Staying home with young children is important. However, there comes a time, usually by the age of three, when children benefit from interaction with others outside the immediate family. Fortunately, with more parents working from home and alternating schedules with spouses, the days of sticking children in a day care center for twelve hours a day, five days a week are almost a memory. I've seen three children through the preschool age and I hope the following helps.
First, answer some important questions:
What type of environment would be best for my child?
This is the single, most-important question. Is your child outgoing and friendly? If so, he or she will likely wilt in a quiet home environment with only one other child. This type of child might do best in a large, sociable group of children. Is your child shy and introverted? Children who have only spent time with their mother (or father) may thrive with the one-on-one attention of a small home daycare and will have the opportunity to make friends slowly - at their own pace. There are always exceptions, however, and only your child can say where he or she is most comfortable.
What am I hoping to accomplish with the care I seek?
This is similar to the previous question, but with one important difference: the needs of the parents are also considered. Do you want to share in your child's preschool years? If so, you may want to look into co-op care, whereby you volunteer your time and efforts to serve on parent boards and help in the classroom. Alternatively, if you're a stay-at-home parent, and find that you occasionally need some well-deserved "time off," this may not work for you. I wanted to be part of my child's formative "school" years and unwittingly signed her up for a co-op. I was then told I needed to attend numerous meetings, volunteer in the classroom, organize a large project, participate in fund-raisers, AND still pay the same amount of tuition required by non-coop centers. I decided I'd rather spend my extra time with her ALONE, not running her daycare. I then found a home daycare where she is ecstatic. There is a handful of little girls her age and they do more projects and have learned substantially more than she did in the co-op. I can relax because the caregiver is trustworthy and someone I know. For the child's sake, try to decide up-front what will be the ideal situation, but if you have to change your mind midstream, don't hesitate to do so.
