We use a community cooperative childcare centre. It is very big (100 long day care places) but is a parent run, not for profit centre so parents are encouraged to participate in the running of the centre and have input into the way things are done. I have been on the Board for 3 years and it has been very eye-opening as to how a childcare centre is run.

I like this model and I love our centre
- the carers are creative and really care about the children (they send a staff member to the local schools for the first day of prep to wave goodbye to the kids starting school each year)
- the feel of the centre
- the way they deal with the children and any behavioural issues (DD1 has been bitten 4 times in 3 years but it hasn't worried her)
- the policies that are in place
- the way the children are treated as individuals
- the development books that they have for each child
- the staff retention - many have been there for 10 years or more.