Daycare worries

[tinkb]

So, I'm going back to work early...not really something I want to do but what I need to do for us. Today I'm taking a look at daycares. There's really only two I'm looking at due to cost/reputation/distance but are there things I should be looking for as I go?

I'm having seperation anxiety already...but I'm trying not to think about it.

[Minou]

My son loves daycare. We have him in a home daycare, as I don't like the idea of a little one having to deal with a big centre. I also like that we get to know the caregiver well, while we might not know who was caring for him during the day if he was at a centre.

You'll probably be happiest if the caregiver's language, values, and lifestyle are compatible with yours. Ask for references. One question I asked of references was "If there was one thing you could change about the daycare, what would it be?" It seems to get to that one little worry that's at the pit of every parent's stomach.

Good luck with your daycare search and return to work. The first few months are stressful as you start the new routine and try to make sure that all the balls are in the air.

[erin9mmm]

First impressions, for you and your child are important.
Are they licensed?
What are their policies like?
Clean?
Staff qualifications, police checks, up to date CPR training
Do the other children seem to enjoy it?
Are the staff friendly?
Ask to stay with you child for a half hour visit to see what the program is like.

Hope that helps.

[Insane]

I've always kept mine in center daycares. Lots of reasons. I honestly think it's a personal choice based on pros/cons for your particular family.

One thing I do ask is how they handle discipline. If you are looking at a home daycare, ask about TV. That's my big thing. I don't want my kids sitting in front of a TV at all during the day.

[sarajen]

We put DD #1 in a day home for half-1 day/week when she was 10 months old (and then full time at 11 months). Around here, the waiting lists for infants in the larger centres are crazy so a day home was our option. It was a horrible experience. The best thing I learned from that experience was...TRUST YOUR GUT. If you don't feel right about the place, move on. It's not worth the stress for everyone. Also, trust your LO. Even at 10 months old, she was telling us the home was not a good place to be. I know it takes time for them to adjust, but she would scream non-stop for HOURS while she was there and it would take us half an hour to get her settled after we picked her up. She knew something wasn't right. When took her out of there and put her in a day home that was absolutely amazing, she was her happy little self from the moment DH dropped her off.
When DD #2 arrived, our day home closed so we found another one right away so DD#2 could continue going 1 day a week. I know it's so hard to leave the most important person in the world in the care of someone you don't really know but once you find a good fit for your family it can be so beneficial for everyone. It's going to be tough on you. That's normal! But there will likely come a day when your LO doesn't even want to come home with you! Then you'll really realize how great being in that environment can be for them.

[nadiabreckon]

I will say the same: Trust you motherly instincts!! If you can honestly think that there is something wrong, or a reason why your child no longer wants to go there, than it's probably best to take them out... We had DS at a sitter's home, and he used to love going there! Then something changed and he would cry when we dropped him off, tell us he no longer wanted to go there when we picked him up... So, when they told us they found full-time jobs, we were kind of relieved that we weren't the ones to have to end it... Now that I look back, I absolutely HATE myself for not taking him out of there sooner... Now he's in a dayhome, and he's thriving!! He was a late-talker, but now will say whatever he wants! He pieces 4-5 word sentences together, and loves playing with other kids! He was more reserved when he got there, now he actually interacts with the others, and participates in activities.

Again, as somebody else mentioned, you get to know the caregiver a little bit more in a dayhome setting. She only has so many kids she looks after, and has got to know them extremely well. We speak about other things than my child, and her our kids have been invitied to each other's bday parties... Good luck!

[corbinx]

I reluctantly put my daughter in day care at 12 months after having no luck finding a day home in my area. I LOVED the day care. They were always doing crafts, playing outside, and even helped with potty training. With baby #2 we just can't afford the day care for two kids so we are doing a day home (which turns out to be a family friend). I hope it will work out as well. Here are the questions I had asked:


Questions for Day Home/Care
Do you currently have any openings for a ___ month old starting in ______?
What days/hours are you available?
Are there any closures/vacations throughout the year?What experience do you have? How long?
How many kids do you currently care for? What are their ages? What is the maximum amount you will accept?
What do you do if you/staff are sick or the kids are sick?
How much notice do you give if you need time off?
What type of daily activities/routines do you do with the kids (eg. TV, games, crafts)? Is there a sleep area?
What safety measures do you have set-up?
Do you provide food/drinks?
Do you smoke?
How do you feel about parents dropping in to visit?
Will you be leaving the home with the children at all? (eg. Field trips, errands)
Are there any other adults living/visiting the home who will have contact with the kids?
Are you registered? If not, why?
Do you have references available?
When would we need to book by? Is a deposit required?
What do you expect from parents?
Does everyone in contact with the kids have a recent security and background check and Child Welfare clearance? Does everyone have recent first aid/CPR? Other courses?
How much notice will you give if no longer able to provide care? Is there a trial period?
What is the cost (per month/day/hour)?

[tinkb]

Thank you guys so much for the help. I found a fantastic daycare that will take her starting on the day we need. It is a little bit, but not as much as some in the city and our city offers a subsidy as well. I'm still a little nervous but they do a visitation before starting out - 1-2 hours a piece for 3 days a week before she arrives.

I hate the thought of missing things with her but the owner said they ask for a disposable camera so that her teacher can grab special moments. Plus, she gets her own teacher pretty much because that daycare is very selective and only allows 2 babies per teacher. (One older baby, one younger.)

[ashokia]

We're just starting to search ourselves. We've got two perspective home daycares we are visiting next week. One of them is more convenient to us, but I already have a bad feeling about it. I replied to the ad on Kijiji in the afternoon and I got a reply back within half an hour. Then a few other back and forths during the day.

