Moving from family daycare to daycare centre

[Summertime]

Hello,

Just wondering what peoples experience was moving your little one from family daycare to a daycare centre? How did you feel about your decision and how did the family day carer take it? My carer is having some health issues, and its affecting how many days that she can work, often I don't get much notice. I have a permanent job that I need to go to, and its getting diificult with all the days I need to have off to look after DD.

Thanks!

[danita]

I was a family day are Carer so can only write from my point view. Most parents started by dropping one day of family day care and replacing it at the centre or with 2 days then then increased it from there. I was totally fine with children moving on and often had a lot of parents on waiting lists still. Most children adapt quite well to a new environment although may feel a bit overwhelmed which is why parents of my day care chose to do a mixture of the 2 in the beginning.

[AnyDream]

I needed an extra day's care but our FDC lady didn't have a place. So I found a nice community CCC. It was a disaster. DD was completely overwhelmed by all the people, and especially the multiple carers. I pulled her out after the 2nd or 3rd day as her distress levels were too high. For that reason I think you need to be pretty careful with the transition. Go along for some visits & check your LO is happy before you burn any bridges with the FDC lady.

[Summertime]

So I have decided to move DD across to the daycare centre, family daycarer has become even more unreliable. Im still trying to think of a solution so I can ease my DD into the childcare centre while continuing to work four days a week.... With family daycare we were able to have a month of adjustment, with shorter days to get DD used to it, but I dont have that lead up time this time.

Any advice for me on how I can handle the transition between daycares?

TIA!

[wysiwyg]

I think alot depends on the child and how much adjustment you think she will need - she is used to being away from you now so that is one hurdle, but presumably not used to different carers and more children?

She might be of an age where she just loves the new place. I would just try do couple of short days and see how she is, she may be fine. With both of mine I did a very limited adjustment time (but was straight into CC) maybe three short days with DD, in fact with DS I think I only did one short day, but he had been used to picking up and dropping his sister off so although only 1 he new the place. Has your DD been to see the daycare centre yet? (e.g. a couple of hours with you there or something? Familiarization or something our center calls it before they officially start (so not paid for)) How she does there might give you an indication of how big an adjustment it will be.