Interestingly, daycare appeared in France about 1840, and the Societe des Crèches was recognized by the French government in 1869. Though a contentious and hotly debated topic, daycare and preschool programs actually have many benefits for children, helping a child’s personal, social, and emotional development. Studies show that high quality daycare and preschool programs can actually give children life long advantages. In fact, a study of low income children in Chicago found that those who had attended preschool were 28 percent less likely to develop alcohol or other drug problems or to wind up in jail or prison in adulthood, compared with kids who did not go to preschool. Furthermore, children in quality preschool programs are less likely to repeat grades, need special education, or get into future trouble with the law.
However, if you are considering putting your child in a preschool program there are several things that you will want to consider. First of all, you want to prep for your child for the transition to daycare or preschool. Helping your child learn how to put on their own clothes, brush their hair and otherwise become self sufficient is another important step in readying them for preschool.
Furthermore, as with any child care, you will want to do a bit of research to find a high quality preschool or daycare program. Consider the teacher to child ratio (the lower, the better, to ensure that your child receives more individualized attention), the curriculum, the qualifications of the staff, etc. And keep in mind before choosing any program you will want to visit the facility. Watch how the staff interact with the children and make sure the facilitates are safe and clean. Overall, however, a quality preschool or daycare program can give your children life long advantages.