What’s the difference?

As educators, we get asked this question quite a bit. So, we think about it quite a bit. Most of us grew up thinking that daycare is preschool, and preschool is daycare. That it’s just a place to drop your kid off while you go to work. Collectively, having been in this world for 30+ years, we’ve grown to see a vast difference between the two, especially as they graduate into kindergarten.

Daycare

In so many words, daycare is a place to drop-off and go to work. The staff is generally a caregiver, and typically focused on supervision and safety alone. Documentation, education, and interaction are limited. The ratios in the classroom are lower, and the requirements to be in the classroom are bare minimum. Usually there’s little importance placed on the family and the parent community.

Preschool

Preschool is actually a school. It’s intentionally designed as a learning environment from the founders all the way down to the teachers. It’s also staffed with early education professionals, most with a college degree in early education, or working towards it. Their career path is directly connected to the experience of each child and family. With thoughtful materials, curated curriculum, and purpose behind each decision, the focus at a preschool is on education, whole-child development, the next step beyond preschool, and parent relationships. With community events, parent discussions, and preschool parties, preschools tend to be more of a whole-family experience.