Long day care or Family day care - which one do you use?

[Girl-23]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to know which one do you use - long day care or family day care? Do all your children attend the same care faculty? And why have you choosen this type of care?

Kind regards,

[feeb]

My boys started in feb at a long day care centre, they both attend 1 day a week, the centre is lovely bright and clean friendly staff and well organised. They are in diff rooms due to ages, they both enjoy being there but DS1 does cry when I leave him and as soon as he sees me come back but does happily go to staff.

I sent them here as I think its important to be in a centre where they will learn as well as be looked after.

[Amity]

Mine were always in Family Day Care. There were limits of four children per carer, and two of them would have been mine. I wanted my children to grow up together, not in separate rooms. I also liked that I could choose the carer and that they wouldn't come and go during the day.

We still spend regular time with both my boys' day care mothers, eight years later. It's a fabulous bond.

[ButterflyForever]

Mine are in long day care, happy with it. At the time it was the best option price wise, as my CCB reduced the cost drastically.

[Nai]

We used Long Day Care with our girls (FDC was not an option as it wasn't really offered in our area for some reason). Anyway it is a Community Cooperative which is a parent run centre so there is a lot of involvement from the parents.

I had sort of the opposite thought to Divvy in that I wanted them to be in different rooms to enable them to create their own space and own network of friends - as they share a bedroom and spend all their other time together. Also the carers are long term and they often follow the children for 2-3 years. i thought it was good for the girls to be able to develop strong trusting relationships with adults outside of their family. The fact that they had more than one carer was good in case they didn't particularly like or warm to a specific carer.

Fortunately we have had a great experience and have been part of the centre for 5.5 years now (with another 2.5 to go!)

[Cally]

Our daughter is in long day care. I was more interested in that because I was concerned about what happens when the FDC lady gets sick - I've since found out that there is only one FDC in our town so that may not have been an option anyway.

[megs]

I use LDC, there are not many options for FDC in the town I live in and I was a bit fussy as to what homes I would have wanted them to go in. Also my concern was that you don't have much control over who comes into the house, etc.

At the FDC I use they have a family grouping time at the start and end of the day. My boys have all really enjoyed the centre they are at and the carers are a great bunch of ladies.

[My Three Sons]

I have used both. I used family day care with my first son as well as long day care. I LOVED my FDC lady. she was fantastic. But i also love my son's SMALL childcare centre (40 places)
Both have advantages- For me:
FDC- PRO's - Same person all day (although if they are having a bad day for whatever reason, your children also see that... but that is all part of it for me! the good and the bad!)
REAL home environment. Nice small groups. Siblings are together. My carer did wonderful programs based on the interests of my son. EVERY day there was thing that were planned specifically for him, because of the small group. My son got to know her family too- loved her older kids, and loved interacting with them.
Cons- for me there were only 2. Small group which was great for some things, but not so good if my son didn't like the other kids or he was in with children of a much younger or older age group, and IF she was ever sick or on Holidays. But she never was in the year and a bit that my son was there (well not on the days i had him with her.

IF i was only sending my kids one or 2 days, i would use family day care again!

Long day care- Pros for me- Small centre, so small group of staff. My sons know all the care givers really well, even though there is more than one. I don't have to worry about if one of their normal carers is sick, one of the others steps in and fills the spot for the day. Large range of activities for the kids that are age specific. everything provided. I can change my hours whenever it suits... any time in their operating hours, where as i couldn't always do this easily in FDC- booked hours were booked hours and additional hours needed to be negotiated. More social interaction for my Autistic son. He is exposed more to a more similar environment to what he will be in at school next year.

Price wise for me- FDC was cheaper if i wasn't using 8 or more hours of care- as i paid per hour not for the day. But for full time- LDC was easiest for me.