Cons of Infant Daycare

• Sending your baby to daycare can be a difficult choice. Cute happy one year old baby image by Galina Barskaya from Fotolia.com

  Parents who must return to work face a difficult choice when it comes to the care of their infants. When making your final decision, consider your financial situation, the needs of all family members, the time away from home and the age of your infant. The pros of daycare are affordability, a supervised environment and socialization with other children.

  Daycare centers must meet state sanitary and safety regulations. Parents who choose daycare don't have to open up their home to anyone, therefore maintaining their privacy. However, daycare centers also have their cons.

Attachment

• Consistent caregivers are important in an infant's life. woman with baby image by Valentin Mosichev from Fotolia.com

  Daycare centers often have high employee turnover rates due to low pay and other issues. Check to see how many staff members will be working with your baby throughout the day. Some daycares have afternoon staff come in to relieve the morning staff. Do as much research as possible regarding the staff members and the length of their employment.

  Babies thrive best in an environment that is consistent regarding both structure and the people in their lives. There is a lack of individual attention in daycare centers because your baby will be part of a group. It is extremely difficult to meet the demands of each baby, especially if they are all crying at the same time.

  The general ratio of staff to infants is 3 to 1. Day cares will also impose their schedule on your baby, regarding when they would like them to eat and sleep. For parents who want more control over their child's routine and schedule, daycare may not be the option for you.

Illness

• Fevers prohibit your baby from attending daycare. old medical instrument, mercury thermometer image by Astroid from Fotolia.com

  Infants in daycare may become sick more often. It is impossible to prevent the spread of germs in a daycare setting. Babies put toys in their mouths and touch each other and their eyes, mouths and noses. An infant who becomes sick at daycare must be picked up, causing the parent to leave work early or make arrangements for someone else to get their child.

  A baby cannot attend daycare if he is ill and must be fever free for at least 24 hours before he can return. This can cause you to take time off from work or arrange for back-up care. Both can be an inconvenience and an additional expense.

Inconvenience

• Daycares have set hours of operation. group of kids playing image by Cristina Cazan from Fotolia.com

  Parents who work hours longer than the daycare hours have to arrange for pickup by a friend or family member. It can be a daunting, stressful task to get ready for work and get your infant ready for daycare. You must keep the center stocked with supplies for your infant.

  If you are late, many centers charge a fee in five- or 10-minute increments past closing time. This can make it difficult if you run late in a meeting or are stuck in traffic. Penalties can add up quickly if this happens too often.