The New Look of Family Home Daycare
by Lisa Henderson, B.S. Child Development

For the parents of a young child, one of the most important decisions is where to send their child during work hours. There are several options available for a child’s care, including daycare centers, preschools, nannies, relatives, and family home daycares. In the past, home daycares generally equated to baby-sitting. Today’s family home daycare providers consider themselves professionals and their home daycares as high quality, enriching, educational programs.

Home daycare providers, whether registered or licensed, are required to follow state regulations. Each state sets its own rules for minimum standards and regularly inspects each home daycare. The provider is required to attend child development training each year, and to be current on CPR and First Aid Certifications. Many providers also choose to earn a Child Development credential at a two year college or a Child Development Degree at a University. A home daycare provider can also choose to apply for Accreditation through the National Association for Family Child Care. Most cities and states also have professional associations that providers may join in order to network and train with other providers and professionals.

Today’s family home daycares have a new look. When you visit a family home daycare, you may be surprised to walk into a living room that has been revamped into a small group sized preschool. Perhaps there is a book center, a block center, a sensory center, a manipulative center, a dramatic play center, and an art center. The home daycare may also have a computer for the children’s use. The backyard resembles a small playground, with riding toys, balls, and climbing structures. The family home daycare of today likely offers a full preschool curriculum, with activities in math, science, reading, and writing. The children participate in music, dance, arts and crafts, field trips, gardening, pet care, and special parties. Today’s home daycare sounds much like a high-quality child care center or preschool. The family home daycare, however, has many benefits that a preschool or center does not offer to families.

In a home daycare, the parent has a greater voice in who will spend time with their child. Parents seeking this type of care can call their local Department of Protective Services to obtain a list of licensed and registered homes. The parents call the provider directly to set up an interview in the provider’s home. The parents can then choose, based on their interview with the provider and the environment of her home, whether to place their child in that provider’s care. When parents choose a regular center, they often do not have the opportunity to interview the child’s teacher; rather they rely on the information provided by the director of the center. A home daycare also has more flexible hours of operation than a center and can better cater to each family’s needs.

In a family home daycare, a child will have the same teacher every day. The provider is required to be present and to supervise the children. In a child care center, the turnover rate of teachers is very high, due mostly to low pay. When parents find a home daycare provider, visit her home, and see how she interacts with the children, they are more likely to feel comfortable that their child will have continuity of care. This is especially important in the earliest years of childhood, to encourage bonding between the child and the provider.

The home daycare environment also offers a family-oriented atmosphere that is both more relaxed and less structured. This flexibility allows the provider to help the children pursue individual interests at each child’s development level. The provider can serve the unique needs of the children in her care, because she knows each child personally and what that child is capable of achieving. Children enrolled at a daycare provider’s home, in essence, become part of the family.

Another benefit of family home daycares is the mixed age group. A home daycare may serve the needs of children from the age of two months to school-aged children. A mixed age group is considered very advantageous for a young child’s social development. Older children learn to be leaders and teachers to the younger children. Younger children learn to look to older children for ideas, explanations, and problem-solving skills. A mixed age group also allows brothers and sisters to grow and develop together, thus strengthening sibling bonds.

In today’s world, parents often look for ways to tighten family bonds. This can be difficult when both parents work full time or when the parent is a single parent. Family home daycare offers parents many of the same educational activities found in preschools and centers, but it also offers a loving, extended family atmosphere for their child. A professional, experienced, educated family home daycare provider contributes positively to the growth and development of the children in her care. At the same time, the provider becomes a beloved part of the child’s view of the adult world.

Lisa Henderson