Introduction

If the notion of leaving your infant with someone else for the entire day, every workday, makes you want to never leave your baby at all, you''re not alone. It''s a significant step, especially if this is your first child. However, if you want to return to your 9-to-5, you''ll be in good company: More than 70% of all main caregivers, according to some estimates, work outside the house. That also means that there are a plethora of great child daycare choices available, ranging from nannies to babysitters and beyond.Daycare, whether through a group facility or at home, is one of your finest alternatives. Many facilities provide excellent care with certified, trained caregivers in an atmosphere where your child will learn essential socialization skills with kids of the same age group.

Types of daycare facilities

Its a facility where parents drop off their children for the day, generally for the entire day, alongside other children of various ages. There are two alternatives available to you:

1. Group daycare

These institutions are state-licensed and are often administered in a school-like manner, with children of various ages cared for in groups. Some are run by the employers themselves.

2. In-home daycare

This child care is provided from the provider''s house, typically while she is caring for her children. Because not all states require in-home daycare providers to be licensed, be sure you are aware of the regulatory requirements before entrusting your kid to one.

Advantages of Daycare

An excellent daycare program can provide several important benefits:

1. Smoother transition into kindergarten

Kids who get enrolled in a quality daycare find it easier to transition to the structured environment of kindergarten. Teachers and care providers in daycare centres use to play and other engaging activities to introduce the fundamental concepts of alphabets and numbers. This will help your little bundle of joy to adjust to their formal schooling.

2. Education

Further scientific research and studies have shown that kids who spend time in high-quality daycare as young children have higher cognitive performance as teens. Sending kiddos to such care can contribute to their future success. This is true for such care and its settings with facilities that provide enough support and plenty of chances for extensive interaction with care providers.

3. Socialization

We know your dream is to stay home every day with your little one and spend quality time; the social interaction they will get from a daycare centre is far more valuable. In there, children learn to share, resolve arguments and play well with others. They make friends and adopt skills that help them later on in life and learn to become better at communicating. It is found that kids placed in daycare can quickly adapt their communication style to peers.

4. Cost

If you want to return to work and need someone to look after your child while you''re gone, daycare is less expensive than hiring a nanny.

5. Stronger immune system

You may think kids in daycare can quickly get sick due to multiple children''s usage of the same toys. But don''t forget that all those childhood sniffles pay off down the road by toughening up your child''s immune system. Like vaccines, exposure to germs and diseases when they are in daycare helps your kids better fight off illnesses as they grow.

6. Specific to group daycare

Staff is trained and licensed for group daycare. And because there are several caregivers, there is always a backup.

7. Specific to home daycare

Home daycare has fewer children than a group daycare center, which may mean more personalized attention and less exposure to disease.

How to Select a Daycare

You may need to give yourself a bit extra time to choose a daycare depending on where you reside.

It''s a good idea to start looking at least two months before you expect to return to work; if you live in a major city, you may even want to start looking before your kid is born. Here are a few things you should do:

1. Do research

Seek advice from other parents as well as your pediatrician. If you don''t know any other parents, consider approaching those you encounter in the waiting room of your OB-GYN or pediatrician, the playground, or a mommy-and-me class. You may also look for daycare referral services online or through the state regulatory body.

2. Interview centers

Over the phone, you can screen facilities and in-home daycare providers. If the center''s hours are inconvenient for you or the staff is unhelpful, cross it off your list of locations to visit.

3. Visit the center in person

Once you''ve narrowed down your options, pay a visit to evaluate whether it meets all of your requirements. Then, follow your instincts: if something doesn''t seem right to you, it''s probably not appropriate for your kid.

4. Check references

Call previous and current clients to find out how pleased they and their children are with their experience. It''s easy to depend on the wonderful letters of recommendation that providers may give but don''t. Letters are simple to modify (or even forged).

5. Drop by unannounced

Before making a final decision, consider dropping by unexpectedly on another day to get a better sense of what the group daycare facility is like when the staff isn''t prepared. If the facility does not accept unplanned visits, you should check it off your list.

6. Inquire about their accreditation

Group daycare facilities recognized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) satisfy even higher requirements, such as a good adult-to-baby ratio, minimal caregiver turnover, and a philosophy that supports health, safety, and development of children in their care. If the provider of an in-home daycare.

7. Extensive Sign-in/Safety Policies

Each family''s privacy and the safety of their children should be respected by facilities. A good daycare will have specific procedures in place for signing children in and out of the facility. Look for information on these processes as well as evidence that the policies are being followed.

8. Activities for Children of Different Ages

Examine website information about the classroom curriculum of the daycare, if available, to ensure that lessons and planned activities are age-appropriate. Once a few facilities have risen to the top of the list, parents may consider a ''drop-in''  and request a review of organic classroom activities. is accredited by the National Association for Family Child Care, it has fulfilled higher requirements.

Takeaway

You should select a daycare that provides the greatest level of care and nurturing for child development. This is because the early years are critical in the formation of a baby''s brain. So what are you waiting for? Search for the best daycare for your child that will help your baby develop social skills, form relationships with teachers and other children, learn how to control emotions, and learn a lot as he or she grows into a toddler and eventually a pre-preschooler.