My 9 month old son will be entering a mixed age in home daycare a few days a week and I'd like to know from other moms out there if there's any particular concerns I should be aware of especially given the mixed age group.
I would want to know how many other children are looked after at the same time. I used to work in Nurseries in England and at 9 months there was a legal child/staff radio of 1:3. Any more and you're putting children at risk.
I ran my own home daycare for a while and it all depends on how many other kids there are. I would say no more than 2 infants which includes your daughter. I wouldnt worry too much about the older kids myself because the caregiver should be well aware and very vigilant about watching them around him.
My daughter was in a mixed age home daycare from 12-23 months. Here is what I didn't like about it (in comparison to a daycare center).
1. The differences in ages made me wonder if she was getting appropriate developmental play each day. Were there activities specifically for her age?
2. There were toys for all ages of kids (not a bad thing) but is she being directed with hte toys she plays with or just allowed to play with any/all?
3. What is the child/adult ratio?
4. Is the TV on? How much per day?
5. Do they do school time together as a group or by ages?
I agree with Helen. A 9 month old requires constant care and attention so I hope there is no more than 2 other children. Also, older children may get jealous of the baby's attention (and you have no idea if they will lash out on the baby when the caregiver's back is turned.)Think about how exhausted you are looking after your 9 month old-- now imagine throwing other kids in the mix. Also, with mixed ages, are there toys with small parts in the house? Baby proofing your own home changes with the ages and stages of your own child(ren), but what is the baby proofing like at all times in this environment? I LOVE the idea of mixed ages with toddlers and preschoolers because I think they can learn so much from eachother, but I am concerned about mixing a baby in with toddlers/preschoolers.
In my opinion, there is nothing to worry about.In a home daycare, the younger children tend to follow the older ones.They try to be involved. I find that they learn from them as well. For example, I currently watch a young toddler, he shows interest in fingerplay activities, colors and paint.Memorize short songs etc. If the provider is licensed, she'll be able to manage.
