Enrolling your child in the right program is a big decision for you. You want to look at preschool vs daycare and do all your research. You should google ‘best preschool or day care near me’ to find the one that suits your requirements perfectly. Only after doing all the research will you be able to make the right decision. Read on to learn about the differences between a day care and a preschool:
What is a Preschool?
Also known as a play school or pre-primary school, a preschool is an educational center offering early childhood education before your child starts elementary school. In most cases, children enrolled in a preschool are between the ages of 2 ½ to 5 years. This will not only lay the foundation for their school years, but also focus on their development.
What is a Day Care Center?
A day care center is a facility offering childcare services. They focus on taking care of your child and mainly focus on working parents. They will feed your child, make them play for a while, and put them to sleep. If you have a young child, you should choose a day care centre where they can spend about 5 to 8 hours away from you and their home.
Difference Between A Day Care And A Preschool
- Preschools usually have shorter daily hours and are closed for the summer, week long breaks, and holidays. In a preschool, you have to choose between full-day and half-day programs. In most cases, you will have to enroll your kid for over 2 days every week. But, when it comes to hours, a child care center offers more flexibility. Since they cater mainly to working parents, they open early and close later. Also, they are more likely to be open all year-round. At some child care centers, you can personalize the schedule of your child.
- At day care centers, everyone between infants and grade schoolers, can be enrolled. So, your child will have an opportunity to socialize with other bigger kids and spend time with some babies. Pre Schools usually accept kids between the ages of 3 to 5. Also, different children from different age groups will be separated.
- While a child care center might accept your child in diapers, preschools require your kid to be toilet-trained.
- Preschools are learning oriented. In fact, many preschools have higher education standards for teachers and directors. Compared to the staff at a day care centers, they have more formal training.
So, if you are confused between a preschool and a day care centre for your child, learning these differences can help you make the right decision.