Finding childcare can be a huge task and a difficult one. The biggest concern is choosing the best childcare that will keep your child safe and secure. The good news is that there are many options available that will suit your budget and schedule.
Childcare provides a solid foundation for your children. These early years influence your child’s lifetime learning and rapid development. These reasons alone make it essential to choose a reputable childcare center for the wellbeing and successful early development of your child.
You can easily get overwhelmed with a childcare search. Do not despair! There are resource centers that can help with your search and even save time in choosing the suited facility. They will identify your needs and customized the search to meet your specific situation. With their help, you can cross out many facilities off your list and visit only the ones that work best for your situation.
Here are the eight different types of child care services:
Type #1: Childcare Centre
A child care licenced center is highly recommended for your toddlers. This is because the Ministry of Education inspects these centers. These centers have to meet specific provincial standards in terms of health, safety and development needs for each child.
You probably want to find a child care facility that is close to your home or workplace making it convenient to drop and pick your child during the day.
Type #2: Family Day Care
Family day care is different from a childcare center. The most significant difference is that it can be less expensive. This type of child care service offers a home setting for your child so that he or she feels comfortable in a familiar environment.
Children are likely to associate with a mixed age group making it more exciting and less like a classroom. These type of daycare offers a range of activities and a stimulating learning environment in addition to safety and caring for each child’s personal needs.
Type #3: Pre-School or Kindergarten
If you are looking for instructive programs for your child, then the pre-school or kindergarten might be the appropriate choice. These classrooms maintain a certain teacher-child ratio to ensure your child obtains sufficient attention. The schedules are similar to school hours, but some programs extend beyond the regular operating hours which will suit your work schedule.
Placing your child in a pre-school or kindergarten helps to prepare your child for school years. The best part of this type of childcare is that it offers a combination of the instructive program as well as unstructured play time.
Type #4: Nursery School
Nurseries have an age limit. You may be able to send your child from 1 to 3 years. There are no structured programs, and this facility often encourages play, exploration and learning that is self-paced. Generally, the focus is more on play and less on learning.
The benefit is that your child learns while playing with their teachers and peers. Besides, it is through exploring that the child learn and develop their cognitive and social abilities. The goal of the nursery environment is to provide a warm, safe and fun environment for your child.
Type #5: Casual Child Care Services
If you have a part-time job or work from home, you may not want to pay for full-time childcare. However, you might have an important meeting to attend or will have to run an errand. Casual care service is when you need temporary or short term help taking care of your child.
A drop-off childcare service works perfectly for these types of occasions. There are plenty of these facilities available that are located near your residence or place of work. Typically, these services are part of the licenced childcare facilities and other childcare providers.
Type #6: In-Home Child Care
Some providers offer in-home childcare, but this is suited more for children with special needs or disabilities and even autism. If your child is disabled, this might be a better option for the child as they are familiar with the environment and you probably have it set up in a way that makes it easy for him or her to move around the home.
Additionally, if your child is suffering from a chronic illness, you can use these services as they offer nursing and respiratory care at your home.
Type #7: Nanny Care
Sometimes you want a person you can trust that will take care of your child. Interviewing and ensuring the person you hire has a good background handling children would be an ideal person to take care of your child.
This type of child care service will allow the child or children to stay at home, it will save you time in dropping and picking, and you have peace of mind. You can contact the nanny any time to see how your child is doing. Additionally, nannies provide housework as well.
Type #8: Babysitter
Hiring a babysitter is the least expensive option. You have to pay by the hour, and you only need these services when you have a specific appointment. These individuals offer occasional child care for a few hours per day.