Day Cares & Their Effects on Kids

Center Versus Home

• A day-care center is generally safer for your child than a service run out of someone's home, according to a study published by the American Sociological Association. Although injuries and death are rare, there were 16 times more deaths in private homes than in day-care centers between 1985 and 2003. Day-care centers usually have multiple care providers. Each provider is supervised by a director and keeps an eye on everyone else. Likewise, when a provider becomes overwhelmed, another person can step in to help. A day-care provider also has more training to care for your child, resulting in fewer accidents.

Intellectual Development

• Children that spend time in high-quality care have better language and cognitive abilities than children in low-quality care, according to the National Institutes of Health. Day-care providers should be able to provide structure, organized learning time and one-on-one time with your child. Ideally, your day-care providers will offer art projects, music time and will work on letters and numbers with your child.

Health

• When your child goes to day care, she will be exposed to other children and, as a result, exposed to more illnesses than if she were at home. If she is ill, she will not be able to attend day care, meaning you will have to stay home with her. Ensure that your child washes her hands regularly with soap and water and that the providers disinfect toys and other equipment often so that your child will get sick as little as possible.

Social Behaviors

• Children who spend a longer amount of time in day care show more aggression, stress and behavioral problems than those who spend less. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, children who spent most of their time in day care were three times as likely to exhibit these problems. Additionally, your child will be with other kids his own age whom he has never met before. He may begin to copy children who don't speak nicely or are prone to bite or hit other kids. However, he will learn to be more independent and will also learn to share, help out and play with others.