The good, the bad & the ugly...PLEASE tell me about your Childcare Centre

[Erin_25]

As the title suggests, I really would like to hear from those who have children in Childcare what it is they do or don't like about it. What facilities you have & love or don't have etc & so on.

I'm trying to decide if DS should start 2days a week at the local ABC centre he's just been accepted into...but wondering if I'm expecting too much. He was in a centre for 12months but got bitten 8times in that 12months that he just hated going. So we took him out for a break & now have a chance at another centre. He seemed to like it no worries from our visit yesterday, I like some things, other things not sooo much. I know I have to put up with certain things if I choose to send him. Just would love to hear all about others to see the differences of what is or is not available & what people do & do not like about where they have been or are going. He's due to start in a week, I'm still undecided on what to do.

[Snacks]

Its such a tough choice, hey. I looked at two other places when choosing a centre for Natty, and I can't exactly put my finger on what I didn't like so much about the other places... They just didn't feel as right as this one. It is a lot further away from our place than the other centres, but it is very close to Natty's grandparents and aunt, so convenient in that way. Here's what I like about it:
1. Most importantly, IMO: The way the staff speak to the children. They seem to genuinely enjoy the kids. Natty particularly loves two carers in her room and speaks of them often at home. One of them told me recently how Natty has improved in her speech and she said, "I'm so proud of her!" and seemed to genuinely mean it. It feels good to leave her with people who like her. The staff from the room she was in last year still talk to us when they see us (they remember her name! But they never knew mine, LOL!). Natty can be very shy and the staff know she takes a while to settle in once she arrives. We hand her to one of the carers and they just hold her until she is ready to join in.
2. The place is still pretty new, so although there always seems to be sand all over the place, it still feels "clean", KWIM?
3. The layout of the place is great. There are 4 rooms, two ajoined by a bathroom and the other two ajoined by another bathroom. Then the outdoor area spreads across the whole back of the building, with an area fenced off at one end for the little kids (so they don't get trampled). They have a big sandpit, climbing and balancing equipment, bikes... Can't remember what else as Natty seems to live in the sandpit.
4. It has taken a while to present itself, but Natty has learned heaps. She has learned to count (we're up to 16 now, LOL!), sing the alphabet (well, her own little version of it anyway), learned some Japanese words and how to count to 10 in Japanese, learned loads of songs and they always do heaps of craft. Probably this is something that she'd get at any centre, but it just cements in my mind that she's in a good place.
I HTH a little. As for the biting, I think that's something you'd find anywhere. But you've got to be happy with how the staff deal with it.

[Erin_25]

Thank you, that's the sort of things I was wanting to find out.

**bump bump**** anyone else, surely there are more kids in care?

I live in a small town, so only have the choice between 2....and as we know everything is run differently. So I'm just wanting to get a feel for what everyone else accepts, likes, doesn't etc......anyone else?

[amy_o]

Personally I chose to put DD in Family Day Care. She goes one day a week to a fantastic lady who was a center director before deciding to work from home. Because of that we are probably luckier that most as she has such high standards but the real reasons I wanted FDC was I liked that it was a home environment and low numbers. There are only 4 kids total on each day. The ladys sons when the come home from school love playing with the little ones, DD is the youngest and they think she is so cute!! I think DD has managed to do things that she might not get to do at a center because of her age. She does all the crafts with the others and paints. The carer has the time to help her because of the low numbers. DD has learnt new skills and matured from being around the older toddlers which is great too. All in all it works for us!!

[Nai]

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.

[onthefly]

I agree with Snacks on No.1 - the staff are the most important thing. When we toured I was happy to see the carers all talking happily to the kids and really engaging with them. We really got a good feeling about the carers in the baby room, especially the room leader, and when it came down to it that was the reason for our decision to put DS in there.

Other things I am not so happy about with our centre:

the baby room is 0-2, which is a very wide age range, and quite small. There is an outside play area, but if the weather is bad they're stuck inside in a very cramped space.

