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Choosing a child care provider can be a daunting task since there are so many options available. Parents first must determine if they are going to place their child in a daycare center, an in-home child care situation or hire a nanny to come into their home. Here is some basic information about these three types of child care.
Home Daycare: Typically the most affordable option is an in-home child care which provides care for a small number of children. The atmosphere is nurturing and more homelike than traditional daycare centers. Children usually range in age from infants to preschoolers so socialization is across a variety of ages. The downside of home daycare is that there may be no backup if the provider gets sick or has a family emergency. Also, many providers don’t have formal schooling in early childhood education.
Daycare Center: These facilities are licensed and regulated by the state. In NC daycares are given a star rating (one star means the minimum requirements are met while a rating of five stars means that the program meets and exceeds the state requirements). The license should be posted for parent review in every child care center. Staff is trained in early childhood education and there is usually ample supervision of children. Children are grouped by age and according to the NC General Statutes the following must be obeyed: 1 adult per 5 children for ages 0-12 months, 1 adult per 6 children for ages 12-24 months and 1 adult for every 10 children for 2-3 year olds.
Nanny: The most expensive option is a nanny which provides a child with more personalized attention and also gives parents more flexibility with scheduling. A nanny also allows the child the opportunity to stay in their own home.
Once the decision is made as to what type of child care situation will be best, ask around and do some research into providers that will suit your needs. If you are choosing a daycare center, please explore our “Search for Childcare” section for information about local facilities.
NC Division of Child Development and Early Education provide great checklists to use when visiting child care facilities. These can be found at http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/parents/pr_sn2_checklist.asp
