There are many options that parents must weigh when it comes to choosing the right childcare for their family; the debate between sending your child to a home daycare vs. a center is one of them.
While the benefits of a home-like daycare environment are clear, you may still wonder if you should send your baby to a home daycare. What should you keep in mind as you compare home daycare vs. center options?
This article looks at the main differences between a home daycare vs. a center to help you weigh your options and make the best decision for your family.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Home Daycare vs. Center
Facilities
A home daycare, also called “family childcare,” is typically held in — yes, you guessed it: a home setting. Some families prefer the comforts that a home-like environment can offer, while others are drawn to the peace of mind that a daycare center facility provides. Daycare centers typically have more extensive facilities with additional safety measures, such as locking security doors and administrative staff.
Most quality daycares understand the importance of a homelike environment for young children, so even if the program is in a larger facility, the space itself is designed to resemble that of home.
Daycare Curriculum
While the curriculum may not look very different in a home daycare vs. center, there tend to be a few differences due to the facilities and programs’ setup. Many in-home daycares have smaller group sizes with mixed-age groups, so the offerings and schedule may be more flexible and fluid.
Daycare centers may have a more structured curriculum, with age-based activities designed to promote that age group’s skills and development. For example, Cadence Education’s daycare centers have a curriculum emphasizing social-emotional development geared towards strengthening prosocial behaviors and important life milestones. In addition, most Cadence Education daycare centers use a skills-based Ascend curriculum. This curriculum has activities designed to foster critical thinking, independence, and school readiness through skill-based learning. Like those at Cadence facilities, many programs will offer a comprehensive and nurturing curriculum focused on providing individualized instruction to support each child’s unique learning needs.
Accreditation
Ensuring your childcare is equipped with quality teachers, sufficient safety measures, and adequate programming is a big piece of the puzzle for many parents. But how can you determine the accreditation of your childcare program? And how is the accreditation different in a home daycare vs. center?
Childcare accreditation is the recognition of exceptional early education care and programs. An accredited daycare is a program that has exceeded more than just state licensing requirements. It has undergone extensive processes to meet consistent health and safety measures ensuring programs have fully licensed childcare professionals and environments that meet the designated standards. The requirements for in-home daycares to have licensed providers vary state by state. So you must do research ahead of time to ensure your prospective child care provider has the qualifications that meet your needs.
One-on-One Care
The importance of individual attention and personalized care is unique in early childhood. Whether your child is in the care of your family, daycare educators, or in-home providers, you want them to have one-on-one attention. Most in-home daycares operate in smaller settings, offering the benefit of increased capacity for one-on-one support. However, quality daycare centers like Cadence schools will prioritize the importance of personalized care, ensuring the staff-to-child ratio can provide one-on-one care for every child.
Watch Your Child Grow at Cadence Education
While it can be challenging to choose between a home daycare vs. a center, evaluating your future childcare’s curriculum, facilities, accreditation, and care will allow you to reach your decision confidently. Whatever choice you make, you will have peace of mind knowing that you’ve considered all the options.
When you choose a quality daycare program like Cadence Education, you will feel assured in your decision, knowing that your child is in a nurturing environment that feels just like home. Cadence Education programs offer the safety, security, and accreditation that a daycare center facility has to offer while providing the home-like feel and personalized care that your child deserves.
If you’re ready to watch your child grow in a safe and supportive setting, the programs at Cadence Education may be the right fit. Find a facility near you to learn more about the early education and exceptional care they offer – to ensure you make the best choice for your family to thrive.