Three basic types of child care
In-Home Childcare Providers
- Nanny - a person who may or may not live in the home. She comes to your home to care for your children.
- Au pair - typically a young person (18-25) that lives in your home and cares for your children. Au pairs usually come from abroad and live with the family for one year. They usually work for room and board plus a salary.
In-home providers are convenient for the parent. The child spends his day in familiar surroundings. There is less risk of illness. The parent has greater control over the care of the child. The provider may also have duties including housekeeping and cooking. There is a low child/provider ratio so the child gets the most individual attention of the three types of care.
In-home providers are also the most expensive. They are not required by law to be licensed. The family is the employer and, as such, is required to pay minimum wage, social security, disability, unemployment insurance and worker's compensation. (varies by state)
Disadvantages
- it's hard to find a trained caregiver
- she may up and quit leaving you high and dry
- little opportunity for an only child to bond with other children, less socialization
- if the provider becomes ill, you have to find back up
- au pairs only stay for a year before a new one must be found, little chance of provider/child bonding
- there is no supervision of the provider
Family Day Care
- small home daycare - there is one licensed adult caring for a small group of children of varying ages in his/her home. Regulations vary state to state. (for example, in Connecticut, the maximum daycare capacity is 6 full-time children, with no more than two under the age of 2, PLUS 3 school age children {before and after school}.)
- group home daycare - Usually 12-14 children with an assistant (two adults). Regulations are stricter for group homes and are more in line with those of daycare centers.
Family Day Care homes are required by law to be licensed. Licensing entails thorough background checks into medical and criminal history. They are usually monitored by social services with surprise visits occurring throughout the year. Each home runs differently according to the provider's philosophies. Some are run like a preschool, with strict structure, and some are run more loosely like an extended family. Some home daycares are accredited by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC). This type of daycare is typically the choice for infants and toddlers. Children play with others of mixed ages, learning from the older kids as well as the provider. Generally, providers have a backup person to call if they are too ill to watch the children. It is also the least expensive of the three options.
Disadvantages
- not all caregivers have had early childhood education training
- could go out of business with little warning
- provider may feel socially isolated
- provider may be more inclined to spend more time cleaning the house than playing with the children
Day Care Center
A business that works with large groups of children. The kids are grouped according to age and interact with that age group only. The structural programs vary in activities and educational philosophies. Some have Kindergarten programs, some have after school programs for elementary children. Daycare centers aid in socialization of children after age three. Generally not the best scenario for infants as the ratio is often one provider to four infants. The staff usually has some early childhood education training. When a staff member becomes ill, there are others to take her place. They are licensed by the state and accredited with National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Disadvantages
- lack of a homelike atmosphere
- large group equates to less individual attention
- schedule is less flexible
- greater exposure to childhood illnesses
- greater staff turnover
- child doesn't develop as strong a bond with caregiver