Long Day care or Family Day care??

I'm sorting out childcare at the moment. I have been offered 2 days per week at a longday care centre for my two - DD 2y11m and DS 8m. I have also been asked about Family Day Care and if I'm still interested.
The centre appears nice, staff nice, efficent etc but I'm a little concerned about my son going into LDC at such a young age. Yet, I'm also hestitant about FDC in that it's only one person and who know's what goes on really - at least at a centre there are other adults around.
Any recomendations???? What are your experiences in FDC/LDC?
I really can't make up my mind on this and don't know if it's just anxiousness about starting it all and once it's happening I will be OK or if it's a gut feeling about something not being right. The centre really does seem good and the staff lovely so I'm not quite sure. Please help me make up my mind!!

I use FDC 3 full days a week for Indah... My raesoning is if Indah becomes attached to this lady it's fine as she is always going to be with her... If hse became attached to one person out of 3 or 4 in a LDC, they can chop & change staff quite regularly & it means having to settle Indah each time, this way from day 1 same lady & same 2 or 3 other kids!!!

Indah is happy there, I looked for a quitely spoken lady & not a Western person... I wanted someone from another country, as my hubby is from Bali & we prefer the village type of environment. The lady we have is Sri Lankan, absolutely gentle, quietly spoken, gives Indah kisses, Indah happily goes to her & she loves wtaching the older kids play...

This is only my experience, but we are very happy with our FDC lady!

I have just decided to pull my little boy out of childcare. You know how you just have that gut feeling that something isnt right?? He has only been there for about 4 months but just doesnt seem to be settling in. I had another teacher (not his) tell me today that he was crying. Why didnt his teacher tell me?? He is usually a really outgoing little man who loves everyone but he is just 'blank' when I pick him up. Whenever I go to pick him up he is playing on his own. Its just heartbreaking!!. I used to live next door two ladies who ran family day care (on either side of me) and they were just fabulous with the kids. There are smaller groups and they get to do more stuff just like they would do at home. Its a more homely environment and if your children were together all day it might be easier on them both rather than being seperated into different rooms as they would in day care??

I have used both for Matilda as well... and actually love FDC. I think it does all have to do with the particular carer your child is with & how they work with your child. We had a rough trot at a LDC with Matilda. She cried heaps, didn't sleep, was put in the toddler room because she was walking at a young age so they would pop her in the other room when the smaller babies were more demanding & she got biten a few times. When it happened they only told me as I was walking out, no incident reports etc...

With FDC Matilda does go on the car trips to school drop offs, but she loves it there. Everyday she asked to go to Lizzies house. She has bonded with the entire family and other kids who go there. There are 4 children in care on any day and 2 stay with her for both her days. So its like a small family, where they grow up together. 1 of the other children has been in care with Matilda for over a year. The consistency is fantastic. All the families want to keep their places in there too. So when a place opened up we all filled it up by adding another day on for this year.

hi there
our children go to a daycare centre and have since they were babies.before we had 2 children ava went for 2days and now thy both go 1 day a week.the staff are fantastic and i rate myself as fussy wih who what where and when.our council run a majority of them and the staff are mums and grandmas which helps.my girls have performed in plays and do music every week so maybe ask what the centre provides in their program.with fdc i have no control over who comes and goes and i dont like the idea of it being one person and the fact you have to find alternatives for holidays etc.
goodluck as we all know what works best for you and your children.and for the staff without kids they are great lots of patience!!!!!

Hello, I'm a die hard FDC fan! DD was in FDC from the time she was 9 months old and I just loved that she was being cared for by a special person in a family environment rather than in a centre, which I personally feel to have a very institutional feel to them.

Having said that, we have occasionally resorted to long day care when the FDC took leave due to a family bereavement, and that was ok, for short periods. Also, I would say you do need to be picky when you are screening your carers, I often will go through meeting half a dozen before I find one that I feel is right for my daughter. I once terminated care because we had accepted a carer that I had reservations about (we were told there were no places and I needed care in order to start studying full time). It wasn't anything concrete, she took good physical care, but DD wasn't happy and this became more and more apparent over several months. The office was very good when we terminated and took special care to find another (excellent) carer who was better suited, based on my comments at the time.

Good luck with your decision, if you follow your intuition I'm sure you'll find a good care arrangement, whatever is right for you and your family.
:-)

My mum did FDC when I was a kid and all of her children loved it. Over a period of about 12 years she must have looked after in excess of 20 kids and so by the end of it had a really good reputation and references. The kids had a really "natural" life - some days they watched telly all day or just slept and took it easy and others they were out and about, going to the bank, the shops, etc - just like regular kids at home with mum.I used to love it when I was on school holidays cause I used to run "programs" for them (I was about 12 at the time) and the kids (often there were 8 of them, cause my aunt who lived next door also did FDC) used to do painting and crafts with me. If I could find a carer like my mum I would jump at FDC.

My FDC lady doesnt have a license which I am actually happy about, there is a park nearby so she pops Indah in a pram & takes the other 2-3 kids (she only has 3 others 1 day a week & 2 the other 2 days Indah is there) they play at the park, she has a huge log book with photo's of activities the children do & Indah brings pieces of art etc she has done at FDC home, they dont have a pet but they do have a huge backyard & it has lot's of things for the kids to do.

The Council is extremely stricy with checks etc & they call me to see how Indah is going & if we are happy, Indah did cry maybe the first 4 0r 5 days but since then she says Hello & puts her arms out to her & so I know she is happy to go there.

I am perfectly happy & comfortable with my carer, I guess everyone ahs to choose the right situation & carere for their child as all carers are different as are all kids & kids requirements!!