Thinking about switching to a home based daycare

[xobehs]

We would like more flexibility in our care with our big life changes coming up. I don't want to have to commit to FT, 5 days a week and be there by 9 am. I want to be able to have more freedom of days and hours. I want to pay day by day, not week by week. All of the ads I have responded to have offered this.

So, we are interviewing for home based care providers.

Anyone have any advice, want to talk about advantages vs disadvantages?

DS is relatively happy where he is, but it is buku expensive and a huge commitment. It is farther away. The care providers have started "rotating" quite a bit lately, after years of stability they seem to be having quite a bit of turn over. He is the only boy in a room with 5 girls (which is good IMHO LOL!).

I am sorry I am rambling, anyone care to discuss?

[hollydawn]

I LOVE my in-home daycare provider. I used to work with her when I was in college. After she had her child, four years ago, she decided to stay home and open a daycare. She has a teaching degree and is absolutley amazing. She doesn't take kids under 18 months so she is able to do a lot of activities with the kids. She has themes each month and follows a very loose curriculum. My dd, 2 1/2, has learned so much during her time there and absolutely loves to go there.

I'm not so sure it's more flexible than centers though. I pay for the week no matter how many hours or days she is there, but maybe there are some like that in your area.

I know all in-home daycares aren't as fabulous as the one I found, but they are out there. I would just make sure to do a lot of research and interviewing before you decide on one. Ask for phone numbers of current and past parents and see what they have to say as well.

Good Luck!

[lolabear]

I would def check references. It makes me nervous to have my child in a place with only one adult, if something happens they are the only one who knows. I just keep thinking about horror stories ive seen of shaken babies, and some lady in our area had a daycare in her home and put a peice of plywood on top of a playpen so the child couldnt get out and then it fell on him and suffocated him. so many things wrong with that situation! not trying to scare you but just make sure you really know what youre getting into.

[Drama]

I won't use home care for a few reasons even though it is about $100 a week cheaper around here. First they don't take sick days or vacations, second in a home you have no idea who else will be there (ie family members, friends). Not that a center is fool proof, I just feel better about it and also feel better with many people working there less chance of getting away with anything. Just my personal view on it.

[cream_city]

We never used home-based daycare with my son, because I was nervous about things lolabear mentioned.

But since then, so many people I know have had wonderful experiences with home daycare providers. It's usually a smaller group of kids, in a less "institutional" environment. I'm definitely hoping to find a good home daycare for our new baby when I go back to work.

The biggest downside for me, aside from finding someone I like :), is the problem that comes up if the care provider is sick. My schedule is pretty flexible, but there are times when I absolutely have to be at work. I'm hoping dh can step up then.