In 1854, the first U.S. day care center was established in 1854 as the New York Day Nursery. The day care movement took its shape as part of the welfare and reform movements during the 19th century.
Since then, preschool and daycare are occasionally seen as just another form of child care for working parents, but there is significant benefit when viewed as part of long term child development. Children receiving quality early childhood education are more likely to hold a job, buy a house and to earn more than 5,000 dollars more than children that did not have the same early education.
Choosing the right preschool gives you the peace of mind of safe, engaging care and future benefits from socialization and stimulation. Your child will develop around 1,000 trillion cellular level connections in the brain by age 3. That represents twice the amount of average adults and signifies the prime time for development.
You should evaluate your preschool for their ability to nurture that development and to ease children into their social interactions. For example, children learn through simple, yet engaging tasks like putting on their own clothes, brushing their hair and becoming more self sufficient. Observing potential preschools can give you insight into how the caregivers interact with the children.
In researching potential preschools, you can solicit referrals and recommendations from your friends and colleagues. Also, you can research preschool reviews and comments from current and previous families with children in various programs. This will provide direct insight into the advantages and disadvantages of each preschool.
You will have to evaluate your childs natural preferences for activities and learning opportunities. Some children are more comfortable in a smaller, intimate setting while your child may thrive in a larger more social setting. Additionally, you may have to look at how well your child and their caregivers get along. Again, some kids may respond better to a quieter, more introverted caregiver while others may click with an extroverted, youthful caregiver. Reference links.