Leaving your baby— whether your baby is 6 weeks old or 3 years old— with another caregiver can be incredibly tough (or a big relief!). We compiled a list of some of the best local centers and schools that will allow your child to learn independence and flourish in a school setting.
Almost Home Infant Care & Preschool
801 E. Lincoln St. | 419-427-2721 | almosthomekids.com
Almost home is an award-winning program recognized for exceeding state standards in curriculum development, class sizes and teacher to child ratios. They educate and care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school children in a beautiful and peaceful, home-like setting. Almost home is a family-oriented center that partners with all of their best community resources to provide a rich and meaningful educational experience for your child. Happy, healthy children receiving the best possible education is the very foundation of what they do.
Early Years Family Childcare Center
222 Center St., Findlay | 567-250-9040
Earlyyearsfamilychildcarecenter.com
Early Years Family Child Care is a cradle to school, family-oriented childcare center. Their goal is to promote learning through a child-centered hands-on environment to ensure your children will enter school with the skills and behaviors necessary to be successful in future learning. They strive to offer a safe, secure, and caring environment for your children. The Center provides quality care for children 6-weeks of age up to age 5, as well as for ages 5-11 in need of before and school care, as well as summer care.
Preschool vs. Childcare
While the terms preschool and childcare are used interchangeably, and despite the fact that they share similarities, they are decidedly different.
Preschool programs aim to prepare toddlers for school, with a greater emphasis on early learning and academics. Preschool typically only accepts children ages 3 to 5 and tends to have more teachers with training in Early Childhood Education. Preschool curriculums generally follow the school calendar, which means they are closed during holidays and summer vacation, and they maintain typical school hours, usually something like 8 to 3 with, the option of half days.
Childcare refers to any setting where a child is looked after — from a nanny to a daycare. Daycares generally leave plenty of time to explore and incorporate play-based learning, and many daycares now also include structured early learning and pre-academics. Childcare centers generally accept infants up to school-age children with the option of extended care before and after school hours for working parents.