The food is not too crash hot. prepared on site, but pretty bog-standard stuff and lots of processed food, but I decided not to be too picky about that (particularly since we don't always eat too well at home either).

good luck

[~Kim~]

Hey Erin, it is hard isn't it? We're from the country too so I understand about not much choice. FWIW when we moved here there are a few centres but only 2 not run by ABC. I don't actually like the philospohis of ABC nor how they seemed to be with 'outsiders' as we were looking for a centre - dunno maybe it's the corporate thing Luckily for us there was a family run centre that we love.
I'm not sure if it's because I'm friendly and chatty or if it's becasue I take an interest in what they do, but all the girls in all the rooms know me and say hello (Heck I even get invited to their staff sendoff lol). I like that. I like that they want to know how we're going. They even sent me flowers when I thought we were going to deliver Nate at 24weeks.
I like that they are happy to comfort upset children. There are always going to be upset ones at the start of the day, but every time there are tears, someone is comforting that child. They cuddle them, nurse them when they are sad or dont feel well. Yep to some that might be a bit iffy, but heck I'm a copper and it doesn't worry me. I'm glad they are similar techniques to ours.
We had an issue with dirt, but they have just recently rectified that with that soft stuff like tennis court stuff. Like Amy, I'm sure we bring home half the sandpit every day but it is a huge sandpit and Darcy loves it.
They have lots of different dressup and theme days which the kids love and the girls all get into.
There are a few bullies and my sensitive little girl has been hurt more than a few times, but we're teaching her to tell a bully that it's not ok to do that to her, or that she doesn't like them doing that to her. Seems to be working.
Gotta go screaming kid HTH

[Erin_25]

Thanks for all the response. I would LOVE to have DS in family daycare....his name has been on the list 6months now!!!! There's just not enough people here who run it.
In regards to staff at the previous centre, them I really liked. They all knew who I was etc & took an interest in DS. It was more the person running it, lack of stuff provided......for example when dropping him off in the morning it was to any empty room of screaming kids & 2 puzzles IYKWIM.
The centre we looked at had much more stuff, more structured based activities (I think that's an ABC thing), so all that was good. But what has prob got me most worried, we were there 10mins or so whilst DS had a great time playing and not ANY of the staff members approached us to say hello or DS & then one little boy was standing in the play area with his pants down wanting to do a wee & a staff member was standing right by him just looking into space!!! it was me who had to say something. Ahhhhh I just don't know!!

[Lolli]

Hi Erin,
I've very recently started ds in daycare one day a week to give me a break. I'm in the suburbs so spoilt for choice but the deciding factors for this one where

*Very new and clean. Huge rooms with lots of outdoor playspace, and a seperate outdoor area for the little ones.
*I could drop in any time, before or after ds started. Some places where really funny when I said I'd just drop in to look around, without an appointment.
*This centre is ok with duimmies and comfort toys. Some others weren't.
*Flexible nap times if required.
*The staff were really lovely and warm and genuinely love the kids in their care.

On the down side...
*Once there was a kid there who was much sicker than I thought someome should be at daycare. Snotty, runny nose and a cough. the carers didn't seem too concernced.
*Occasionally I've seen them leave a baby or small toddler crying for longer than my nerves can handle But I guess they only have so many pairs of hands between them, ykwim? But ds has been a bit distressed as i've left him and they always do their best to distract him and keep him happy. the office staff even let me listen from the office on the intercom for 10 minutes before i go so i know he's not too upset.

HTH. FWIW, ds loves daycare so far, and believe me so do I!!!

[Sweet Bliss]

Our creche is just beautiful.

It is co-op run, and is situated in a beautiful old heritage home that has been extended and renovated. It has a beautiful mature backyard with big trees etc, that is divided in two for the big and little kids.

