At What Age Can Your Child Go to a Daycare/Childcare Centre?

With fast-paced lives and work demands, present-day parents are not able to give enough attention to their children as they, too, have to juggle work and home. Due to this, the proper care and attention required by a child in their formative years is lost. This is why many parents feel their children may be required to put them in a daycare centre. However, the question in most parents’ minds is, ‘What exactly is the right age for my child to go to a daycare?’ Before you scratch your head, allow us to simplify the situation for you and explain to you in detail about when to start daycare and the best age to start daycare to help you make the right decision for your buttercup’s future.

What Is the Best Age to Put Your Child in a Daycare/Childcare Centre?

Whether to send your child to a daycare is your choice. However, in most cases, it may depend on your work schedule, demands and also on your child. Ask yourself a few questions before you make this decision:

• Does my child feel uncomfortable in the company of strangers?
• Will my child feel overwhelmed in a noisy environment?
• Will my child feel comfortable and adjust easily to a new environment or place?
• Will my child indulge in various kinds of activities and games with kids from his age group?

These questions will help you decide whether sending your child to childcare is a sound decision or not. However, if you are wondering about the minimum age for child care, it varies from centre to centre. Some may allow babies as young as a few months old, whereas other centres may be suitable for toddlers and older children only. Therefore, you need to find a daycare centre that is best suited to your child’s age and other requirements.

Benefits Your Kid Will Get From a Daycare/Childcare Centre

A mother is supposed to take care of her baby and forsake everything else for the sake of her baby. Although that’s an ideal scenario, it isn’t feasible as most nuclear families have working parents. In such a situation, it becomes difficult to stay at home and take care of the child, and the only option that parents are left with is to send their child to daycare. However, if you are sceptical about sending your kid to a daycare centre, here’s what you should consider:

• It is a safe and structured environment where the staff is equipped to take care of the needs of babies and older kids.
• It is a great place for your growing kid to develop better social, language and other skills.
• Your child will interact and indulge in activities with children from his age group, thus helping him become better prepared for formal education.
• Your child will become more independent and may experience less separation anxiety as he gets habituated to being away from his parents from a young age.

Types of Children Daycare

When thinking if daycaring your little one, it is important to learn about all the different type of daycares present for children and what might be suitable per your needs and lifestyle.

1. Childcare Centres

Childcare centres typically provide structured care and supervision for infants and children in group settings, usually organised by age groups. These facilities operate with properly scheduled drop-off and pick-up schedules, policies regarding the admission of ill children, and additional charges for specific services. Additionally, some centres exclusively offer full-time care options.

2. Family Childcare Homes

Also referred to as home-based childcare, this form of daycare involves your baby being looked after in a group setting with much fewer children, like in a childcare centre. However, instead of a formal facility, the care takes place in the provider’s own home, which offers a more relaxed environment compared to the structured setting of a franchised childcare centre. This setup may appeal to you as it can feel more akin to being at home, with a less rigid schedule, as babies often get one-on-one attention from a single caregiver.

3. Nannies

Nannies do not have their own centres; instead, they’ll care for your baby at your own house. They provide childcare service by working as a full-time nanny or as-need basis. Nannies provide one-on-one attention to babies, from feeding to making them sleep. Thus, hiring a nanny can be expensive.

How Long Can Your Child Stay at Daycare?

Until the age of three, young children often experience elevated stress levels when they spend an entire day in daycare. It is generally advised that children attend daycare for only half of the day until they reach the age of three, whenever feasible.

Things to Remember While Choosing a Care Centre for Your Child

Some people believe that daycare centres are best suited for toddlers and older children, while others feel that it’s best to leave a child in family daycare. Whatever your decision might be, it’s important to keep in mind a few things before choosing a daycare centre as per the age of your child:

1) Babies – 1 – 12 Months

If you are wondering at what age an infant should be considered for daycare, let us clear your doubts. Infants or babies need special one-to-one care from a single caregiver, preferably at home itself. However, there are many daycare centres that offer more personalised facilities for younger babies or infants. Babies need a safe and clean environment because this is the time when they start experiencing the environment around them. It’s important to carefully choose and select a daycare centre because babies take time to adjust and develop attachment. Changing centres may not be advisable for young babies.

2) Toddlers – 1 – 2 Years

Requirements of a daycare centre for toddlers is more or less similar to that of babies. Toddlers are little explorers, and they need to be around someone who lets them be themselves and understands them well. People taking care of toddlers must have oodles of patience and energy. Childcare centres which have a low carer-to-children ratio work best. One of the best things about sending your child to daycare is that he gets to interact and socialise with children in the same age group, which he may miss out on at home.

3) Preschoolers – 3 – 5 years

Children of this age group are learners and pick up language, social and other skills real fast. So, if you are looking for a daycare centre for your 3-5-year-old kiddo, it should be a place where he not only feels safe and comfortable but also gets to brush up or acquire new skills. Opt for a place that offers an array of activities for your kid.

FAQs

1. What are some important things to remember when finalising a daycare for your child?

When looking for a daycare for your little munchkin and finalising it, make sure to check these things before finalising anything:

• The licensing qualifications of the centre
• The qualifications of the staff
• The hygiene level of the centre
• The extra facilities provided at the centre
• The ratio of babies to care providers
• The emergency arrangements at the care centre

2. What are the signs that indicate your child is ready for daycare?

If your child has started showing some independence while sitting up and standing up, is potty-trained, understands instructions, and communicates on a basic level, then your child is nearly eligible for daycare.

3. What are the signs that indicate your child is not ready for daycare?

If your child is experiencing any developmental delays, sensory sensitivity, or suppressed immune systems and dropped to one nap per day yet, then they may have difficulty at the daycare.

Every parent has different requirements as far as sending their child to a daycare is concerned. Take into consideration some of the recommendations we’ve shared in this article and make the right decision for your child.

Also Read:

Pros and Cons of Daycare Centre for Kids
Child Care by Relative: Is It Good or Bad
Preschool Vs Daycare: Which Is Good for Your Child?
How to Make Sure Your Child Gets Adequate Nutrition in Day Care?