There are several factors that affect your decision on when to start your little one at daycare. From your work circumstances to your child's developmental stage and their level of independence, everyone's situation is different which makes it difficult to suggest the ideal time to start them in care.
To help you make the best decision for your child, we've touched on the different types of education and care programs, and the different ages you can start them in care from birth through to five years of age.
What is daycare?
Daycare, also known as childcare, is a service that provides supervised care, education and play-based activities for children during the day when parents or caregivers are unable to do so. Daycare services can be provided in a variety of settings, including in homes, community centres, schools or specialised daycare facilities.
The purpose of daycare is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children while their parents or caregivers are at work or otherwise engaged. They also provide a great opportunity for children to socialise with their peers and other adults while learning the skills and knowledge that will set them up for success throughout their school years. Daycare providers may offer a range of services, including educational activities, playtime, meals and snacks, rest periods and assistance with basic care needs, like feeding, nappy changes and toileting depending on the age of the child.
Daycare may be used by parents or caregivers on a part-time or full-time basis, depending on their family's needs. Some daycare providers offer flexible schedules to accommodate parents with varying work hours, while others may specialise in specific age groups or provide specialised services for children with special needs.
Daycare provides a range of benefits for children and their families, from providing children with socialisation opportunities and early learning experiences, all the while allowing parents or caregivers to work, attend to other responsibilities or enjoy some child-free time.
Types of daycare
There are several different types of daycare, including long daycare, family daycare and preschool or kindergarten. Here's a quick recap of the main differences between them.
Long daycare centres
Long daycare services are often provided in purpose-built facilities, like a child care centre. Care is offered on a part-time or full-time basis, making it a great option for working parents or families who are looking to put their child into care for a few days a week.
Long daycare services cater to children from birth through to 12 years of age. These services tend to offer extended opening hours, operating for 10-12 hours each day, five days a week, 52 weeks a year, except on public holidays.
Many long daycare centres can accommodate a large number of children, so classes are often split according to children's age.
Family daycare
Family daycare services are provided to children in the homes of early childhood educators.
Family daycare operators must comply with strict educator-to-child ratios, which means one educator can only care for a maximum of seven children with no more than four children under school age at any one time. Because of the small group environment, family daycares often offer a more natural and nurturing approach to education and care compared to long daycare centres.
Preschool or kindergarten
Preschool or kindergarten, depending on where you live in Australia, is a part-time service that offers government-approved early childhood education programs that are designed to prepare children for the transition into prep, which is the first year of primary school.
Because preschool is intended to get children used to primary school, their operating hours are based on a regular school day, so they're open from 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday. Children attend preschool five days a fortnight and they must be at least four years of age to attend.
Preschool programs are delivered by a university-qualified early childhood educator. These programs help children to develop a love of learning, socialisation skills and build foundational knowledge to help them succeed at school.
In addition to these three daycare options, there are additional types of child care services that may be better suited for your little one. From in-home care to nannies and au pairs, you can read our blog on the different types of childcare to learn more about these options.
What is the best age for daycare?
So, is there an ideal childcare age? As it turns out, there's no hard and fast answer as to when you should start your little one at daycare. This decision depends on a number of individual factors, as well as the needs of your child and your family. In general, daycares can cater to children from six weeks of age through to primary school-aged.
Although you can send children under 1 year to early childhood services, the optimal age for children to start daycare is after a child's first birthday. With that being said, here are a few factors to consider when thinking about what age to send your child to daycare.
Infants: birth to 18 months
At early ages, babies go through important developmental stages where they form attachments to their primary caregivers. Because of this, babies tend to thrive in situations where they have a lot of one-on-one contact, so daycares that have low baby-to-educator ratios are a great option to make sure your little one receives the care and attention they need.
If you're thinking of sending your bub to daycare from birth to 18 months, you'll want to find a child care service that can provide individualised attention and care, including feeding, nappy changes and rest, while also being exposed to a stimulating environment that can promote their development. As babies start to explore the world around them it's important to ensure they're in a clean, safe environment.
The minimum age that daycares accept children depends on the service provider itself, but usually, babies must be at least six weeks old and have met immunisation requirements to be able to attend daycare.
Toddlers: 18 months to three years
From 18 months of age, children start to become more mobile as they actively explore and socialise with those around them. Daycares offer a great opportunity to explore a different environment and socialise with other children their age.
From this age, early childhood educators start to introduce children to basic concepts, like maths, music, language and movement, which helps children develop their cognitive, physical and academic skills. Daycare programs for toddlers can help to provide foundational skills and knowledge for preschool.
At this age, toddlers still benefit from more individualised care, so finding a daycare with low baby-to-educator ratios is beneficial.
Preschoolers: three to five years
As children start to approach primary school age, it's important to place them in environments that will help them develop the skills and knowledge they need to thrive at school. From three to five years, many children start to show a real interest in socialising and establishing relationships and friendships with their peers. Good quality daycares provide them with an excellent opportunity to socialise with other children, while the educators provide an age-appropriate curriculum to help them develop those important skills.
From four years of age, many children are old enough to attend a preschool or kindy program that will further allow them to develop foundational skills and knowledge that will help them to succeed and prepare children throughout their schooling years.
Whether you're looking for daycare, preschools or a kindergarten in your local area, Care for Kids can help. Use our childcare search tool to find and compare local daycare providers in your area.
