Where to begin! I have worked in the child care field for the past 14 yrs.! I started at a center in high school and worked there while I went to college for child development, after I completed my AA I cuoldn't go back to working in a center in the town I live in, they SUCK! So i started home daycre and have done that for 10yrs. now. I am currently back in school again myself for my BA in early childhood education so I have it all worked out to start student teaching when 6 of my seven kids start Kind.
Anyway, I think both settings have their pros and cons, but personally I happen to like home daycare better for younger children IF they are in the right setting. A parent needs to do their homework and find out what they should be looking for. Ratios vary from state to state, but in Iowa you can have different child/ caregiver rates depending on how you are licensed. I like that in home daycare your children can be together instead of separated by age. Being in a mixed age setting can help younger children develop differently than children in a group of everyone the same age. Young kids can see and get in on the action of the older children. Older children learn how to play and get along and be patient from being with the younger children. Some older children blossom into wondeful empathetic people due to being a helper of a younger child.
Also a GOOD home setting will offer everything a center can. I offer a better price, siblings are together, we do "preschool activities" such as learning centers, art time, calender, outdoor play, and field trips. They are exposed to and learn to count, their letters, writing, early reading skills. They are exposed to math and science everyday through our activities and walks. Plus home daycare has the opportunity for practical every day living such as setting the table, cooking/ baking, taking care of their environment in cleaning, folding towels for the kitchen, etc. They brush their teeth each day after lunch. And the kids & I have a HUGE bond. I am their "teacher" and their second "mother" which my families love for their kids. Many have grown up here from birth or toddlerhood until school with the same person instead of switching every year.
The cons of course are that a parent has to totally trust and rely on a single person and that could be bad if you don't find the right one which could be hard. You also are more likely to get an uneducated person in child development which research has proven the more education you have the better, but some of the greatest providers I know don't have a degree. If a person isn't truthful they could be bending the laws to work for them, they may not be registered, or follow guidelines.
Of course in a center bending the rules too because there it is all about the bottom line- money. they have to pay the staff which means keping rooms full and costs low. Your children's "teachers" may or may not have education(depends on the state and area you live) But in a center you do have the benefit of always having someone there. There MAY be someone checking on you to make sure you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, there may not.
As far as development goes, it would depend upon the center and home setting. It wouldn't matter which one a child is in if the quality is bad and they are not exposing kids to things and ebgaging them in activities and play.
Okay, I'll stop. You can contact me if you want anymore!:)