Daycare Advice - Seeking Wise Counsel on Starting a New One in My Home =)

R.,
My 9 month old has been in an in home daycare since he was 3 1/2 months. Because he liked to be held a lot we realized it wouldn't be too practical to put him in a day care center. My in home provider is excellent, gives him a lot of attention and has various activities for the kids. She has five kids total (three babies and two 2 year olds) as well as an assistant.

She provides breakfast, lunch and snacks for the 2 year olds. Breakfast may consist of oatmeal, cheerios, milk and apple juice. Lunch - chicken nuggets and cut up apples or other fruits. She does give them cookies and suc on occassion but not too often.

Her weekly rate for a baby is $180/week, and she does offer sibling discounts.

Her assistant reads to the older kids and they watch educational videos. They also have fun activities such as pajama parties, Halloween parties, birthday parties, etc. In the summer when it is warmer she has a playground in her backyard where the kids can run around and play.

My baby loves the daycare and the provider and it is the next best thing to me staying at home with him. Hope this helps.

1. this is related to the question about packing lunch, so i will get back to this one later
a) yes.
b) snacks at 9:30 am and at 3 pm after nap snacks. morning snacks, could be a bowl of cereal (not a big portion), or a banana, animal crackers, applesauce, rice cakes, yoghurt. all snacks, morning and afternoon, with a cup with juice (for example 4 oz), and the milk for lunch should be provided by you. i would think it would be easier for parents to bring the lunch for their kids as they know what their kids like to eat, you can offer to have a pizza day once a month and ask them to give 2 dollars per child so you can pay for the pizza and delivery.. . .afternoon snacks, pretzels, a slice of velveeta or string cheese, yoghurt, fruit etc.
2. not sure about prices, but 10 per cent discount for the sibling.
3. i personally don't trust and would not put my kids in an in home daycare, reason being the daycare provider is not monitored by anyone on daily, hourly basis. that's just me. if i ever were to consider an in home daycare provider, i would only go for the one that offers video access, which would allow me to log in online and watch my kids the entire time they're there. pricey and most likely not worth it for you.
good luck

Hi R., I've been thinking about your question. Do you have lots of experience with 2 & 3 yr olds? Have you worked in the toddlers class at church and know what you would be getting into? I would highly recommend that if you haven't then take on one child at a time, like babysitting first before venturing into "childcare" in your home.
God Bless,
~P.~

My children are in a WONDERFUL in-home daycare in Vienna. It is a large in-home center, though, and has a large staff for an in-home. Some answers, as well as some things to think about:

1. They feed my son a healthy breakfast and lunch -- things like pancakes, eggs, oatmeal (breakfast), and soup, chicken and rice, macaroni etc for lunch. I like it that THEY provide the meals, snacks, so I don't have to worry about extra shopping. As a working mommy, that helps me out a lot.

2. I pay $660/month per child, for part-time daycare. That is from 8am-2pm. But I think this is on the high side, and I pay it because she has a full staff of 8, with a cook and two rooms (toddlers and infants). Personally, I think a discount for the second child in one family should be standard.

3. To me, the advantage is the smaller ratio of adults to children, and less children = less illness in my kids. My son started in a large daycare, and spent the entire first 10 mos of his life with colds, respiratory infections, and just about every illness an infant could get. Since he moved to this in-home center, he has been remarkably healthy. My daughter started here, and is much healthier than my son was.

Things to think about -- you need to have a back-up. What if you get sick, or need to take your (adopted -- congrats!!!) child to the pedi for something? It's hard for working parents to have to come up with somewhere to place their children at the last minute. To have someone else there who can still take over when you are unavailable is crucial.

Separating infants and toddlers is also important. Toddlers are not self-aware enough to NOT trample infants, and if they are together then the infants end up suffering by being cooped up in a pack-n-play, swing, etc all day. Consider either ONLY taking toddlers and up, or separating the two groups with separate caretakers.

I think the suggestion of the previous poster was a good one -- maybe start with a babysitting service, or even work with another in-home daycare to offer back-up care. Most in-home daycares are closed for vacation at several times during the year. offering to "take up the slack" and watch kids during those times would be a great help!

R. C,
Contact Kings Kids Daycare, Lisa Johnson is the Proprietor
###-###-####. She is listed on mamasource.