Types of Child Care

November 22, 2009

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Types of Child Care

by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.

There are four types of child care to choose from, each with its advantages and disadvantages:

Care by relatives
This works well when you have a good relationship with them and agree on child-rearing philosophy. This sort of arrangement calls for honest discussion beforehand. A grandparent or other relative should only take on the care of a young child if they want to take that role, not out of a sense of obligation.

Many grandparents would prefer to be grandparents--caring for their grandchildren from time to time, having fun together--rather than taking on day-to-day childrearing responsibilities. If that is the case, it may be better for your child to have a good grandparent, and for you to make other child-care arrangements, than to have a grandparent-caregiver whose heart is not in the job.

In-home care
Having a babysitter or nanny take care of your child usually offers more flexible hours, a homelike environment without an abrupt transition to another setting, and perhaps more one-on-one attention. When your child has a minor illness, you can still go to work. With the right care provider, this option can be especially good for infants, who thrive on adult attention and who don't get much benefit from interacting with other young children.

In-home care can be quite expensive for one child, but is more economical for two or three. Sometimes parents will arrange to share an in-home person with another family, alternating homes.

In addition to the cost, there is some work involved in being an employer: You have to keep records, pay Social Security and disability insurance, think about what benefits to offer (such as vacation time and health insurance). You need a backup plan for when your caregiver is ill or on vacation.

Family child care
This is when a caregiver cares for a number of children in her own home. The home setting often feels comfortable, and having just one ot two caregivers may help your child to develop a close attachment relationship to that adult--something that is very important (see [hl] Caregiver Continuity). At the same time, for toddlers and preschool children, the group experience provides peer interactions on a regular basis. This is also often the most affordable option.

The quality of family child-care homes varies widely, from award-winning to truly awful. Many family daycares are licensed, meaning that they meet basic safety and health standards. Some are also accredited, which raises the quality standard. Unlicensed, un-accredited child-care homes may not necessarily be bad, but you need to evaluate them very carefully yourself.

Center-based child care
Daycare centers are becoming increasingly popular. On the plus side, these centers are licensed, and many are accredited. They are usually open year-round. They offer a stable, structured setting with an explicit child-care philosophy that you can evaluate.

However, the level of training of the staff and the child-to-staff ratio are quite variable. Often staff turnover is high, so your child may not be consistently cared for by the same person (see "Continuity of Care"). Young children in group care get sick more often. Since many centers have policies that exclude sick children, even minor illnesses can mean that you have to miss a day of work or make other arrangements.

How to choose?
Of course, practical considerations come into play: What is available? What can you afford? Also consider your particular needs and the particular needs of your child. For example, some gregarious toddlers do better in groups than others. Since no one kind of arrangement is proven to be best, you have to use your best judgment.

For more on choosing quality care, see Choosing a Child-Care Center.

For another perspective on different types of child care, along with much helpful information on finding quality care, see the Child Aware website, a project of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies: http://www.childcareaware.org

Talk about:

Newborn and Infant Child Care

Toddler and Preschool Daycare


RELATED INFORMATION

			Checklist: Choosing a Quality Child-Care Center
			Preparing Preschool and Daycare Meals
			Child Care

Created September 16, 2000
Reviewed August 15, 2004

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