After having your first baby, one decision you may need to make is where you will send the child while you and your spouse are both at work. This choice typically comes down to finding an in-home daycare center or a commercial daycare center, and both can be good options. Here are three reasons choosing a commercial child care center might be the better choice for you.

The Service Is Always Available

In-home child care centers offer a lot of benefits, but they also have some drawbacks. One of these is the possibility that the person providing the care will need to call off the services from time to time.

With in-home care, there is typically one person watching the children. If he or she gets sick or has an event (such as a funeral or appointment) that cannot be skipped, you will not have a babysitter for the day. This could result in problems for you, because you would have to suddenly scurry around to find a replacement. If you could not find anyone to watch your baby, you may have to call off work so you can stay home with him or her.

When you choose a commercial child care center, the center will always be open during the regularly scheduled times. If one of the employees cannot be there, they will handle finding a replacement. You will never have to worry about calling off work for this reason, and this makes a commercial child care center a better option for people that cannot risk missing work.

Commercial Centers Offer More Structure

A commercial child care center is a business. It has employees, a building, and a schedule. If stability and structure are important to you, a commercial center is likely to be a better choice. Most commercial child care centers provide a methodical, structured setting each day of the week. They service meals at a certain time and they have nap time at a certain time. Each day has a schedule that may include a variety of different activities.

When small children grow up in structured environments, they are typically able to transition into school settings easier. They are already used to being on a schedule and having periods of quiet time, and they may already be accustomed to completing projects or working in groups.

Your Child May Benefit Academically at a Commercial Center

The third reason you may want to choose a commercial center over an in-home center is for academic purposes. Commercial centers are likely to provide more educational activities for the children than an in-home caretaker might. While all centers offer different programs, options, and activities, you may be able to find one that offers the following activities:

• Preschool classes—When kids are at daycare and reach a certain age, the center may have actual preschool classes. The nice part about this is that you would not have to worry about bringing your child to a separate preschool and picking him or her up. The services would be onsite and included in the fees you pay.
• Technology—The center may also offer more options to use technological devices like tablets than an in-home child care center, and this is good because technology is a vital part of the world today and important to learn about.
• Enrichment activities—Some commercial centers also offer additional educational programs children can take part in. These may include dancing classes or sporting activities.

As you look for the right child care center, it's also important to look for one that offers high-quality care. While this type may not be the cheapest, it could provide the best environment for your child. According to one study, kids raised in a high-quality child care center develop better language and cognitive skills than kids raised in cheap, low-quality establishments.

If you are interested in learning more about child care in your area, visit a commercial center like Learning Tree Schools today to see what they have to offer.