Generally, you can find in-home daycare providers through word of mouth, by way of traditional marketing channels such as flyers passed around your neighborhood, or online. Looking for the right child care provider to suit your child’s and family’s needs can be a laborious and daunting task. There are several options of providers available, many variables to mull over and some safety issues to consider.
Different Types of Child Care
The most common child care options for parents who want ongoing regular care are a nanny, an in-home daycare, or a daycare center. The right type of care differs from family to family and what is right for someone else may not be the right choice for you. Further explanation of the different types of childcare available is as follows:
Nanny
Nannies work in your home and typically only take care of one family’s children. You may be able to find a nanny who works during the hours that you need, even if your hours are unusual or irregular. Some nannies come to your house in the morning and leave in the evening, while others may occasionally stay overnight, and some may live-in. A nanny might also take on other duties, such as putting away the children’s clothes, making their beds, or taking them to activities. If you hire a nanny, you can look for someone whose child-rearing value system is similar to your own. Nannies generally cost more than a daycare.
Home Daycare
A home daycare is usually offered in the provider’s home. Home daycare providers may take care of their own young children at the same time or may also take care of other children, in addition to yours. Generally, a home daycare includes a small, mixed-age group of children. You can expect your child to remain with the same caregiver throughout the day. Generally, in-home daycare providers do not help you with errands, taking kids to activities or school, and do not usually offer overnight care. Some may offer extended hours or weekend babysitting.
Daycare Center
A daycare center is generally a licensed facility with several trained teachers, classrooms and nurseries that are separated by age, a registration process, a calendar that includes hours of operation, and an educational curriculum.
Is Home Daycare for You?
Parents choose home daycare for a variety of reasons. There are some benefits and drawbacks to in-home care that may help you to come to a conclusion on whether it’s the right decision for your family’s needs.
Benefits
The home setting, rather than a facility setting, can feel more like a family than a classroom, which is a feature that is appealing for some parents. Other benefits to in-home daycare include:
Continuous care: Most home child care providers take care of babies at a very young age and continue to care for them through toddler age, instead of the changing classrooms of a traditional daycare center. Cost: In-home child care is usually less expensive than formal daycare or hiring a nanny. Low child-to-care provider ratio: There are fewer children at a home daycare than a traditional daycare center, which can mean more personal attention and less exposure to illness. Reliability: Some in-home child care providers may offer more extended or flexible hours than a traditional daycare, which accommodates parents who have varying or nontraditional schedules. Socialization: Your baby can get lots of face time and socialization with other kids in an in-home daycare, instead of the more private setting with a nanny at home.
Drawbacks
Some of the very benefits that some parents find appealing, such as a lack of a structured classroom environment, can be too informal for other parents. Other drawbacks may include:
Lack of licensing and training: Licensing criteria vary by state, and it is typically not required. Unlicensed home daycares don’t need providers to have child care training. They are not regularly inspected for quality, and may not follow guidelines regarding child-to-caregiver ratios, group size, activities, materials, and safety.No backup care provided: An in-home daycare canter usually only has one or two caregivers, so if your babysitter gets sick or has to take care of personal issues, there is usually no backup caregiver.
Questions to Ask
When choosing a daycare, you should ask similar questions to those you’d ask when looking at a traditional daycare on topics such as safety, cost, hours and sick child or sick caregiver policies.
Care
What is the policy for discipline? Be sure that you and the provider are on the same page when it comes to managing behavior issues, crying, rules, and any other concerns you may have.
Any regularly practiced emergency plans? What happens in cases of fires, floods, or other natural disasters?Are there plans in place for a lost, sick or injured child? Are they CPR and first aid certified?Does your insurance cover my child? Find out if the childcare provider’s homeowner’s insurance covers injuries to your child during childcare hours, even though you hope you will never need to use it.Who else will be in the house when my child is there? Ask about all adults, teens, and elders in the home. Find out what roles, if any, they will play in your child’s care and what their qualifications and experience with kids are.
Time Off
What about policies for personal emergencies and time off? Ask the babysitter about vacation time, a backup plan, and whether you are still expected to pay if either of you cancels without enough notice given?
What to Look for When You Visit
When you have narrowed down your search, schedule a visit. Do not be hesitant to visit a few more times at different times during the day, and to show up unannounced. Be mindful of nap times so as not to disrupt the other children, but the provider must provide you with access to as much information as you need to ensure your child’s well being as you make this decision and after you have hired him or her. Keep your eyes open for the following things:
The interaction between age groupsA clean and healthy settingA stimulating environmentAdequate spaceCompassionate caregiversGood reputationHappy childrenLicensingOpen communicationSafety measures
Do not be afraid to ask for references and find other parents who are using or seeking in-home child care. Talk to those parents about their experience and ask for suggestions on places or providers. Do your due diligence in researching the provider and be sure to follow your instincts as you make your decision.