The rooms are:
Babies Koala room 0-1
Possums 1-2
Kangaroos 2-3
Wombats 3-4
Echidnas 4-5 and Kinder


The staff tend to stay on for years (the carer, who is also the mother of my best friend, has been there for 20 years now), and even travel quite a distance to get to work, because they prefer to work there over anywhere else! I have made many friends for life who are staff.
I love while they are always buying new toys, they have a brilliant selection of old wooden toys etc that the kids never tire of playing with. I know in the babies room the container with the old fashioned wooden pegs get played with more than some of the new whiz bang toys! I was horrified when I toured some other creches when we moved, and they had TV'S..... I also love that they don't mind a bit of a mess to get the kids exploring new things...for instance there was a sunken area of the 2-3 room that they turned into a sandpit during winter.

They have a chef who cooks amazing mostly vegetarian meals like Dahl, Thai Red Curries, Frittatas etc, and there are always leftovers that can be purchased at the end of the day so that you don't have to cook when you get home.

I go in and breastfeed DS during the day, and I am always provided with lunch for free. Being there during the day, I get more of an insider look, and the care that they provide is just amazing. The babies room is so calm and nuturing, it just makes me want to go to sleep!

I wouldn't send my kids anywhere else now! We have been at the creche for 5 years now.

[onthefly]

They have a chef who cooks amazing mostly vegertarian meals like Dahl, Thai Red Curries, Frittatas etc, and there are always leftovers that can be purchased at the end of the day so that you don't have to cook when you get home.

That is AWESOME! (where is this?)

[MantaRay]

I love the centre my DS goes to. I love the staff - they really care about the kids, you can just tell. They have more staff on than they need to by law at any one time, they have fantastic ideas, they even have an extra staff member to help the room leader's with their programming. They have huge rooms and so many resources too, but for me, it really comes down to the carers. I think that it's a great sign if you gel with the carers - and even more so if your child does!

[Sweet Bliss]

That is AWESOME! (where is this?)

In Central Victoria. I know I am spoilt! And, DD eats so many different things that I know if I had of tried to introduce them at home she would have refused to eat. Her fave is Pumpkin and Coriander Dahl. She is allergic to dairy, so they always alter the recipe for her, and the best bit is, by demand the chef has now released a cookbook with all the creche recipes, and it is my cooking bible!! The leftovers are big takeaway container size, enough to feed a family of 4, and are usually only $6!!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I like DS's centre - he LOVES it. He's been off for 7 weeks (school holidays!) and Nursery was still running; I told him Wednesday that he goes back on Monday and he will not stop going on about it. Today I took him out, told him we would go whereever he wanted... Nursery.

Things I like:
Small number of mixed-age children
Carers who like children and will chat to them
Carers who will join in or initiate games
Carers who know what your child has been doing all day without having to refer to a sheet
They follow my routine and we co-ordinate our days together

Things I don't like:
My favourite carer was promoted... and works in the other centre now! I'm hoping to get DS moved. (She's facebook friends with my DS that's how much she loves him!)
DS's current keyworker is my least favourite carer there... she doesn't seem to approve of my style of parenting and if I tell her DS is tired because of a bad night's sleep she tells me to let him cry and I know full well if I tell her we tried to TT and DS didn't want to she'll tell me it's up to me to "make" him use the loo... whatever.

I actually like that the room moves about every couple of months - it stops DS running straight for the train set. He plays with other toys when they're in a slightly different place, and it gives the Nursery a new feel. I also like the different displays the children make every month.

They are looking into getting "mummy food" for the evenings too! Must be a popular thing. But DS's diet is fully catered for (no nuts and no cow milk) during the day so that's a big hassle off my mind.

[Girl-23]

The bad and ugly: The children in DD's room - the babies room (0-18 months) always have runny noises.It's disgusting . So in the very beginning when I use to pick DD up, I always wiped her noise upon entering. Now, whenever I come to pick DD up, the main carer cleans DD's noise. I can't believe the carers allow the children to walk, run around like that for most of the day.

Sweet Bliss,

What an awesome childcare. I wish my CC done the same.