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CambridgeSide - 9:00 AM
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Harvard Museum of Natural History - 9:00 AM
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New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill - 4:00 PM
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Conway Scenic Railroad - 4:30 PM Pick
Granite State Scenic Railway - 4:30 PM Pick
The Polar Express Train Ride Station - various times Pick
Conway Scenic Railroad - 4:30 PM Pick
Granite State Scenic Railway - 4:30 PM Pick
Harvard Museum of Natural History - 9:00 AM
CambridgeSide - 9:00 AM
Museum of Science - 9:00 AM
Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East - 11:00 AM
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Find Licensed In-Home Daycares in Greater Boston with NeighborSchools' Free Match Me Tool
Wondering if in-home child care is right for your family and how to find a home daycare, preschool, or childcare program near you?
On June 8, Massachusetts officially entered Phase 2 of Governor Charlie Baker's reopening plan, which means child care facilities around Boston are opening their doors. As families emerge from months of quarantine and some parents and caregivers even start heading back to work in real live offices, many are resuming or starting their search for quality care for their kiddos. Of course, child care will look pretty different in response to COVID-19, so parents are considering a number of new factors when deciding what type is the best fit—from preschools to corporate childcare centers to home daycares.
If you're not familiar with licensed Family Child Care (FCC, or in-home daycare), read on to learn more about the many pros of these small-scale individualized home-based options. Then find out how NeighborSchools—the largest network of home daycares in Massachusetts—is using their Match Me tool to connect families with the right FCC for them.
Benefits of Home Daycare or In-Home Preschool
- In Massachusetts, all home daycare providers are licensed by the state, and most have decades of experience in early childhood education. They are some of the most experienced childcare professionals available.
- Home daycares tend to foster intimate relationships. Since providers are consistent and don’t rotate, you and your child will have the opportunity to form close relationships with them.
- Low children to provider ratios mean lots of individualized attention for each little one, and small groups allow for plenty of flexibility from day to day.
- Families can usually enroll at any time during the year.
- Small class sizes help to limit the spread of germs, while also making it easier for providers to keep up with regular cleaning and disinfecting throughout the day.
- Mixed age ranges mean more ways for kids to learn from one another, and generally more interaction for siblings enrolled in the same program.
- There are 5,372 home daycares in Massachusetts and at least one of those is likely to be close to your own home, which means convenience and a short commute.
- The home setting is comfortable and somewhat familiar for babies and toddlers, as they embark on what's often their first experience away from their parents.
- Kids are often able to explore the surrounding community through neighborhood walking trips and visits to local parks and libraries.
The Cost of In-Home Daycares
According to NeighborSchools, while every daycare is different and prices can vary quite a bit from one town to the next, in-home daycares usually cost $50-75 a day. And that’s generally 30-40% lower than the average cost of child care in any given area. NeighborSchools’ free Match Me tool saves parents time, without adding an additional expense.
How to Find a Home Daycare or Licensed Family Child Care
NeighborSchools helps parents find and tour home daycares across Massachusetts—minus the stress of countless spreadsheets and phone calls. Keep in mind that all listed programs are fully licensed and insured, background checked, and reference checked. Furthermore, all providers are heath and safety trained, and all homes have received a safety inspection. A lot of the hard work has already been done!
- Visit NeighborSchools and browse daycares, with the option to narrow your search by area and the help of an interactive map.
- Take the free Match Me Survey, which uses a series of questions about your childcare needs to generate a list of suggested providers.
- Once you’ve taken the survey, you’ll be contacted by your dedicated parent matchmaker to set-up daycare tours and find your perfect fit.
To learn more about home daycares and find trusted child care in your area, visit NeighborSchools.com.
