We get asked this question quite a bit… sooooooo, we think about it quite a bit. Most of us grew up thinking that daycare is preschool. It’s a place to drop off your kid and head to work, get some “me time,” or run some errands. Having been in the preschool game for 15+ years, we’ve come to see a pretty stark difference between the two. This is most apparent as the kiddos go through their day, how parents are viewed as a team, and even how they graduate into kindergarten.

Daycare

In so many words, daycare is a place to drop-off and go to work. The staff are generally caregivers, and typically focus on supervision, safety, and documentation of sleep, bathroom breaks, and smaller milestones. Education and in-depth interaction are limited. The student-caregiver ratios are typically 12:1 and the requirements to be in the classroom are the state minimum (12 ECE Credits). Usually there is very little importance placed on the whole family and the parent community.

Preschool

No matter where you go, preschool is usually an actual school. It’s designed intentionally as a learning environment, from the founders, the classrooms, the layout, all the way down to the teachers. Preschools are staffed with Early Education Professionals, most with a college degree in early education. The staff’s career path is directly connected to the experience of each child and family. With thoughtful materials, curated curriculum, and purpose behind every 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, placing the utmost importance on the preschool community as a whole.