childcare options for 3 years olds (daycares, home, preschool)

[nikkif]

As we are relocating from another country i wondered if I could get some advice from locals. I would like my 3 year old to have some form of 'schooling' and wondered if people could explain the options. Where we come from we have daycare which is aimed at children of working parents. We then have what we call kindergarten- this is different to the US. It is for 3 and 4 year olds and is a free service where they go three or four times a week for 3 or 4 hours. Is there an equivalent of this option in the US. I am going to be a stay at home mum so we don't have a lot of money, but I want my daughter to have some social interaction and play time with peers. Love to hear from you.

[TinkaMcKirk]

Hi!

Unfortunately, we don't have anything that is free for 3 and 4 year olds (that I know of). What we have is "preschool" for that age, and it is usually private and there is some sort of tuition. There is, however, a wide range of preschools and costs. There are 1/2 day preschools 2-3 times a week all the way to daycare preschools which are fulltime 5 times a week. The costs vary dramatically as you can imagine. I believe that church run preschools tend to be the least expensive, which works out well if you don't mind that.

Good luck!

[J_Lurk]

The only free option I know of is through Project Enlightenment, but that is really for children with special needs. Demonstration Classrooms - Project Enlightenment

The word "preschool" is generally used here for classes that are 2-4 days a week, half-days, and for ages 2-4.

Most stay-at-home-moms I know send their kids to a church-based preschool. They cost about $150-$200 / month for 3 days a week. You do not have to be a member of the church. The religious instruction is generally minimal. They are cheapest because the church subsidizes the school so it is available for their members, and the members have first chance to sign up.

The only problem is that most of these preschools have already had their sign ups for the 2008-2009 school year. Sign ups are generally in January/February for the following September. At this point you would need to shop around and decide where you could get on a waitlist. If you know where exactly you will be located then people could make more specific recommendations of schools to try.

There are also some private preschools that are reasonably priced (e.g. Language Tots) and preschools that are offered by daycares. The ones that are combination preschools/daycares are usually more expensive as the daycare would prefer to have a 5-day-a-week child.

[saturnfan]

Seems like some folks are concerned about exposing the youngsters to religion.

Give it a chance. Had I been so exposed, I'd likely have made a lot fewer big mistakes in later life.

[rileyboo]

My four year old has been attending mothers day out twice a week from 9-230 since she was 2. This is also at a church. She has learned a lot and I love the structure and activities. Now they also have pre-school which is around $300 a month for full day. I pay $140 per month for the 2x week. Other options are for child care centers that offer preschool but that is very expensive and frankly everyone I know prefers the church based programs. Ours is actually through a Private Christian School. Much cheaper but same curriculum, with the added bonus of religious exposure.

[TinkaMcKirk]

Originally Posted by saturnfan

Seems like some folks are concerned about exposing the youngsters to religion.

Give it a chance. Had I been so exposed, I'd likely have made a lot fewer big mistakes in later life.

Glad it would have helped you out. Some folks may not need that extra help.

I, for one, don't like to assume that everyone is ok with their academic instruction coming from a religious institution, which is why I put the caveat in my original post. Try not to read too much into it.