Childcare - 101 questions

Ok, that may have been a slight exaggeration but I do have some questions relating to child care as we are now looking to put Michaela into care 2 days a week so DH doesn't feel so ragged all the time.

 

• Homebased vs child care centre - what's your preference for pre-schoolers?
• What sort of questions do you ask the child carer? (i.e. what do you think is important to know?)
• Do you think a structured programme is best or free play? Or a healthy mix of the 2?
• What can I expect to pay?
• Do you think it's disruptive to have a child close by so you can pop in on lunch breaks?
• Any recommendations (in the Wellington CBD/Tawa area)?

 

I just went and checked out a childcare centre in town that we put Michaela's name down for at 20 wks pregnant.  I really liked it at the time and when I rang them today they said she could start in a couple of weeks (with trial sessions next week) but when I visited it struck me as being unclean (not just messy, because that can be expected 5 hours into the childcare day but actually unhygienic.  They also did free play all day with no story times or anything like that which I didn't really like, I prefer a bit more structure with a few free play sessions thrown in for good measure - or maybe I'm just being prudish.

 

ETA: I'd like to get her into care as soon as possible because DH is really stretched caring for her, his mum and managing his team fulltime but if we have to leave things as they are we do have that option and Michaela's well being is first priority (before poor old DH).

Edited by MrsMojo

I prefer childcare to home based myself. It might be different if it was a family member but I like the fact there are a number of teachers all keeping an eye on the kids and they regulated very closely etc... Plus the social side of it is great, my kids have made some great wee friends at daycare and love it.

Our daycare is half and half structured and free time which I like. They do all sorts of things, liek they recently did thier own olympics with 'high' jump, volley ball, table tennis and heaps of other things plus Addison can count to 10, knows her colours and most of her shapes already and Im embarrased to say it isnt thanks to me!

To be honest it could be disruptive, especially if she struggles with you leaving her for a while, it would only be harder to have you arrive, her think she is going home but then you leave again.

Cant help you about the region or costs in your region though sorry.


Edited by my2angels

Amy is at the Ngaio Community Childcare Centre and she loves it - we struggle to get her to come home sometimes!!

It is $25 per session (8.45 - 1.15) and she goes twice a week. There are a max of 16 children per session and there are 3 teachers who are all lovely (there is often a 4th to help out or a student teacher). They have a good mix of structure and free play both inside and outside (depending on the weather).

And I am well over 20

I have Rhiannon in homebased care with Kidstart for 12hours a week....6 hrs on a monday and wednesday....she has with one other child (the carers own child), they go to playgroup on a monday and mainly music on a wednesday, the carer has ongoing support and training...and they do lots of crafts and play outside....the carer also has access to barnardos toy library, and they are supplied with things like cots and prams etc as needed.

the carers also form their own social network so the kids get together regularly and play.

Rhiannon has thrived in this enviroment.

Rhiannon also goes to kindy 2 afternoons a week, and that is more structured but not inforced as such, and she loves it there as well.

I prefer the inhome care, as it means Rhiannon gets more 1 on 1 attention

Kidstart you pay $5.75 an hour, and you are intitled to 9hours subsidy through winz, and more if both parents are working.

i pay a total of $35 a week for rhiannons childcare

i am about to train as a kidstart carer myself, can wait to have more kids running around here.

oh and with kidstart they arent allowed more than 2 under the age of 2 and normally no more than 4 kids all up if i rmember right

Homebased vs child care centre - what's your preference for pre-schoolers?

My daughter attends a mix -- home-based care three days a week, and preschool two days a week. I prefer the home-based care as I prefer for her to get the kind of care that I would give her at home (if I wasn't going insane trying to get Issue 3 of the magazine out!). Preschool is great for social interaction, but she is only two-and-a-half, which is still very young. At this age, children are still into parallel play and are learning to communicate verbally, so I prefer home-based care as she gets the kind of one-to-one feedback that she needs developmentally.

What sort of questions do you ask the child carer? (i.e. what do you think is important to know?)

• How do you handle discipline?
• What would you do if my child was crying? What if more than one child is crying at the same time?
• What educational philosophy do you follow? (such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Steiner, etc)
• Is your programme play-based or education-based?
• Do you encourage parental involvement? If so, what do you expect from parents?

Basically what I look for is answers that are compatible with my personal preferences and beliefs, not necessarily answers that are "PC" or "textbook". If my child is crying, I want her to be picked up and hugged and taken care of, and that is something that is against the rules in many daycare centres.

