How Early Can You Start Daycare?

Daycare options are something that parents rely on to help take care of their children throughout the day, and they are not always thought of in terms of how they are run behind the scenes. We are all very lucky as a society that there are people who think about things like when to start daycare and how to run a daycare business to optimal efficiency. There are many variables that go into how a daycare operates, and it is nice to know that there are some things that you can do to keep your daycare as functional as possible at all times.

How Soon Can You Start Daycare?

Parents almost always want to know when the proper age is to start their child in daycare. They want to be with their child as much as possible, but they also know that the economic realities of the world that we exist in can make it hard for parents to get the chance to spend as much time as they might want to with their children. Thus, it is often the case that parents must look into how soon they can start a child in daycare.

What the Research Says

The research that has been conducted on this issue suggests that the earliest that a child should be left in daycare is when they are one year old. Prior to that, they are simply too young to be left alone for any period of time.

Up until the child is at least 3 years old, they are likely to experience some negative side effects related to stress that they might experience from being left in daycare. It is possible that they will see their stress levels rise as a result of being left in daycare all day long, but that is something that some parents may have to choose to do regardless. They don’t want their child to suffer from separation anxiety, but they also need to go to work. The solution to this is to try to talk to your child and prepare them for the reality that they will spend a good amount of their day in daycare, but that their mommy and/or daddy will be back to get them.

Find a Daycare That Puts Your Child’s Needs First

The best daycare option for your child is any facility that will put their needs first. They are too young and too small to vocalize their needs on their own, but you can figure out what kind of facilities seem to meet those needs based on what the facility says about itself and how it seems to care for the children that are entrusted to it.

Here at Happy Hearts on the Hudson, we are all about putting children first, so they will always know that they are cared for and that there are adults who just want what is best for them. We understand that this is a challenge for many children to accept, and this is why we work with each child on an individual basis to ensure that all of their needs are taken care of. We really care about providing a safe and welcoming environment for every child.