Kindergarten or childcare is better for working parents for 1 child?

Question

Kindergarten or childcare is better for working parents for 1 child?

Answer 1

It would be great for your child to have the best of both worlds. Kindergarten is a definite if your child is five or six. As a working parent you probably need the child care too. If possible I would try to find a school that has both. Before and after care can be a  time for your child to enjoy open ended play, quiet times, meeting children of other ages and have a safe place to be until her parents pick her up.

Many child care and preschool teachers have many hours of early childhood education and experience that goes beyond what a book or lecture can teach.

Just check everything out and don't be afraid to visit the facility often.

Answer 2

Kindergarten is usually used for children around 5 years old and it's today the first level before first grade in most Elementary Schools. Depending on the state or province, it only last 2 hours and a half to 5 hours. It is not conceived as "to take care of the child", but to guide and educate her.

Childcare can be a Family Daycare or a Childcare Centre. You'll find some that are licensed and some unlicensed, depending on the state or province where you live.

The quality is related to the studies and certificates of the person in charge, the space, the caregiver-child ratio, the schedule of activities (and that they are age-development related) food and extra services and the general policy.

Your final choice will depend on many factors:

1. Your child's personality, age and needs.

2. Your budget and needs in terms of schedule, extra help when the child does not feel well, closeness to your house or work, etc.

3. The quality of the service (Based on the factors mentioned above)

Answer 3

It depends on how old your child is.  If your child meets all of the age requirements in your state kindergarten is defiantly best because they will learn things they need to know to succeed in school.  

If both parents work full time and kindergarten doesn't last as long as the work day you can find one that has extended day care or a childcare center that will pick your child up from school and take her (him?) to the center.

Ask around to different centers and parents in the area to find out what most of them do.  The kindergarten/childcare option is probably best because your child will have the structured academics in kindergarten and the fun free play of childcare.  

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Defiantly kindergarten.  Teachers are required by the state to be licensed (educated) and are teaching students skills they will need to know for school/life.  Childcare workers don't even need a GED in a lot of states, the daycare center has no educational mandates by the state and is usually more centered on corralling large number of kids.

Answer 5

As a kindergarten teacher in Texas, I would definitely side with your child going to kindergarten rather than childcare. In Texas, children are not required by the state to attend kindergarten, but those children that do not attend kindergarten are way behind when they go to 1st grade. In most cases, they have to stay behind in 1st grade an additional year if they cannot catch up.

If your child is 5 by the start of school they definitely need to be enrolled into kindergarten. I am not saying that all childcare facilities are lacking in preparing students for 1st grade, but most do not simply have the resources needed to prepare the students like public and private schools do. We have to remember that in the US, kindergarten is now what we did in 1st grade. Basically most students are reading by the time they leave kindergarten. At least that is what the state (of Texas) expects of them.

One last thing, I know that you probably did not mean for your question to come off that way, but it sounded like you were looking at kindergarten to be childcare for your child. It is not childcare, it is school and totally different. So, you might need childcare after school for your child, if you are still at work.

I hope that answered your question.

Answer 6

uh? Kindergarten and childcare are two separate things.

Well, you can only begin Kindergarten at the start of a school year, and the child must be five years old, but he/she is 4, it depends on the birthday. In VA, the child must be age 5 or going to turn five by October 1.  Kindergarten is mandatory for all children, and is usually held at an elementary school or at a private school.

Child care is something that happens before Kindergarten, usually ages 6weeks- 4 years old.  People switch child cares all the time and you can start or stop going to a new one whenever.  This is not mandatory.

Some child care centers have private Kindergartens, but I would say definately go with PUBLIC kindergarten or kindergarten at a private school or parochial school (religious) because those at childcare centers are usually not as good as others and they often more expensive.

Answer 7

both are the same i guess, but when you send your child to kindergarten, you'll still need someone to look after him/her after the school hour is over, 88db website has list of good kindergartens and childcare ctrs where you can send your child, the most important thing is that your child gets the good education

Answer 8

childcare