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Family child care vs. center based child care...

So often I hear parents talking about making a decision when it comes to child care or a preschool program. I will refer to both child care and preschool as child care.  It is a very important decision and parents want to make the best decision for their child.  I understand as a parent of five and a child care provider since 1990.  

 

Which program is best?  Where is my child going to thrive?  Will my child be safe?  Will my child be loved?

 

I have found over the years that parents are unclear as to the choices that are out there.  There are two types of child care services that are available to parents in Ohio... centers and family child care (otherwise known as home-based programs).  Often I am asked which program will offer my child the best environment, with the best teachers, thus giving my child the best outcome in their first learning experience away from home.  My answer:  neither option is better than the other.

 

So you may be asking... which one is the best fit for my family?  The best fit is going to be answered by finding a program that offers all the things that make a quality program that works best for your child and family.  A quality and trained provider/educator, the type of program that is offered, the environment the child will be in, and what program will support your family.

 

To help you determine the best possible choice for your family I will outline the differences in family child care (home-based) and child care centers.

 

Family child care programs in Ohio~

  • can be legally private or licensed

  • licensed providers are classed as either a Type A or a Type B and are inspected several times per year by either the state or the county jobs and family services

  • Type A providers can have up to 12 children in the home including their own under the age of 6, but must have an assistant if over 6 children

  • Type B and private providers should never have more than 6 children (no more than 3 under the age of 2) in care at any given time and that includes their own children under the age of 6

  • family child care providers have multi-aged groups in which siblings can remain together throughout the day

  • environments are more home-like, but depending on the program can offer many of the same types of activities as the centers

  • may or may not be insured with liability insurance for child care and transportation insurance if they transport your child.  The providers home owner policy will not cover your child  if something should happen because home owner policies do not cover businesses unless a rider policy for the business is added

  • should claim the money collected as income and fill out a W-10 for a paying parent (parents should give their provider the W-10 to fill out, although many professional providers will take care of this for parents)

  • may or may not have any formal training or credentials but parents should make sure they have at least a high school education, CPR, First Aid and Communicable Disease... more is always a better choice

 

Centers~

  • must be licensed and insured

  • claim their income

  • are state inspected

  • a larger facility with more staff and a higher staff:child ratio
  • children are divided into classrooms by age
  • staff must have formal training
  • more institutional feel vs. home-like

 

Benefits of family child care (home-based)~

  • a home-like environment

  • a closer bond with the teacher/provider as they are with that person all day for as long as they are enrolled

  • fewer cases of illness due to children being exposed to fewer children

  • mixed age groups allowing sibling interaction

  • a more flexible provider who is more willing to accommodate your needs

  • usually, lower tuition rates

  • a provider who becomes part of the family

 

Benefits of a center~

  • trained and higher educated providers, but not always

  • more structured environment and schedule

  • more likely to have an educationally, enriched curriculum that follows the Early Learning Standards

  • enrichment activities like soccer, dance, foreign language, swimming

  • technology to assist learning, but can be found in some homes as well

  • better security

 

A lot of information, right?  Those are some of the things I see in both types of child care settings.  So which one is best for your family and your child?  There isn't any one right answer.  What I can say is studies indicate that selecting a quality child care is crucial to your child's future.  Studies have shown that positive and negative child care has long-lasting effects on children.  Both centers and family child care programs can offer outstanding high-quality care or poor care.  Looking for a high-quality program that is licensed, has a low child to teacher ratios, offers developmentally appropriate curriculum and has experienced and trained providers will be your best option.  Both programs can offer this but it will take some searching, touring, and interviewing to find that perfect situation.

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I am happy to answer any questions that you may have about family child care... as that has been my profession and career for the past 26 years. I just hope that you don't rule out family child care as not able to compete with centers... because I have had the pleasure to associate with many home providers that are truly wonderful and operate high-quality programs.

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