Parents: Some Questions For You

[JenNJ]

Feel free to post anonymously. Providers, please don't turn this into a debate topic. I really want some genuine feedback from parents on their experience and preferences. Thanks all!

1. What irritates you most about your provider (in-home) or center?

2. What do you like most about your provider (in-home) or center?

3. Did you pick your daycare based on gut feeling, references/reviews, accreditation, location, or budget? Other?

4. Do you prefer to chat each day with your child's caretaker at pick up and hear about how their day was or do you want your child ready to walk out the door and have little to no interaction with the caretaker?

5. Does your provider (in-home) or center provide diapers, wipes, food, drinks? Are these included or at an extra cost?

6. Do you pay for days your child does not attend care (sick days, holidays, your vacation, providers vacation)? Do you feel this is fair or unfair?

7. If your child attends an in-home daycare, do they provide preschool? Do you feel that it is equivalent to what they would learn at a center? If not, at what age will your child be attending preschool?

8. Do you feel that education or care is more important for your toddler (ages 1 - 3)?

[Dahlia]

I'll play. My little one (~20 months) just started a few weeks ago at a nearby church-operated daycare, going three days/week.

1. Nothing, so far. I guess if I were going to be picky, I'd say it would be nice if there was more fun stuff going on in the mornings when I drop DD off to maybe make the goodbyes a little easier. Currently, most of the kids are sitting at a table eating their breakfast leftovers (they don't serve breakfast, but most of the parents bring stuff anyway) and there aren't any toys out or anything to get her interested in. She did reach for the caregiver for the first time last week, though (and she has fun once I leave), so something seems to be going right (the teacher for her age group doesn't arrive until later, so she has a different caregiver for a little while when she arrives).

2. Hmm... I guess if I have to pick one thing it would be that the teacher seems to really like the kids and has a good time with them. She put "Itsy Bitsy Spider" on repeat last week because DD liked it so much. She says DD's favorite thing to do is to help her clean up. It sounds like they've "clicked", which makes me very happy.

3. All of the above, pretty much. We almost didn't consider the place we chose because of a bad recommendation, but it was just a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend who posted on Facebook that somebody put the wrong brand of diaper on a kid or something, and we had other good reviews to balance it out. "Gut feeling" was definitely a major factor. It helped that we knew some of the people that work there and that the director was nice and knowledgeable about all the stuff we asked about. Everyone we spoke with seemed interested in/excited about what they were doing and happy to be there.

4. I hate to interrupt too much if there are still things going on in the class, but I do like to chat a bit every so often and see how things are going, especially since we're still kinda new at this. It doesn't have to be exhaustive detail or anything, but it's nice to hear about how well she's adjusting and if the blanket we brought is okay and that kind of thing.

5. I bring diapers and wipes and the center supplies lunch and morning/afternoon snacks (which are included in the cost).

6. I think it's the same price every week regardless of holidays, sick days, etc. I'm not all that concerned about the particulars as long as I know how much to make out the check for, where to put it, and when it's supposed to be there. There's really no use haggling over holidays and such, because it all ends up more or less the same, whether you're paying a higher per-week cost with free holidays or a lower weekly cost that doesn't change -- six of one or half a dozen of the other. The latter is easier to keep up with, IMO.

7. I don't know if our center provides preschool or not, but I'm happy with the learning activities that she's doing so far. I think deciding on an in-home preschool vs. a center would depend on what exactly they were doing and whether or not I felt like the atmosphere, material, etc. was adequately preparing her for kindergarten.

8. Definitely care -- but education is a consideration also. Ideally, there would be excellent care and learning blended in in such a way that the kid didn't realize it wasn't playing. Think... what would Elmo do?

[SandeeAR]

Would you consider editing and adding a question? I would like to know if they pay for the "regular Holidays" that everyone takes off.

[JenNJ]

Thank you Dahlia!

Would you consider editing and adding a question? I would like to know if they pay for the "regular Holidays" that everyone takes off.

No. That would not be asking the question in an objective way.

