None

National Association for Family Child Care

National Association for the Education of Young Children

Make sure home is childproofed and discipline, eating and payment issues are settled up front.

Look for experienced providers with training in child development and health and safety, such as CPR classes.

Look for teachers with early childhood education degrees.

one-on-one interaction; familiarity of caregiver; improving intergenerational
relationships

Interaction with kids of different ages; home setting

Children grouped with age-mates.

May lead to family conflict; lack of written agreement can cause problems

May suffer from variety and amount of equipment and toys for each age group; conflict between needs of babies, toddlers and preschoolers

High cost; some programs overly regimented.

Varies widely

From $3,500 to $8,000 per year, per child, depending on location

From $4,000 to $10,000 per year, per child, depending on location