Daycare, as the name suggests, is a childcare alternative that enables parents to drop off their kids in a daycare center for day-to-day care, supervision, and development. You probably already know this if you are exploring various daycare options. What you might not know is how wide the variety of daycare facilities actually are. In fact, if you don’t look hard enough, you could find yourself going to the wrong daycare for your child. Here’s a list of some of the different types of daycare:
Infant daycare: Some childcare centres offer infant daycare services, mostly on weekends. Infants stay in clean, brightly-lit, warm environments with experienced and qualified caregivers who are qualified to deal with all sorts of newborns and babies. It is an ideal environment for infants to get introduced to the outside world and learn to socialize. However, childcare providers differ greatly when it comes to service standards. Some offer their services only to babies born within a particular time frame, while others care for all newborns regardless of when they were born.
Toddlers: Toddlers go to daycare centres because their parents don’t have time to look after them. These providers make sure that their parents can leave their kids at the centre and do what they want with them. However, not all toddler centres have well qualified staff. Parents with small kids are encouraged to choose a centre with experienced and qualified staff, especially those who speak a little bit English. Additionally, look out for centres that offer special programs for little ones.
In-Home Daycares: As the name suggests, in-home daycare is for children who stay at home instead of being admitted into daycare facilities. In-home daycare often provides parents with much-needed alone time, allowing them to prepare meals, do homework or just relax. However, not all daycare centres offer good quality in-home daycare services.
Preschool Daycares: Most preschool centres have a curriculum designed especially for kids. The advantage of going to a preschool is that it gives parents the chance to teach their kids things that they may need them to know. On the other hand, preschool daycare is a great place for kids to have fun. However, not all daycare provide great educational programs. For more information, ask parents or contact a daycare provider to find out if the program offered is indeed educational.
Special-occasion’s Daycare: Special-occasion’s daycare is a good alternative for parents who want to spend some quality time with their kids but aren’t able to due to busy schedules. These types of daycare centres usually cater to small groups of children. In addition, they provide all types of services, including games, crafts and group discussions. These services make it a relaxing environment for kids, allowing parents to spend quality time with their kids and bond together.
Childminding (center-based child care): Childminding centers are usually smaller than preschool daycare centres. They mainly focus on young children ages two to three, while older children can have access to centre-based board and care childcare as well. The best thing about center-based child care is that the environment is one-on-one, leaving parents to interact only with their child. Unlike preschools, centre-based childcare also offers arts, crafts and games for children ages three and older. Moreover, these daycare centres give children their own individualized attention.
Daycare centers offer many benefits for both daycare providers and families. Parents get help when it comes to finding a daycare center, getting children immunized and entertained, and bonding with their children in a one-on-one environment. Children also get to have fun, learn, play, develop their social skills, and experience a loving environment. The downside? Most daycare centers offer highly organized and supervised programs, making them hard for parents to join. As such, it is essential to choose a childcare center wisely, one that will offer good exposure to science and maths, good amenities, a safe and clean environment, and above all, a warm, nurturing, stimulating environment.
