Hi Leanne,
I unfortunatly returned to work after 18 months will my little girl and found the transition really difficult for her and me. We had been to the centre for sessions up to 2 hrs 3 times a week before starting, Eliza was booked in for 3 days a week. This centre had a lot of really young girls nothing against that but it was a new centre and we found they often had all the children in the one room so Eliza was with the newborns and causing alot of trouble. I never knew what she had been up too or if she had eaten and everything was vaugue...any way as months went on it escalated when they were calling me everytime she was in DC to pick her up for stupid reasons..like when she put her tooth thro her lip and it had stoped bleeding. Being in that enviroment also compacted her to contract rota virus and be hospitalised for 1.5 weeks with a NGT and then after returning to DC back to hospital again with the same thing.
We were offered a position at my choice of daycare and took it even tho I gave up work after she got sick. This daycare she is in a room with her age group and se has "primary" carers so although there is 23 kids in this huge room with large park like area outside she has the same person looking after her needs and putting her to bed. They were happy to accomodate with a portacot in the sleeping room as she hadnt slept on a bed but know prefers it.
We have a diary that tells me all the things she has done and who she played with and a big white board with the carers name and the children names under neath with servings and bowel movement and sleep duration so for mummys that have little time..I can glance up and see whats gone on and leave. This daycare is more Eliza is has real grass and real dirt lol not like the synthetic stuff and she plays outside all day..more like a home enviroment.
The only problem is that we had to take up the first one as places in good centres are often hard to get..Good luck