A professional and licensed home daycare provider: for and against

Parents are often reassured by the guarantees offered by the profession of registered childcare providers. The main advantage is that this type of childcare is regulated by strict laws, which oversees the safety and the maximum welfare of your children! It is mainly for these reasons that many parents prefer this solution care for their baby. There are also some disadvantages that we will detail in this article.

Entrusting your child to a childcare provider: the many advantages

First of all, unlike a daycare, your baby will be welcomed in a home, with a limited number of other children. This permits him or her to feel less lost and more at ease. There is nevertheless contact with other children which help your little one learn how to socialize with others. 

Parents in turn are often more comfortable knowing they entrust their children to a trained person.

In most cases you will not have to take care of meal preparation,  your childcare provider will take care of this (you will of course have to cover this cost along with her salary).

Finally you do not depend on the strict schedule of a daycare. It all depends on the agreement you have made with your childcare provider, but most are very flexible on hours as long as parents don't try to take advantage!  

Some disadvantages as well

If your child is sick, not all home childcare providers will necessarily agree to receive him or her, so as not to infect other children. This is not the case, for example, when your child is looked after by a nanny at home.
You'll also need to manage the personal relationship with your childcare provider. You won't necessarily agree on many topics such as holiday dates, child rearing, etc. It's up to you to find the right person who suits your needs and those of your child so that these problems will take care of themselves.

Pregnancy.org have also come up with a list of advantages and disadvantages of in-home childcare and out-of-home childcare, which might give you a more full perspective. You can read the article here.

The importance of choosing the right home daycare provider

As with any form of childcare you should choose your home daycare provider with great care, ensuring that your child will have not only a safe environment but a loving one too!  Blogger Jodi at Rants n' Rascals offers 12 Tips for Choosing the Right Home Daycare, to make your decision just a bit easier.  

Health and safety at the childcare provider's

Registered home childcare providers undergo regular inspections to make sure their home is a safe environment for children and are required to have a minimum of first-aid training. Not only that, but they are required to have regular vaccinations.  Pour recevoir son agrément, l'assistante maternelle doit être en bonne santé. If you want to know more, read this article.

A limited number of children

Another advantage when it using a home childcare provider is that the number of children she can care for in her home is limited, so you are sure she will not be overwhelmed by children to watch! The way in which the number of places is determined is explained on this page.

Formal training required

Childcare providers must also have a minimum requirement of training (usually between 30 to 120 hours of training, depending on the provincial legislation) to ensure their professionalism and their qualifications, note that this is just the minimum requirement. So you know your baby's caretaker knows the basics to support your child's development. It's a guarantee of quality..

More likely to be insured

It is in the home childcare provider's best interest to cover herself in the case of an accident. That is why, even though it is not legally required, many childcare providers purchase extra insurance on top of their house insurance. This should be somehting you discuss with her before you start working with her.