Do you think a structured programme is best or free play? Or a healthy mix of the 2?

There has been research confirming that children who attend education-based preschools have no advantage when starting "proper school" over children who attend play-based preschools. In fact, children who attend routine-based programmes have been shown to have lesser abilities in terms of creativity and imagination, when compared to children who attended play-based programmes. Children learn through play, and many parents are under the impression that they need to start "training" them from an early age to get a head start for them in school. Therefore, a mixture of structured and unstructured environment is, from the research I have seen, better than totally structured.

What can I expect to pay?

This obviously varies around the country, but a good way to find out an average is to pick four or five centres/places in your area and call for prices. Remember that pricing is usually age-based as well as hours-based, and that when your child is three, the "20 hours free" will kick in (not that it's "free", but at least it's subsidised). Usually with centres you pay by the day or week. Home-based care costs also differ from area to area, although most I have seen are by the hour. I highly recommend PORSE for in-home care. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of in-home carers through reputable organisations and placement services are qualified and have been trained. Don't be afraid to ask what a potential caregiver's qualifications are.

Do you think it's disruptive to have a child close by so you can pop in on lunch breaks?

It depends on how they (and you) cope with separation anxiety. Going to childcare of any kind is a big change for a child, and if they are unused to being apart from you, it can take them time to adjust and form a bond with their caregiver. If they are distressed when you are leaving them, but calm down quickly and start having fun after you leave, it might be very distressing (and confusing) if you pop in on lunch breaks, only to leave again -- and start that emotional cycle again. Consistency is the key here. If you're going to come for lunch, you have to do it every day, so it becomes a part of their routine and it's expected, rather than a surprise that could backfire.

Any recommendations (in the Wellington CBD/Tawa area)?

PORSE is nationwide.

My final thoughts: When deciding what you want out of childcare, think about what you want your child to get out of it. That should guide your decision more than the flashy toys at a centre or the way all of the children being cared for behave themselves. Do you want your child to have a strong bond with one particular person and be in a family environment, while being stimulated socially, emotionally, and intellectually? If so, home-based care could be your best option. Do you want yout child to learn to cope with large groups of children in a fully structured, routine-driven environment? If so, centre care might be for you. But every caregiver is different, and every centre is different, and it is more likely you'll find a mixture of things wherever you go.

Also keep in mind that children in childcare or early school first bond with their caregiver, then with other children. This is important in forming meaningful and healthy attachments. If you're going the centre route, find out about their staff turnover, because your child is going to bond with a caregiver as they settle into their new environment, and if there is danger of this being disrupted, this could play havoc with their attachment and cause issues down the line. That is another reason why I prefer home-based care, because of the continuity of one caregiver strengthening that bond.

Best of luck with your decision!

With home-based, many of the companies actually will police vet - not only the caregivers, but ANYONE who regular visits the household. check on this policy as I think it varies from company to company

    * Homebased vs child care centre - what's your preference for pre-schoolers?
Definitely home based for a two and a half year old. Yes at centres there are more staff, but there are also relievers coming in and out and staff coming and going - a lot of different people for a little child to get to know. And while you get to chose the centre you don't get to choose the teachers! If you go with home based, you can meet different educators, find one you click with who you like and trust Some are qualified, some aren't - if it's something that's important to you then just choose one who is. Personally I don't think qualifications make a teacher (and I have a B.Ed in ECE) - I have worked with several teachers with degrees or diplomas who I think shouldn't even have been working with children, and others who are unqualified or have done a short childcare course who are brilliant.
    * What sort of questions do you ask the child carer? (i.e. what do you think is important to know?)
What the others said
    * Do you think a structured programme is best or free play? Or a healthy mix of the 2?
Sorta depends what you mean by structured! They definitely need to be offered lots of different experiences but hopefully the educator will be following the children's interests and providing for what they enjoy, as well as challenging them with new/harder activities. I don't think there's any benefit to making a child sit at an activity that they have no interest in. I guess this is another benefit of home based, it's much easier to follow a child's needs and interests when there are only 4 max, rather than 25+!
    * What can I expect to pay?
PORSE educators up here charge $5 to $6 per hour. I would expect more than that in wellington, maybe $6 to $7?
    * Do you think it's disruptive to have a child close by so you can pop in on lunch breaks?
Depends on how the child copes with it. Can be quite unsettling for them.
    * Any recommendations (in the Wellington CBD/Tawa area)?
PORSE! (Can you tell I work for them? LOL). Apart from that if you're going for a centre the smaller the better as far as I'm concerned.