Centre based vs. Home based care

Hi All,
I am a new mom searching for daycare. Right now I can't decide even what type of child care I want nevermind which provider!
I am trying to choose between a non-profit faith based daycare centre, montessori school and home daycare.
I'm sure many of you have experience working in centres as well as home based care. Can you tell me what the pros and cons of centre vs. home based care (from a parent and child perspective) and your own experiences working in both? I think the thing I worry about most with centre based care is the staff turn-over, high number of children and the germs. The thing I worry about with home daycare is safety and that it's just one provider doing everything (i.e. cooking, care, cleaning, etc) for five kids and that seems overwhelming to someone like me who is only looking after one baby.

Thank you in advance!! :)

I can only speak from the home care standpoint but as the mom of four kids of my own there are many large families out there that function well - think 19 kids and counting, lol. The key is that we function as a unit. Rules and regulations that daycare centres follow are relaxed in home daycare so the needs of the children that day become the focus. While the baby needs extra attention for teething, circletime or art may not happen for the older children or the time will be changed to fit with when the baby fell asleep. The advantage of homecare for babies is that they can pretty much keep their regular routine and have the flexibility to learn at their own pace. They have older "friends" to entertain them and the older children learn empathy, compassion and tolerance. Home care is what it would be like if you as the parent stayed home and has not only your own child but several other siblings. As a unit you go through the day, meet each child's needs and ask that each child help along the way.

For a centre the advantage is that the centre stays open if the caregiver gets too sick to work or takes a vacation but that is usually something that can be worked around. Cost is a major factor with a daycare centre.

Before deciding remember that right now your child is a baby with specific needs. It is also very common to change your childcare arrangements down the road when you want something more for your child. For example you might want a very relaxed homey type environment for your baby now but then when they are 3 you might want to move them to the Casa program at the local montessori.

Your concern about the one adult doing everything is a valid one but as a mother you will be doing that too. Cooking enough noodles for one or 7 doesn't take that much longer. Also children thrive when they have times to be resourceful on their own and not having an adult hovering over them constantly too.

Thanks again playfelt for the information. I have an interview with a home daycare provider this afternoon that sounds like the best of both worlds in that she has a lady for back up care for sickness and vacation and to help on outings. I am hoping we mesh well and it works out! She's a bit more expensive than other home daycares but my husband and I are willing to sacrafice in other areas.:)

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Originally Posted by playfelt

I can only speak from the home care standpoint but as the mom of four kids of my own there are many large families out there that function well - think 19 kids and counting, lol. The key is that we function as a unit. Rules and regulations that daycare centres follow are relaxed in home daycare so the needs of the children that day become the focus. While the baby needs extra attention for teething, circletime or art may not happen for the older children or the time will be changed to fit with when the baby fell asleep. The advantage of homecare for babies is that they can pretty much keep their regular routine and have the flexibility to learn at their own pace. They have older "friends" to entertain them and the older children learn empathy, compassion and tolerance. Home care is what it would be like if you as the parent stayed home and has not only your own child but several other siblings. As a unit you go through the day, meet each child's needs and ask that each child help along the way.

For a centre the advantage is that the centre stays open if the caregiver gets too sick to work or takes a vacation but that is usually something that can be worked around. Cost is a major factor with a daycare centre.

Before deciding remember that right now your child is a baby with specific needs. It is also very common to change your childcare arrangements down the road when you want something more for your child. For example you might want a very relaxed homey type environment for your baby now but then when they are 3 you might want to move them to the Casa program at the local montessori.

Your concern about the one adult doing everything is a valid one but as a mother you will be doing that too. Cooking enough noodles for one or 7 doesn't take that much longer. Also children thrive when they have times to be resourceful on their own and not having an adult hovering over them constantly too.

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Originally Posted by Marie999

She's a bit more expensive than other home daycares but my husband and I are willing to sacrafice in other areas.:)

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Marie999 ~ Thank you for sacraficing in other areas!!! I wish there are more parents like you out there!

It is a really tough choice. When I was pregnant I swore that I would put my child in a daycare centre. I saw the daycare centre as safer, less chance of molestation and lots of 'eyes' watching what was done to my little one.
So...when it was almost time for me to go back to work we started going around to centres to look and that changed my mind. The centre 'baby' rooms seemed crowded and sort of like the child would be left to their own devices too much. Lots of stuff was being constantly bleached to get germs off and I worried about my child inhaling the bleach fumes afterwards. It just seemed cold and unfriendly for little ones - not to mention expensive.

So then I found a neighbour who was willing to take my son when I went back to work since she was starting a home daycare. That was a big relief.

It was a few months later where we moved and bought a house in another city and then I felt comfortable to try a home daycare with someone I did not know. I researched, interviewed and read reviews and references of the person we went with and I was really really happy with that decision.

Finding a good homedaycare can be challenging. There are a lot of questionnable ones out there. The third time I needed daycare for my second child I was really panicking because I could not find anyone good that I had a good 'feeling' about and whose environment I felt would be safe, clean and good for my child.

In fact I interviewed one lady who said that she would discipline naughty children by locking them into a dark room for 20 minutes. :ohmy::no:. You have to ask all the questions and see who shares views that you feel comfortable with. Luckily I did find the right person I needed.

I never thought back then that I would enventually be a provider but life is funny that way.

I had a similar experience to Spixie; I was sure I wanted a daycare centre for my son and my husband agreed...that is until I started going around and looking at them all. It just seemed too institutional for such a little baby (he was 8 months old) and I couldn't imagine leaving him even in the nicer ones. If he had been 2 0r 3, I probably would have felt differently. Aside from that, the only centre that had a space for him was going to charge $1700/month for one child!!! That would have been most of my salary! We went with a home daycare and were very happy with it although we had to deal with the provider needed the occasional day off for appointments, illness, etc. At that time I didn't know I would become a provider myself either!