What Are the Benefits of a Daycare Center Over Other Daycare Options?

Your friend from work hired a nanny. Your cousin is using an in-home daycare provider. The neighbor swears by the local daycare center.

And you… have a big decision to make! 

If you want the little bundle in your arms to change the world one day, choosing the right childcare provider seems like the right place to start – but with so many options out there, how do you decide? 

If you’re considering daycare as a childcare option for your child, call your local daycare center today. The benefits of a daycare center are tremendous, and have the potential to put your child on the path to future success!

Read on to learn about the benefits of sending your child to a daycare center vs in-home daycare, and why a daycare center might be the perfect place for your child to learn and grow.

Why Daycare?

Daycare centers are small communities, where qualified individuals pool their resources to give your child the best early care experience imaginable. They tend to be large, well-equipped, and fully staffed. For these, among other reasons, parents gravitate toward daycare centers when they are considering daycare options for their children. 

Here are a few specific benefits to choosing a daycare center that you might not have considered, which might help make your childcare decision a little bit easier. 

Reliability 

Who wants to wake up for a day of work, only to receive a phone call first thing in the morning that the nanny or in-home daycare provider is sick?

You won’t have that problem with a daycare center. With ample staff, including substitute teachers, floaters, and classroom assistant teachers, your child will be greeted by a friendly face, even if the lead teacher has to call out unexpectedly. 

Knowing that your daycare center will always be ready to welcome your child is a comfort, especially because young children thrive and rely on routines. While a daycare center staff may seem large, it is never impersonal. The staff members frequently get to know every child and will follow the routines and procedures set by the lead teacher. 

The reliability and regular hours of a daycare center are a huge benefit for many working parents. 

Quality Training

While in-home daycare providers do need to meet state licensing requirements to operate legally, daycare centers operate under strict requirements, too. These requirements include only hiring daycare staff who are educated, background checked, and experienced with the age group that they supervise. 

An understanding of child development makes a huge difference when it comes to supporting the milestones of a classroom of children! Daycare centers understand this and hire teachers with backgrounds in child development, child care, and education. 

Many individuals work as daycare teachers while pursuing degrees in education, psychology, or nursing. Some daycare centers even provide classroom assistant teachers with the opportunity to work toward a CDA degree (Child Development Associates), so all staff will be on the same page. 

Most importantly, daycare centers have the resources available to provide their staff with ongoing professional development training, so that teachers are familiar with the latest research and practices in early childhood education. They also often provide ongoing CPR and First Aid certification. 

Community Feeling 

Many children begin attending daycare in the infant or toddler classroom, and only leave the center when they’re ready to begin kindergarten or first grade. Some children even come back to the daycare center for before or after-school care. For that reason, many parents are looking, not just for childcare, but for a community.

Most daycare centers group children by age. This provides an opportunity for parents to connect with one another while their children pass through the same developmental milestones. It can be so comforting to chat with others who are dealing with ‘the terrible twos,’ and maintain that relationship as your children become ‘threenagers’ together! 

The center staff will also become a community for your child. Your child will begin to form relationships with teachers and staff throughout the building. This makes transitions easy and leaves children with a sense of accomplishment as they “graduate” from room to room.

At a multi-age daycare center, children always have role models in older age groups. They will be able to socialize with a diverse group of children, and form friendships and lifelong bonds. Home childcare does not always provide those opportunities. 

Learning and Routines

It is common for daycare staff in preschool and prekindergarten classrooms to have a background in early childhood education. As a result, your child will not only get quality care, they will get a complete education! Children frequently leave daycare centers more prepared for elementary school than their peers.

One reason for this is because children in daycare centers become accustomed to the routines that they will experience in elementary school. Daycare children frequently know how to listen to others, raise their hands, walk in a line, clean up toys and materials, and negotiate meals and snacks independently. Because they are familiar with these routines, they become role models when they transition out of the center.

Facilities and Materials 

Because daycare facilities are larger and cater to more children, they are typically able to offer more – more space, more materials, more toys, more meal choices, and more staff. 

Daycare centers often have their own playgrounds and outdoor spaces on-site, though urban facilities will often utilize the playgrounds, splash parks, and green space in the surrounding community. They can offer strollers, tricycles, and other options for outdoor exploration. 

Classrooms are frequently equipped with sand and water tables, wooden blocks, light tables, and maker spaces that smaller providers could not offer. Because there are many classrooms, children become exposed to new and different materials as they age out of one classroom and into another.

There is always something new to play with and explore, which means children are excited to come to daycare each day! 

The Benefits of a Daycare Center are Numerous!

If you’re thinking about childcare for your infant, toddler, or preschooler, enrollment in a daycare program is a wonderful option with numerous benefits. Another benefit of daycare centers? They’re always ready to give parents a tour and answer any questions you might have.