Seriously -- can I get feedback from PARENTS? I posted over here to avoid this drama and I specifically asked in the OP to not turn this into a debate.

[wdmmom]

I am basing this off of my youngest daughter's experience at an in-home daycare. Hope this helps you.

1. What irritates you most about your provider (in-home) or center?

Arrivals and departures were very fast. I felt like I was being rushed.

2. What do you like most about your provider (in-home) or center?

She was up and moving and ready for the day each and every day and never took a day off that wasn't scheduled.

3. Did you pick your daycare based on gut feeling, references/reviews, accreditation, location, or budget? Other?

Location, credentials and personal reference.

4. Do you prefer to chat each day with your child's caretaker at pick up and hear about how their day was or do you want your child ready to walk out the door and have little to no interaction with the caretaker?

If the daily routine is that in the same each day, I don't need to know anything new. If they did something out of the ordinary (went to the park, had a birthday party), I'd like to know about it. I don't need a full review of the day. Just if anything was out of the ordinary with my child, if he/she napped, pooped, etc.

5. Does your provider (in-home) or center provide diapers, wipes, food, drinks? Are these included or at an extra cost?

Food and drinks were provided. I'm sure it was built into the rate. We were required to provide diapers and wipes.

6. Do you pay for days your child does not attend care (sick days, holidays, your vacation, providers vacation)? Do you feel this is fair or unfair?

I paid a weekly rate regardless of attendance, holidays, etc. I don't find it to be unfair. If they were taking additional sick days or more than what was in their contract, yes, that would be unfair.

7. If your child attends an in-home daycare, do they provide preschool? Do you feel that it is equivalent to what they would learn at a center? If not, at what age will your child be attending preschool?

Yes, she did provide preschool. I'd say it was 80% of what they would learn at the center.

8. Do you feel that education or care is more important for your toddler (ages 1 - 3)?

Care

[Unregistered]

My son is 2 1/2 years and at an in-home day care...

1. What irritates you most about your provider (in-home) or center?
-Lack of structure and adherence to her rules, but then she'll throw the rules in your face when the parents feel they can be more lax since she is. Also that she makes the room really dark so the kids think it's night time and lets them sleep as long as they will so she can do whatever she wants for the time being. It messes up my sons schedule and he won't go to sleep for me at night.

2. What do you like most about your provider (in-home) or center?
-I know she does really care about my son as if he was her family

3. Did you pick your daycare based on gut feeling, references/reviews, accreditation, location, or budget? Other?
-I picked mine on going off of all of the above. It was mostly gut feeling, but I also knew someone people that had used her, and it was in my budget and right around the corner from my house.

4. Do you prefer to chat each day with your child's caretaker at pick up and hear about how their day was or do you want your child ready to walk out the door and have little to no interaction with the caretaker?
-Everyday I spend atleast 10 mins talking to her when I pick my son up (he usually doesn't want to leave). Occasionally I am there for over an hour talking to her and one of the other mothers who comes around the same time.

5. Does your provider (in-home) or center provide diapers, wipes, food, drinks? Are these included or at an extra cost?
-She provides food/drinks which she is reimbursed through the state program she runs the daycare through (except when he was a baby, I provided the formula). I provide diapers and wipes.

6. Do you pay for days your child does not attend care (sick days, holidays, your vacation, providers vacation)? Do you feel this is fair or unfair?
-There is a flat rate per week that I pay whether my son is there or not. If I decide to keep him home for a whole week I have to pay half the weekly payment to keep his spot. I think this is for the most part fair.

7. If your child attends an in-home daycare, do they provide preschool? Do you feel that it is equivalent to what they would learn at a center? If not, at what age will your child be attending preschool?
-When he first started she had just opened maybe 6 months before, and she was providing learning time and my son and all the other children flourished. My son is very advanced still for his age and I do accredit her with alot of that. However, now she no longer has learning time and lets the kids have "free time" all day. I will be sending my son to preschool next september since he will be 3 by then.

