17May
As a parent of a young child or children, you might be considering child care if you have to work, or you want to help your child develop and learn during their preschool years. One of the great things about a child care centre, is your children get to hang out with other kids around their own age and develop important social skills. It doesn’t matter what type of child care you opt for, children will be well looked after and they’ll never feel alone.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the different types of child care, so you can decide which type suits you and your child or children best.
Outside School Hours Care
This is an option that’s great for working parents of school-age children. Your kids have a safe environment to remain in before and/or after school, until you’re ready to pick them up and take them home. Generally, this is available for children who attend primary school.
Home-Based Care
For kids ranging from babies up to early teens, you might choose a home-based care service; either a professional service such as babysitters, or having a friend or a relative look after your child while you’re unavailable.
Babysitters are great for casual daycare, when you need to go out to run errands or have an appointment, but may not be the best option if you’re away for work all day every day.
Family Daycare
Family daycare refers to leaving your child at a professional carer’s home, rather than having a carer or babysitter come to your home. Some parents like the fact that they are leaving their kids in a home-based and more familiar environment. Children will be well looked after by the carer and hours of care are often flexible.
The downside to this type of care is that sometimes your carer may not be available due to illness or some other commitment.
Early Learning Centre Daycare
Early learning centres differ from what you might think about when you hear the terms preschool or kindergarten, as early learning centres generally allow children from ages of 1 year old and up to 5 years, whereas with kindergartens and preschools, the age bracket was usually 3 to 5 years.
Early learning centres are far more than just a daycare service where your children are supervised by trained adults in a secure environment. As the name implies, the focus is on learning, as well as daycare and having a fun time.
Let’s run through some of the advantages of enrolling your child in an early learning centre.
To begin with, an early learning centre will teach your child the basics in core education subjects such as English, science and math. Depending on the centre and the curriculum offered, chances are your kids will also learn about computers, and even basic computer programming.
Many activities take place at early learning centres that are designed to build self-confidence and social skills in young children, along with other fun activities to promote physical fitness, coordination, balance and more.
Other programs, such as music therapy, are designed to open up a child’s mind to enhance positive brain development and an increased capacity to learn. Programs are all designed to be interactive and can also be adapted to suit the needs of individual children, rather than having a “one size fits all” approach to learning and development.
Something else that’s important is your child will learn about nutrition and healthy eating. At Endeavour Early Education, children even get to grow and harvest their own vegetables, which are then prepared into delicious, healthy meals by our on-site chefs. If kids can have fun learning about nutrition and have a hands-on approach, they’re far more likely to appreciate healthy food and more inclined to eat their vegetables (something many parents struggle with).
In Conclusion
When it comes to different child care types, the option you choose will depend on your goals and individual circumstances. Enrolling your child or children in an early learning centre like Endeavour Early Education is well worth considering. Our centres are aimed to give children the best start in life, as well as preparing them for the school years to come.
For more information on what our centres can offer you, just get in touch today.
