Benefits of Homebased Childcare
If you are working, or studying, and looking at quality childcare options for your child then home-based care provides many benefits. These are acknowledged by the New Zealand Homebased Early Childhood Education Association to include:
- Small group size with a maximum of four children under six, never more than two children under two. Individual educational programmes are developed for each child.
- Children can develop responsive and reciprocal relationships with one significant other, particularly beneficial for children under two.
- Family activities such as shopping, library visits, and trips to the park provide valuable learning experiences for children.
- The child’s own routines are able to be carried out in the educator’s home.
- Education and care is provided in a predictable, calm and familiar environment that enables children to build trust.
- Flexibility of hours—care can be arranged to suit parent’s needs.
- Regular visits from trained Early Childhood Teacher to support the educator, child and family.
- WINZ subsidies are available to those who are eligible.
Research suggests that Education in a home-based setting has major benefits for preschoolers.
Research conducted by Leiden education specialists, led by Professor Rien van Ijzendoorn, shows that home-based childcare has a number of advantages over day-care centres: the children have a higher level of wellbeing, the carers are more sensitive and there is less noise. Investing in home-based care is beneficial for the child. The study: Welbevinden en stress van kinderen in de kinderopvang ('Wellbeing and stress among children in child care centres') is the first Dutch study into the quality of home-based childcare. (Source: Investing in home-based childcare benefits the child - News - News & Events)
To see further research findings, follow these links:
