The differences between Childcare Center and daycare often get lost in the many advertisements that we see. But as the parent of a young child, you know that quality childcare is vital to your child’s success. No matter what your situation may be, daycare and/or childminding is not something that should be ignored or chosen over night. There are benefits for both choices. Your job is to find the best option for your family.
The definition of childcare and just how it different from daycare usually comes down to who the caregiver is. Daycare is often a term that has been adopted from the past days when both mom and dad worked outside the home in the yard and childcare was needed throughout the day. Childcare, however, often focused on just the immediate care of your child. It is care that focuses on safety and health of your child from day one. This may mean having an early childhood education, teaching your child how to eat, have fun, learn to share, and more.
Pre-k programs offer varying age ranges. They can range from six months to eighteen months depending on your specific location and the provider. Some providers offer full day care with various types of transportation while others will provide transportation for your child for only a few hours. There are also pre-k programs that allow your toddler to go to school on some or all of their days. The school may be inside the home or they may be a school out in the neighborhood.
Daycare centers and childcare centers also offer early childhood educators (ECE) that help children throughout their developmental years. Daycares and childcare centers are often a great place to find childcare for working parents as well as for working mothers. Many states have laws that require daycare providers to be licensed and certified by a state board. In addition, most of these boards will require ECE’s to work under their supervision.
One of the most popular early childhood education center types of centers is Preschool. A preschool is typically an establishment that offers educational classes to preschoolers up through approximately age seven. A majority of these preschools are public and are funded primarily by state and federal funds. Daycares and childcare centers often have a preschool attached to them and most of these preschools will offer a preschool program for infants and toddlers up through age seven. Infant and toddler programs are extremely popular as they help to prepare infants for entering the formal preschool system. Some of these programs are offered alongside traditional classrooms while others are private homeschooling programs.
If you are looking for a childcare provider or an infant or toddler program, you may want to ask the public and private daycare providers you interview if they offer any type of educational program geared towards pre-k children. Many parents choose to enroll their infant or toddler in a pre-k program so that they can give them valuable information at an early age. Parents who choose to work within a traditional classroom setting with a teacher and fellow classmates are typically very happy with their experience. However, some parents are seeking an environment where they can bond with their children and have meaningful conversations with their caregivers. As a result, many pre-k centers have introduced Preschool classes for infants and toddlers up through age seven in an effort to provide valuable information to parents.
