If we need emergency help on a weekend or late at night, she has made herself available to us. Another mom was able to drop her 6 month old off at 10pm because her husband was really sick and they were headed to the ER. We are having her watch LO on a Saturday while we move into our new place. We don't have friends with kids and don't know any babysitters so this is awesome for us. I know this is not the norm, and not what we even expected when we started with her but it is a nice surprise.
Price - In an ideal world I would pay as much as it cost for the best of the best. But in this world we can afford what we can afford and in-home care with this nanny is almost half of what the daycare at the university where my husband works costs.
Personalized for LO - She does what the child's families do. Set naps? Done. Naps when your LO shows signs of tiredness? Done. You want to prep bottles and bring them each day? Want to bring bags of fresh milk and she prep the bottles? Want to bring a freezer stash for her for the month? All no big deal. She also cloth diapers
Germs - LO has NEVER been sick. She is nearly 8 months old and I attribute a lot of this to being around a smaller number of kids on a daily basis.
Things I don't like so much:
People - Yes, she has a family of her own and that means her partner and kids are there some of the time. So is her daughter's boyfriend. Sometimes I wish it was more 'secure' but I also don't feel unsafe.
Structure - Sometimes I wish there was more structure to the day but I also love that LO gets what she needs, when she needs it.
Formal activities - I see moms I know with little painted things for Father's Day or little crafts and sometimes wish I had those. But I know that in the corner there is a big storage box and set of drawers with crayons and paper and everything she could want when she is actually old enough to use it.
It really does come down to you trusting your gut and prioritizing your needs. You will find something that fits great for your family I'm sure of it!
pomegranate / 3388 posts
We went with a center. When DD was really little, I wasn't sure if it was the right option for us. I really wish we had invested the time and money to find a good nanny for the baby months. But now that our daughter is 15 months she *loves* her daycare center. I really think she thrives off of the schedule there. (Some kids don't, but my daughter definitely does.) She is also a very social kid and she loves playing with her friends. Occasionally we still talk about hiring a nanny, which would be easier for us, schedule-wise, but given how much DD loves her daycare center, I think we're going to stick with that.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@mrskc: one mom I know said the in home provider had a junior high age son and I guess he would play violent video games once he got home from school and it appears the kids were allowed to be around him while he played those games because her three year old would come home pretending to shoot her and tell her to die. 
She was really upset about that.
Yeah - the food issue bothers me the most about centers. They follow the food pyramid which really isn't all that healthy considering it recommends 6-11 servings of grains a day! I wish they would change it since it appears evident that grains aren't healthy. Especially since they turn to sugar in your body - what toddler needs that! ha. Or at least create something different for kids since they need a fat and protein based diet!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@lindseykaye: that sounds like such a wonderful set up! I wish we were all as lucky to find situations like that. She really does sound more like a nanny than a daycare provider. I was a nanny as a career pretty much and I think it can be so great for kids that I wish I could provide the same for my child.
blogger / cherry / 222 posts
This is such a tough decision. We went with an in home childcare provider that was recommended by a friend. I like that there are only a few other kids so less sickness is likely while he is under a year. Also, I can really get to know the person taking care of him each day.
A big factor for me was also the fact that I worked in a infant class at a daycare during college and was not impressed. Everything was very regimented and somewhat cold. Everything was based on what time the baby needed to eat or be changed - no babies were to be held when not being fed or changed. There was a lot of structure, but very little warmth. I have some friends that worked at different centers with a similar experience.
Plus, I also work at a school and can keep him home with me all summer without paying. When he is older, I will definitely reconsider a center.
pear / 1992 posts
@Mrs. Pen: We are very, very lucky to have found her. Especially because I didn't know any other moms in our area (the first of our friends to have kids). I was actually looking on our local moms forum for daycare center reviews/recommendations and she had commented on an older post offering her services to a mom who was looking. So I contacted her to see if she had any current openings and she just so happened to have a 2.5 yr old leaving the month before I was going back to work.
So, it's possible you can find your ideal setup even if you weren't exactly looking for it!
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
We went with an in-home daycare. This one is actually more expensive than the big center that's near us. BUT we really like the lady, it's less than a mile from our home, and we just got super good vibes. She specializes in the 0-3 year range and I love that E will be one of 4 kids and will be the only one under 1. It's super convenient for both DH and I to do drop off/pick up and she is very flexible. Less 'rules' if you will. She's very "whatever is easiest for YOU GUYS" which i love. Her house is really nice and has plenty of room. It's set up wonderfully for a daycare. She rotates toys frequently and all that stuff. We found her through someone else who gave her glowing reviews. Her husband is there one afternoon a week and helps pack bags and stuff. He's an ER nurse.
I'm really happy with the place we're sending her. I get warm fuzzies thinking about it. E will love the center when she's older.
grapefruit / 4235 posts
We chose a center b/c I couldn't find an in-home that was convenient to work and also didn't have a zillion kids and one provider.
We LOVE our center. It's clean, their state inspections are spotless, they have lots of activities for the kids, and DH's uncle's sister is a teacher in his room. They usually have a higher infant to provider ratio than the state requires, and L comes home smelling like other people - so I know he's not just being plopped in a baby holder all day.
bananas / 9357 posts
@Mrs. Pen: yikes. Violet video games? That's horrible. The centers we looked at last night had no issues with us bringing in food for him, so that was nice. But one we really liked had a pretty healthy menu.
@lindseykaye: It sounds like you have found a great provider! You're so lucky!
@blackbird: That sounds so nice! I think I would love an in-home that only had 4 children. Seems much easier to handle than the ones that have 8.
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
I went with an inhome after EXTENSIVELY researching both options in my area. I knew deep down that as an infant I wanted her in an in home with only a couple kids so she gets more direct attention. I don't regret my decision at all, our lady has became a friend & family to us. She loves my LO so much and it shows in the way she lights up when we arrive at her house!
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
We opted for an in-home provider and I couldn't be happier with our set up. I really thought I'd prefer a center but when we met our day-home lady, my heart just knew this was the place. DD LOVES her to bits, and most days she's the only kiddo there so it's almost like having a nanny. As a bonus, they go 2-3x week to a local playgroup and often head to the park or splash pad. This week the weather is supposed to be crappy so they're going to the local indoor pool/rec centre for a field trip. She isn't super strict about pickup and dropoff times so we're not stressing about being 5 minutes late leaving work. She lets me pack lunches and feeds LO only mama approved snacks. They do artwork and sing songs and all the normal daycare stuff. I'm a big believer that once you find THE one, you know.
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