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My 17 months old son been with this dcp more than 3 months now. It doesn't seem he is adjusting well. Is it too early to find the new dcp or should I wait and see longer?
I don't know how easy for toddler to adapt from one dcp to another dcp?
Some days she has more than 5 kids in her care. Not sure if that factor doesn't help my son to adjust at this dcp.
Can you elaborate on the way you feel he is not adjusting well? That would help me to help you better :)
I agree, specifics would help us to help you for sure. But also, my best advice is to go with your instincts as a Mom. You know your child best. Is your child often quite reserved to new experiences? Has he had any other childcare experiences in the past? Also, communicate with your child care provider...odds are she is feeling the frustration of him not adapting well too...and this way you can work together. 3 months and not adjusted is certainly the rarity to not see some improvement. As a provider, I find my daycare children go through little stages, simply in terms of drop off...they can go months of happily running into my arms in the mornings then poof one morning it's a full blown tantrum that they don't want to leave Mom or Dad?!
3 months is a good adjustment period. If he hasn't adjusted by 3 months, I'd say it's not the right fit. However, maybe wait to see what he's like once they get outside more, with the spring weather? Perhaps activities have been minimal due to being trapped indoors all winter?
Cabin fever has been a real issue this year at least in Ontario with the rough winter we have had so I would give it a little more time if you think it might help to see if things change with the milder spring weather and more frequent outdoor time and fresh air. It would be helpful to know what the issues are and also what specifically the provider has voiced as her concerns. Also you mentioned the amount of children being more than 5 sometimes. It would be very important for you to let us know what province you are in and if any of the children she has in her care are her own and the ages. If she has more than 5 kids I'm not sure it would necessarily effect your child's ability to transition and settle in, if her programming is adequate and organised, but depending on the specifics of her numbers as mentioned above and her location, it might not be legal which would be an additional major concern of mine regardless of anything else.
Is it the daycare provider that is saying child is not adapting or is it what you are observing as in still crying at drop offs?
If this is your child's first time in care it will take them longer to adjust than if they had started when they were younger because they are more aware of the changes and in a sense is simply rebelling about having to go to daycare at all meaning it might not be any better with another provider.
It can also make a difference depending on how much exposure your child had to other kids, large groups, waiting, taking turns, not being the centre of attention, not having someone drop what they were doing and cater to their whims etc. Now they are part of a group which means waiting, eating on demand, not getting a choice of meals, doing certain activities as scheduled not when desired so a lot of adjusting going on.
Also make sure that your anxieties are not being seen by your child. Make going to daycare a positive thing. Speak with your caregiver about how your child does during the day and what parts of the day seem to be the hardest for him to handle so that maybe you can help him learn coping skills for that activity.
At the same time if you feel you are not able to work with your caregiver to solve the issues then maybe moving to a different type of environment is what you will need to do. Each child has their own personality and sometimes they come up against another person/child that is at odds with them. Some children thrive on a program with a set rigid schedule and others need a loosely planned day to thrive. Think very carefully about how your child learns and what kind of an environment would best promote that.