Do you feel daycares are safe?

I chose to stay at home rather than pay for daycare. Must say that we homeschool too. There are germs galore when you get kids from everywhere all together and so many times you hear of things that go wrong at the daycare. I was not willing to take any chances. We also homeschool so that they can grown into their own people without learning God knows what from other children and stranger adults. I wish you luck with this decision and hope all goes well for you.

I think a parent needs to do their homework before choosing a daycare for their child. There are good, high quality daycares out there. You just have to find them. Asking for recommendations from friends is a good start. I own a home daycare and most of my clients have come from referrals.

Here's a few tips to look for while visiting a daycare:
....is the daycare area clean, safe and child friendly?
....are there plenty of books and age appropriate toys available to the children?
....is the daycare provider friendly, does she interact with your child?
....is there a daily schedule that the children follow?
....is there a safe outdoor play area for the children?
....does the daycare have a policy/handbook?

That's a few to get ya started. Good luck.

I work as a daycare provider/preschool teacher. Yes, they are safe for the most part, but nothing is like growing up with mom there. I stayed with my children. I had them in preschool 2-3 mornings a week for socializing and all. I also worked in the YMCA where my children were with me to play with other children. I've worked in a daycare setting for 4 years now and although I try to give as much love as I can, it never replaces mom.

cindy

If you are able to stay home, stay home. I'd rather stay home to take care of my kids rather than working in order to pay for child care. I know there are good child care out there, but also have some bad ones. I know a lady who put her daughter in the day care, and those staff don't change her diaper often, that makes her baby girl has bad rashes on her bottom. If you have to work because of finance, you can also try your trusted friend (stay at home mom) and see if they want to help you and earn some money. These women you have been with them and already observe how they treat their kids, so you know what kind of person they are. Or ask your friends for reference about child care provider.

I am a stay at home/ work at home mom. I work at night as a freelance writer, so I can be with my daugher during the day. I don't think that I would ever send my child back to daycare, just because we had a few bad experiences, by people who we thought we could trust.

Our first daycare provider was in the county database as a highly rated and recommended provider, who had recently taken some time off. Well come to find out, she was also my boyfriend's boss's daughter. So we felt comfortable with her and she was just getting back on her feet, so my daughter was the only kid for most of the time. Another little boy would come like 1 or 2 days a week. All was fine until I came to get her early and her husband was smoking in the house. They weren't in the same room, but the rooms weren't closed off either. He was in the kitchen and she was in the living room. Now, I am a smoker, but I don't smoke around or daughter or in our house. That day we left and never went back.

My best friend also ran a day care center and we went there for a while, but she has since gone back to work. She was good with the kids, but in your post you mentioend learning, as that is what most parents think what happens at daycare, but it doesn't always. I am now watching her kids a few days a week and trying to teach them. She just didn't bother. Her daughter is three and half and doesn't even know any of her colors. I am trying to work with her, but once or twice a week isn't enough time.

Anyways, sorry for my long post. It is just frustrating to try and find someone to watch your kids that you can trust or know that they have their best interest in heart. In all honesty, you wouldn't think that it would be that hard, but it is.

some daycare center are safe, i think, you just have to be careful in finding the right daycare center for your child.

I think daycares like La Petite, Creative Kids and Childrens Place are safe. I would go with the well known daycares that are world wide. I worked at La Petite and Childrens Place a few years back and they ran it really well. I would think a daycare center is more safe then just a regular babysitter. In a daycare center, you have lots of staff and if something happened, you usually have two teachers. But it's a personal opinion. I would personaly just keep my kids at home with me if I didn't work, but if you want them in daycare part time, then I would do daycare that is known really well or get a nanny cam for your house so you can see what goes on while your gone. Now a days you just never know about babysitters. Be safe.

Well I used to be in daycare those days when I was, like, a 2 foot being and I used to have some really good time with that lady I was dropped to.
But I do'nt think we could do the same with ma little sis' I mean that lady went away and there are not many nice people these days you see...
Things are different now. It's hard to find some daycare people at first and then you don't know about how they are, are they right for the kid or something...

I think if the mother desires to stay home with her children and can make financial sacrifices to do so, it is the best thing for the children. Motherhood is a woman's highest calling. I also think home schooling is a good idea, also, given the state of our public schools today. Many areas have programs for home schooled children to get together for field trips, sports activities, and such.

I think most daycare centers are adequate; the best way to find out about a particular one would be to talk to other families whose children go there.

Kids who are in group settings do pass germs around, but early exposure to germs actually helps build the immune system for adulthood. I think only a child who already had a weakened immune system would be in any real danger.

Daycares are safe. Most of them anyway. You really have to go into a center and talk with the staff and check the place out for yourself. If you don't get a good feeling, or if the place seems unsafe, then that center should definitely be avoided. It's hard to get childcare workers because the pay is little compared to the other jobs you could be doing, but most of the time, the people there really enjoy working with kids and will watch them and take care of them all day while the parents work.