Daycare classroom staffing

Can you please share how your child's daycare classroom is staffed?

My DD is in the 2.5 room and there are usually 2 teachers for 12 kids. But the two teachers seem to be different every day, and even throughout the course of the day. For example, they will combine the 2 and 2.5 year olds and when they're "over-ratio" split the two groups and usually send in another floater teacher to whichever room needs it.

So that means throughout the day, my DD can have up to 4 different teachers, and she's only there until noon! Also, on any given day I don't know which teachers will be in her class.

Is this the norm? This isn't how it was in her toddler class--maybe because there were fewer toddlers? And this isn't some rinky dink daycare, it's one of those national franchises. I'm just concerned about having continuity of care for my daughter. Am I being overly sensitive?

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

My son has been in two daycares now, and the staffing was similar in both. He's in a 2.5 year old room and there are 3 people there in the morning and two in the afternoon with some overlap late afternoon (so the morning staff can let the afternoon staff know how the day went, etc.). But they are almost always the same four people--if there is any change, it is due to staff illness, etc. His old daycare was the same. Honestly, I think it's probably in the children's best interests to have teachers who don't work the full daycare day with him--in DSs case, this would be about 9.5 hours, and I cannot imagine working with toddlers that long! I think there are probably restrictions on how many hours they can work.

The ratio at his daycare is one teacher for 5 children, and there are 10 kids in his class, so this is adequately covered. I thought that was the ratio required for this age, but you may want to check on that, I could be wrong.

Hope this helps!

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

my son is 12 months and he is with kids from 12-18 months

they have a head teadher who is the dame every day unless she is out sick or on vacation - they then have an assistant - the assistant forthis class is the same every mornign and the same every afternoon (two people) - last class same assistant all day

then floaters come in during breaks to maintian ratio

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

Hmm...I guess it's not too uncommon then.

In DD's toddler classroom, there was one head teacher who was always the same and then one assistant in the morning and another in the afternoon (although I picked up DD at noon).

In her classroom now, it seems like there's no official head teacher but just two people to maintain ratio and they cycle in and out for breaks, depending on other classrooms, etc. Maybe it's a good thing? I just wish I knew at least one teacher in the classroom every day, you know? Maybe I'm being too picky...

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

DS is in the "waddler" room. He's 16 months and has 1 main teacher and 1 or 2 assistants in the classroom. Then there's some floaters that come in early morning, during lunch breaks or later at night. They usually change and some look familiar, but the main teacher and her assist are always there.

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

DD is in the 16.5 months. She has one main teacher who is there from 6:45am-4pm. She has a floater in the morning until her assistant comes in at 9am. The assistant is there from 9am-6pm. It is always the two of them (unless one is sick) from 9am-4pm. When the head teacher leaves, a floater comes in. So yes, in essence, DD can have up to 4 teachers/day, but two are always consistent.

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

DS is still in the infant room. they have 6 babies and 2 teachers.

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

I had that and hated it.

She had sometimes 6 total teachers.

2 in the morning (early drop off)
4 during the day (one is a carry over from the morning)
1 more or so for the evening (late pickup)

Now she has the same teachers in the morning and evenings

During 'school hours' she has the same teacher and aide. 11 students in the room.

I like it this way because I feel like I have better control on WHO is watching my child.


ETA: AJ is 2

Message edited 10/13/2010 12:04:23 PM.

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

DS is in the Twaddler Room. There are five kids and one main teacher. At the end of the day we do get a floater and they do change daily, but you know what as we walk out the door everyone knows who my son is. I like that.

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

My ds is 2.8 yrs old and in 2-3 yr old room. There are 12 kids and the same 2 teachers everyday. I like it that way and so does he.

Re: Daycare classroom staffing

DS just moved to a new room this month, the Wobbler room.

There are 8 kids in there and two main teachers. Since the kids come at different times of the day, the infant room teacher is in there for the first hour or so (since no infants arrive until 8ish). The teachers are there until around 4pm I believe and then new people come in after that - usually college students. In the beginning, I felt I never saw the same person twice but, now I've been seeing the same main girls.

I do feel kind of weird though that DH and I have never met his real teachers (we knew one of them but, they switched her back to the Walker room). He's happy though and enjoys it there - and loves seeing his old teacher in the morning.