Accredited vs. Private Day Homes

There are many pro's and con's to each type of day home. Here are a few things to consider;

1) Accredited - A provider can only have 6 children (including their own until they turn 12) in their care.

Private - A provider can have 6 children PLUS their own in their care.

2) Accredited - Contacting a day home agency can help you find multiple day homes at once.

Private - Parents need to contact each day home individually.

3) Accredited - Day home agencies can potentially set you up with back-up care if the provider has to close suddenly or goes on vacation. You would be referred to another day home within the agency.

Private - Providers may provide families with a list of back up providers.

4) Accredited - Providers receive extra funding from the government depending on their level of education. This funding is supposed to go towards program costs.

Private - Providers do not receive extra funding or encouragement to further their education.

5) Accredited - Day home agency consultants make monthly unannounced visits to the day home. They check that the provider is following health and safety standards, accreditation goals, and agency rules and regulations.

Private - No one checks on them.

6) Accredited - Day home agencies are able to provide subsidy to parents who qualify for assistance.

Private - Subsidy is not available.

Private Day Homes

Option:  A day home that is run privately by an independent by a provider.

These providers run a day home following their own standards, rules, and regulations. However many private providers pride themselves in following licensing ratios and requirements. 

There is not a registry for private day homes however social media is a great way to connect. Many providers will advertise their day homes on Kijiji or Facebook groups. Word of mouth is also another great way to find a private day home. 

Accredited Day Homes

Option: A day home that is run in partnership with an Accredited Day Home Agency.

What does "accredited" mean?

Accreditation is a process that a day home agency, along with it's providers, can go through that demonstrates their excellence in care.

Alberta Child Care Accreditation states that accredited programs:

·         have committed to meet the accreditation standards at all times

·         continue to work on quality improvement in accordance with the strategies set in their Quality Enhancement Plan

·         undergo annual reviews through submission of evidence to the accreditation agency

·         are subject to unannounced status verification visits (https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-child-care-accreditation.aspx#toc-1)

This can give parents a piece of mind knowing the day home their child is attending is following these high standards.

 

A day home agency acts as a support to the provider. The day home provider is still self-employed. The day home agency typically handles the registration process, monthly financial payments, substitute care, and can support the provider and family if any other issues arise. Each provider is typically assigned a consultant who makes monthly unannounced visits. They check the provider is following health and safety requirements, accreditation standards, and supports the provider as needed.  Day home agencies also generally hold workshops and training seminars for their providers.

Accredited Dayhome Agencies that operate in our community;

Child Development Dayhomes of Alberta 

Children'sChoice Community Child Care

Calgary& Region Family Day Home Agency Inc.

SonshineFamily Day Homes
DavarChild Care Society

ChurchillPark Family Care Society

Daycare

Option: Daycare

Daycare is available in our community at several locations. Each daycare has several trained staff and they follow the licensing ratios. Often daycares will have an infant room, toddler room, preschool aged room, and after school care room.

Kids U  

Brightpath  

New Brighton Child Care

After School Care/ Out of School Care

Option: After School Care/ Out of School Care

Both of these titles refer to child care for children Grade 1 +. Program hours are typically for a few hours before school starts and a few hours after school ends.

For example 6:30am - 8:30am and 3:00pm-5:30pm.

OOSC programs will also generally provide care on PD days and during school breaks.

In our community there are several options for OOSC at a center;

 Juvenescence - St. Marguerite School   

1st Class After Class - New Brighton School

New Brighton Child Care 

Thanks for stopping by!

First of all.....HELLO!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! If you're reading this that hopefully means you are a parent/guardian who is looking into  child care options in our fabulous community of New Brighton, Calgary!

My goal with this blog is to give you the parent, information and resources, to help direct your child care search.

First, a little bit about myself. I live in this community and am a parent of 3 children who have be a part of child care programs throughout the years. Having gone through the task of finding the perfect child care for my children I know the search isn't easy. But the more knowledge and education we have the better choices we can make for our children!


My goal is to provide you with an unbiased look at the child care options in our community and help you to make informed decisions. In my opinion,  there are no right or wrong options when it comes to child care as long as you are informed. By the way the information I share is solely from my own research and information I have gathered!