8. Do you feel that education or care is more important for your toddler (ages 1 - 3)? -I think from 1-2 care is absolutely the most important. After the age of 2 I would feel education is starting to become more important.

[Unregistered]

We are on our second home daycare so my answers will reflect that.

1. What irritates you most about your provider (in-home) or center?
At our first: unsolicited advice. Treating us almost as if her home was the real home and she was "letting" us take our child home. It's one of the reasons we no longer use this daycare.

2. What do you like most about your provider (in-home) or center?
Current daycare: openness, friendliness, caring—the home just has a warm atmosphere.

3. Did you pick your daycare based on gut feeling, references/reviews, accreditation, location, or budget? Other?
All of the above, though we were and are definitely willing to pay more for quality.

4. Do you prefer to chat each day with your child's caretaker at pick up and hear about how their day was or do you want your child ready to walk out the door and have little to no interaction with the caretaker?
I like to hear about my child's day and ask questions. I don't like feeling rushed out the door. I want to know how she napped, ate, and slept, and how she behaved.

5. Does your provider (in-home) or center provide diapers, wipes, food, drinks? Are these included or at an extra cost?
We provide diapers. Both providers we have used have been on the food program, so food has been provided at no extra cost. Parents take turns bringing wipes and ointment.

6. Do you pay for days your child does not attend care (sick days, holidays, your vacation, providers vacation)? Do you feel this is fair or unfair?
Yes, we pay for all of those. It's just the way that it is and I would never complain about it.

7. If your child attends an in-home daycare, do they provide preschool? Do you feel that it is equivalent to what they would learn at a center? If not, at what age will your child be attending preschool?
Yes, there is a preschool curriculum at our daycare. Our daughter is too young for it at this time, so I don't really know if we will enroll her in another preschool besides what she gets at daycare.

8. Do you feel that education or care is more important for your toddler (ages 1 - 3)?
Definitely care, but I do think education is important as well.

[JenNJ]

Thank you all! I really enjoy reading these answers. It helps me to see what typical parents look for, what I can do to improve, and what expectations are. Keep the answers coming!!

[Unregistered]

I have a 5 yr old son that has attended center care since birth.

1. What irritates you most about your provider (in-home) or center?
Snacks are only 1 small item and not enough to get him through the morning or afternoon and he to go without if they're serving something he doesn't like. Also, them interrogating my son at length every time he comes to daycare upset or with an ouwie he got at home, despite both my and my son's explanation to them (required in our state). It gets to be too much for my child, who will start to tell different stories because he feels like what he's telling them is wrong because they keep asking. I know because he's told me so and they get mad that he tells them different stories. In reality, he doesn't know 99% of the time how he got his owies - he's in so many sports, outdoor activities, and is so active that it goes unnoticed until bath time most of the time when he gets undressed and I bathe him.

2. What do you like most about your provider (in-home) or center?
Letting kids be kids and not making mountains out of molehills when the kids fight with each other. Also, they are consistent with discipline with each child - the discipline rules are crystal clear to everyone, including new kids. They don't single out kids.


3. Did you pick your daycare based on gut feeling, references/reviews, accreditation, location, or budget? Other?
References from local school district and from a friend. Also, my gut feeling played well into choosing this center.


4. Do you prefer to chat each day with your child's caretaker at pick up and hear about how their day was or do you want your child ready to walk out the door and have little to no interaction with the caretaker?
Want child ready to walk out door with no interaction from provider (unless there's an incident to report), but that's NEVER happened - kid always wants to stay to play with friends.

5. Does your provider (in-home) or center provide diapers, wipes, food, drinks? Are these included or at an extra cost?
Parents provide diapers & wipes & food, center provides drinks and snacks (included in rate).

6. Do you pay for days your child does not attend care (sick days, holidays, your vacation, providers vacation)? Do you feel this is fair or unfair?
I pay for sick days, holidays, providers vacation and anything over 5 days (taken as 1 full week, cannot be divided). I feel having to take the days all as 1 week isn't fair. I'd like to take mine seperately.


