Day Care Centers: What Works Best

One of the biggest decision parents must face is choosing a day care center. This is not only a financial choice; it is also an emotional decision. Day care centers offer a variety of services, and parents have a lot of choices when looking into day care centers.

At Home Day Care Centers

For some parents, the environment that they would like for their children is an in home day care center. Day care centers that are based in a home offer parents some benefits that may meet the needs of their children. Day care centers that are in home, often offer parents a very small environment for their children. Often this type of daycare center gives parents a feeling of their child being home, and more one on one attention.

When looking at in home daycare centers, make sure to find out if the home has been licensed by the state. Day care centers that follow the states rules and regulations are inspected by the state before they are given a license and they are periodically checked to make sure they are meeting the states requirements.

Being licensed means that the in home daycare is following the rules and also the nutritional guidelines provided by the state. This means they are required to supply specific types of food and snacks for the children that meet dietary standards set by the Food and Drug administration, similar to what schools are expected to comply with. These in home day care centers are often a good choice and fit for many families.

Day Care Centers

The traditional daycare center is one that can be found in many areas. They are of course, much bigger and with more kids than an in home day care. There can be many positives to this environment too. Since these institutions are required to be licensed they have to follow the state guidelines too.

They have to have a specific number of adults to children and they must maintain these numbers. They also have a set number of children that they can have enrolled in their programs. They are also checked to make sure they are in compliance with state laws. The larger day care centers do allow for the flexibility of having a large social circle for your child. They also often have many fun outings for the children and can take the kids on day trips because most day care centers have their own buses.

Make sure to visit the day care centers that you have selected to find out what their routines are. Drop by whenever you choose so that they are unprepared for a visit.
Both in home day care centers and larger day care centers offer parents good choices and parents have the power to decide where their children will attend.