7 Benefits of Early Childhood Care

When exploring child care options for your child, there are many factors to consider, especially when comparing early childhood centers with in-home care. Here are seven benefits of early childhood centers to consider as you research your options.

Health & Safety

State agencies set health and safety requirements for licensed early childhood centers. Requirements vary by location, and some centers also participate in voluntary quality-rating or accreditation programs. Ask each provider how classrooms are cleaned, how handwashing is supported, and how staff receive current health and safety training.

Licensing

Licensed early childhood centers must follow applicable rules for staffing, supervision, recordkeeping, and safety. Inspection schedules and licensing requirements differ by state, so families should verify a center’s current license and ask about staff training in areas such as CPR, first aid, fire safety, and supervision.

Supervision

Early childhood centers provide layers of monitoring that may not be present in in-home settings. Most early childhood centers have lead teachers and assistant teachers in a classroom, Program Supervisor or Assistant Director, and Center Director on location daily. Having multiple people in and out of the classroom holds everyone accountable for maintaining high standards of care.

Emergency Planning

Early childhood centers prepare emergency plans for events such as severe weather, illness, evacuation, and family reunification. A center may also have a larger staffing pool to help cover planned or unexpected absences. Families should ask how a provider communicates closures, staffing changes, and emergency procedures.

Curriculum

Early childhood centers typically offer robust age-appropriate, research-based curriculum and enrichment opportunities to guide their teaching. The benefit of this type of program is that children gain exposure to a diverse curriculum developed specifically for their age and learning milestones. Programs like this are not always possible when it comes to in-home settings where children of different ages might complete the same activities side-by-side. Early childhood centers enhance learning opportunities by providing enrichment classes and experiences such as Spanish, soccer, dance, music, computers, or even swimming lessons.

Teacher Experience

Teachers in early childhood centers typically have years of experience and have made a career out of teaching young children. Many have gone to school and received degrees in education. They have seen many children grow and go through different stages, which helps to problem-solve various situations they may encounter. Teachers also have a variety of resources to draw from in an early childhood center to continue their training.

Socialization

Providing children with lots of opportunities to socialize with kids their age is a benefit of early childhood care. Children can parallel play and develop essential skills by watching their peers. Positive peer pressure starts to develop, and children challenge each other to explore, grow, and learn. Children learn to share, be aware of others, and make new friends when they have peers close in age to them.

Choosing the best early childhood care for your child is one of the toughest decisions you may have. Explore all your options to find care that meets all of your child’s needs. Finding care that feels like home while supporting your child’s education, safety, and wellbeing is also essential. Early childhood centers can strike that perfect balance between a child’s home away from home and their escape to explore their world in new and creative ways!