New Jersey Daycare Review

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Daycare Closing

This is an issue I've wanted to post about for some time. Now, that it's back to school season, I feel this topic needs addressing. Daycares often "close". I put close in quotations, because I've noticed many daycares often change hands or even become daycares after the building has been used for another purpose. They are two sides to the issue. Private daycares and state funded daycares. I will touch on state funded daycares. In New Jersey, we have something called Abbott districts. Here is a link for more information. Basically, it's free preschool. However, even Abbott preschool/daycares can change hands. One example of this was Greater Bergen Community Action took over Jersey City's Head Starts. More information about that can be found here. Daycares/preschools can lose their Abbott status for many reasons. A program that was once free could cost money the next year. With changing management, policy will change. As a guardian of a daycare aged child, you have to look at these policies and see if they still fit your lifestyle. For example, meal times may change. At 9 am, you may have been able to drop your child off and have the staff feed them. After changing hanging, breakfast might be over at 8:30. After changing hands, there might be a free meal program. Often these types of programs are outside of a public school. Sometimes in a nearby annex. One huge change is these programs can sometimes move unto a public school. Instead of your 3-4 year old being a building with only preschool students, they could now be in a building with students as old as fifth grade. Is your child ready for that? That's something only you can answer. While there can be big changes in the government funded daycares/preschools when they close or change hands, the changes can be more drastic in private centers. The most common change is usually staff. Price is another factor that will most likely change. When changing owners, a daycare may make parents who were enrolled in the old program pay another registration fee. Curriculum can also change.

As always, I appreciate any feed back from guardians who have gone through this. Did you stay at the center? Why or why not?