7. If your child attends an in-home daycare, do they provide preschool? Do you feel that it is equivalent to what they would learn at a center? If not, at what age will your child be attending preschool? n/a


8. Do you feel that education or care is more important for your toddler (ages 1 - 3)? n/a

[Unregistered]

I am the unregisted poster in #6...and I have to say how refreshing it is to read your post and that your actually asking for feedback and expectations from parents with no drama. It's a nice change from what I mostly see in this forum from providers. Thanks

[Unregistered]

My opinion

Feel free to post anonymously. Providers, please don't turn this into a debate topic. I really want some genuine feedback from parents on their experience and preferences. Thanks all!

These are my answers based on when my daughter was in daycare.

1. What irritates you most about your provider (in-home) or center? I didn't like being bombarded with all of the reports of bad behavior without hearing anything positive. It's not that I didn't want to know what was going on...I just would have liked to have heard at least one good thing about her day.

2. What do you like most about your provider (in-home) or center? I didn't like daycare centers for her, so I will comment on her home daycare provider. I loved the smaller setting and I loved that she gave my daughter lots of affection but was not afraid to discipline her when she needed to without making my daughter feel bad.

3. Did you pick your daycare based on gut feeling, references/reviews, accreditation, location, or budget? Other? Gut feeling for the home daycare, convenience for the centers.

4. Do you prefer to chat each day with your child's caretaker at pick up and hear about how their day was or do you want your child ready to walk out the door and have little to no interaction with the caretaker? When I would pick up my daughter from daycare, I liked to talk to her provider about her day but I always made sure to respect her personal time so I kept it short.

5. Does your provider (in-home) or center provide diapers, wipes, food, drinks? Are these included or at an extra cost? Every daycare that my daughter went to required us to provide everything for her and to pay extra for her food except for the home daycare that she went to. She provided all food and snacks.

6. Do you pay for days your child does not attend care (sick days, holidays, your vacation, providers vacation)? Do you feel this is fair or unfair? Yes, we paid for all of those days. We never really thought too much about it because it was covered in the contract that we signed. It didn't always feel fair, but we didn't complain about it.

7. If your child attends an in-home daycare, do they provide preschool? Do you feel that it is equivalent to what they would learn at a center? If not, at what age will your child be attending preschool? My daughter went to centers that had preschool programs. Her home daycare didn't have a preschool program which worked out much better for her. DD's behavior improved a lot.

8. Do you feel that education or care is more important for your toddler (ages 1 - 3)?

Back when my daughter was in daycare I would probably have said that education was more important. Now, I feel that care is more important along with working on social skills instead of kindergarten readiness education.

[JenNJ]

I am the unregisted poster in #6...and I have to say how refreshing it is to read your post and that your actually asking for feedback and expectations from parents with no drama. It's a nice change from what I mostly see in this forum from providers. Thanks

Thank you for opening up!

I have what I consider to be pretty fair policies, but I wanted to see how fair it felt to the other side. For example: parents here pay for sick days and federal holidays. They do not pay for any days I miss (vacation or sick). I give each family vacation time equal to the number of days a week they are here (full time gets 5 days, etc.) I allow them to use this towards sick days, snow days, etc. It doesn't have to all be taken at once. I feel like it is a good compromise, but sometimes I wonder if they feel slighted or if it is too generous.

[Unregistered]

I have 4 children who have all been in daycare at some point in their lives, but will base most of my answers on my youngest's most recent daycare center experience, which he attended for a year from ages 1.5-2.5:

1. I had very few complaints, can't think of anything major or anything that was not corrected immediately once I mentioned my concern.

2. My son's teachers truly seemed to love him. They were always happy to see him, greeted him with enthusiasm, made a big deal when he had a new haircut or new Buzz Lightyear shoes, etc. When I arrived to pick him up they were often excited to tell me about his day and whatever cute thing he had said or done that day. As a mother who absolutely hated having to leave my child and be away from him all day, this made all the difference to me, to feel like I was leaving my son with people who truly loved and cared about him.

