The Search for High-Quality Day Care in Silver Spring: A Parental Guide

For most parents, the thought of parting from their young child, for most of a weekday, is unthinkable. That’s especially true during a child’s formative years, when parental bonds begin to form. Still, in some instances, there is a strong case for letting go in the interest of the child’s future. And planning for your child to attend a Silver Spring day care center is one such occasion. Though it may be a tough decision to make, in the long run, it’s worth doing!

The Need for Making Tough Choices

The tough choices parents and guardians often face includes deciding when to plan for childcare, and which child care center in Silver Spring should they consider. But most importantly, is a realization of when such choices must be made. So, when might parents or guardians reach that crossroad where there comes the need to make those tough decisions?

Common situations include:

1. New addition to the family: A newborn is a source of great joy and happiness to the family. And, in most cases, thoughts about child care, and deciding on specific Silver Spring day care centers are farthest from the minds of young parents. Nonetheless, those thoughts are necessary; and by the time the child is between 12 to 18-months, those thoughts must become inevitable. 

While stay-at-home love and affection does lots for young children, it does not replace what professional care and nurturing can contribute. If you value the long-term social, emotional, physical and mental development of your child, then choosing the right day care center is critical.

2. Parent/s plan to return to work: There are several employment-specific situations where parents or guardians, of children under the age of 2-years, might need to make those tough choices:  

–   Parents who have been working from home may soon make that tough decision as their employer’s work-from-home programs come to an end. As they plan to return to the office later in the year, they’ll have to consider what to do about caring for their kid/s. Rather than leaving the child with neighbors or extended family, having the child attend a licensed  Silver Spring day care center, and in the care of child care professionals, is the more practical choice to make.

–   If you are a single parent, or a stay-at-home parent in a 2-income family, having a new addition to the family might change how you feel about staying-at-home. With the new addition, often comes new financial responsibilities – both short and longer-term ones. The best way for you to join the workforce and earn some additional income, even if it’s on a casual or temporary basis, is to have your child cared for in a professional, safe and nurturing environment. A licensed day care facility is the most appropriate solution. 

The Right Time is Now

If you believe that day care for your child is right for your needs, then don’t wait for too long to begin exploring options. Many Silver Spring day care centers have parents and guardians, just like you, actively looking for child care options for their children too. Ideally, you should allocate a minimum of 4 to 6-months to find the right location close to you. And that means you must commence your search as early as possible, but no later than the child turning 18-months of age.