I didn't realize until afterward, who was watching the kids while this person was typing away at the computer?!

[Zonny]

I think that a person can check out an email and reply without putting children in danger. Depends on how old the kids are of course, and how many she has. But even when I was home with my DS, I left the room sometimes to get a cup of coffee, etc. Or did stuff on my laptop in the living room while he was playing on his playmat in front of me, etc. She could have been on her phone for all you know. So I don't think you can rule out a person for that.

[Darth Penguin]

exactly Zonny.

Nap-time or craft-time when the kids are at the table, meal time. There are plenty of reasons why some-one can be on the pc even while watching children.

The only person I ruled out as a no-go was the woman who had the children sat in a row in front of the tv on the day I went to visit. And didn't bother to respond to anything they said for the hour I was there...

[bargain_hunter_lola]

I've always preferred Centre Based Daycares myself, but that's a personal choice. I like the structure and the fact that there's a lot of staff (all of whom I have gotten to know quite well).

For me it always boiled down to that fact the I know without any doubt my DD is safe and getting educated, not just watching TV all day with 1 person who could be ignoring her all day.

Plus with a centre based daycare there's the added bonus of being able to get extra one-on-one support for children with special needs. DD is a late speaker and our centre based preschool was able to get money for one-on-one support for her for half her time at the centre. So, not only does she benefit from being in the centre but also has personal support to work on speech.

Also, she has a community case worker that specializes in speech delays that goes in for 1 hour RANDOMLY each week to the centre to observe DD in the environment and leave notes for the centre on things they can work on with her.

It's nice knowing DD has A LOT of support and a lot of people making sure she's thriving in the environment. She goes to preschool 2 days a week and it's amazing how much she has benefitted from just 2 days per week. Very social, great fine motor skills, independant, etc.

Some of the other benefits that I like about our centre are: She gets daily reports written in her log book and term report cards, class pictures, recognition assembly monthly, graduation ceremony at the end of the year and special events (like last month the police came to the centre and discussed what they do, the month before they had EMT's who brought an ambulance they could go in, etc).

Having said all that, centre based daycares & preschools do cost quite a bit more than home daycares so as a parent you have to weigh all the pro's/cons. Does you child need extra help? Do you feel comfort with the daycare? Is price an issue? Do you need someone with flexible hours (centre based isn't flexible like home care is)?

[Zonny]

Here in NS, licensed home-based daycares cost about the same as centres, about $34 a day including food, but not diapers/wipes. One of the important factors for us in choosing a centre was that they did not require us to find other arrangements for vacations, and there were no surprises with sick days, etc. If someone was off sick, someone else was there to take their place. We also selected someplace close to home rather than work.

The log book was another important factor, especially when DS was a baby. They recorded how many wet diapers, poopy diapers, as well as what they ate, etc., so we could see if something was off. And the younger rooms had no TV. In the 'senior preschool' they had movies once a week on Fridays. I had no problem with that.

I do remember walking past a home daycare every morning as I took DS to his daycare, they had a big picture window in front. I'd see a half dozen kids parked in front of the TV as we walked by. I didn't want that.

[tinkb]

Some of the other benefits that I like about our centre are: She gets daily reports written in her log book and term report cards, class pictures, recognition assembly monthly, graduation ceremony at the end of the year and special events (like last month the police came to the centre and discussed what they do, the month before they had EMT's who brought an ambulance they could go in, etc).

Having said all that, centre based daycares & preschools do cost quite a bit more than home daycares so as a parent you have to weigh all the pro's/cons. Does you child need extra help? Do you feel comfort with the daycare? Is price an issue? Do you need someone with flexible hours (centre based isn't flexible like home care is)?

That's awesome about your DD, Lola! This centre has 4 yearly events for families, they also have events at the daycare monthly and she gets daily reports and pictures. They said it's really important for the parent to be comfortable and know what's happening with their child. I found in my area the few home based that I called were almost as much as this daycare and some didn't include food - this one actually does and was the same price as a centre that didn't either.

Here in NS, licensed home-based daycares cost about the same as centres, about $34 a day including food, but not diapers/wipes. One of the important factors for us in choosing a centre was that they did not require us to find other arrangements for vacations, and there were no surprises with sick days, etc. If someone was off sick, someone else was there to take their place. We also selected someplace close to home rather than work.

The log book was another important factor, especially when DS was a baby. They recorded how many wet diapers, poopy diapers, as well as what they ate, etc., so we could see if something was off. And the younger rooms had no TV. In the 'senior preschool' they had movies once a week on Fridays. I had no problem with that.

I do remember walking past a home daycare every morning as I took DS to his daycare, they had a big picture window in front. I'd see a half dozen kids parked in front of the TV as we walked by. I didn't want that.

I got lucky - our centre is between home and work, right in the middle. I liked as well that at the centre they have one room for playing, a kitchen and bathroom in the room and their sleep room is seperate too. Also, they require a visit to the room by both of us for at least an hour for 3 seperate days. That made me feel good as well.

[bargain_hunter_lola]

I got lucky - our centre is between home and work, right in the middle. I liked as well that at the centre they have one room for playing, a kitchen and bathroom in the room and their sleep room is seperate too. Also, they require a visit to the room by both of us for at least an hour for 3 seperate days. That made me feel good as well.

Isn't the little washrooms the cutest thing EVER??? OMG, the tiny toilets and tiny sinks make me smile everytime.

Oh and our centre has little cots for each child. So cute! I'd like to get my kids some for travelling/camping.

I love all the tiny kid stuff!