3. I toured a few centers in the area and I chose this one for cleanliness, reputation, and location, but mostly gut feeling.

4. I loved hearing how my son's day was, when they would tell me things it was like music to my ears. I'm not one to ask a lot of questions and I'm definetely not chatty, but loved to hear the few things they would tell me each day.

5. They provided all food and drinks, I provided diapers and wipes.

6. I did pay for days he didn't attend, including sick days holidays and vacations, although they did have a 1 week annual vacation allowance per child that had to be taken consecutively. Do I think this is fair? It's a tough one, I can see both sides. If I myself got the holiday off with pay, I absolutely think my daycare provider should get the day off with pay. But this has never been the case with me. When my oldest son (now 16 years old) was a toddler, I was in nursing school full time and working as a server in a restaurant that was only closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. I had to work most every holiday and having to pay my regular provider and still find and pay someone else to watch him for the holiday was an incredible hardship in those days, and back then I didn't think it was fair at all. Nowadays I am a nurse and still have to work most every holiday, and still have to pay the regular provider and also pay someone else to actually provide the care, although now at least I get "time and a half" for that day and it's not such a financial hardship. Like I said, I can see both sides.

7. My son was in a center with a preschool program.

8. Care is more important, absolutely. Not only for ages 1-3, but all the way until the start of kindergarten.

[godiva83]

Thanks for the feedback

OP, thanks for this thread
And parents thank you for your responses, I have really enjoyed reading your feedback- and looking at the comparisons to HDC and centers.

OP- I know you aren't editing so maybe I should post my own thread- but curious if we could include
"What is the one thing you wish you could change about your daycare!"
Ex. Hours of operation
Programing
Menu
Ect

Cheers,
G

[Unregistered]

1. What irritates you most about your provider (in-home) or center?
I don't get upset about it, but she's not a morning person so drop offs can be abrupt. I don't blame her for it though, so I don't know if I'd say it irritated me. Sometimes I wish I heard a little more specifics on what they do each day (go to park, play outside), and it would be nice if she told us what the kids ate each day or gave out a menu plan. I don't stress over it though.

2. What do you like most about your provider (in-home) or center? She genuinely cares for my daughter, treats her as her own, and tells me each day how good she was and how much she loves having her there.

3. Did you pick your daycare based on gut feeling, references/reviews, accreditation, location, or budget? Other? 1 - review from a friend's child who goes there, 2 - budget (I know you can't put a price on your child's care, but no matter how much I love her I can't afford some places), 3 - location, it's between work and home, but closer to home.

4. Do you prefer to chat each day with your child's caretaker at pick up and hear about how their day was or do you want your child ready to walk out the door and have little to no interaction with the caretaker?
I like a quick chat, especially if she's not feeling well or nap didn't go well, something like that. We chat for 2-3 minutes usually while DDs shoes get put on then she bangs on the door saying "bye bye" (she's 15 months and that is her favorite word and she loves being outside).

5. Does your provider (in-home) or center provide diapers, wipes, food, drinks? Are these included or at an extra cost?
diapers I provide. I used to bring wipes but she recently said she'd start buying them since she uses them for everything. Food and drinks she provides.

6. Do you pay for days your child does not attend care (sick days, holidays, your vacation, providers vacation)? Do you feel this is fair or unfair?
yes, I do. I think only holidays were in her contract and vacations and sick days haven't come up yet. I really never gave things like holidays a thought either way until I started researching daycare stuff and saw all the drama on it (like here). It makes sense I get paid so she gets paid so I have no problem doing that.

7. If your child attends an in-home daycare, do they provide preschool? Do you feel that it is equivalent to what they would learn at a center? If not, at what age will your child be attending preschool?
I think she tries preschool activities but my DD is too young for that to matter yet.

8. Do you feel that education or care is more important for your toddler (ages 1 - 3)?
Definitely care, but by age 2-3 I'd want some educational aspects integrated into her day as well.