Double Duty

Finding the Right Daycare for Multiples

By Heather Johnson Durocher

Choosing daycare for your child is one of the most important decisions you'll make. As a parent of multiples, finding someone qualified for such a position can feel especially critical.

"All the same rules [of finding quality daycare] apply, but the difference is that you have double the children to consider," says Maureen O'Brien, a professor of developmental psychology at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass., and the mother of 8-year-old twin boys.

While the quality rather than the type of daycare is most important for all children, there are some special considerations and challenges for parents of multiples, agrees Judith Wagner, professor of child development and education at Whittier College in Whittier, Calif., and the mother of twin girls now grown with twins of their own.

"Parents of multiples need to find out how the staff likes to work with multiples," Wagner says. "Do they think of them as 'a set' or as individuals? Do they ask the parents what they view as the best balance between building individuality and building the relationship between the siblings? Also, because multiples are more often born prematurely, parents may want to find out how much experience staff members have in working with special needs that may accompany prematurity, especially during the first year."

Whether your family opts for a small, in-home daycare, a large daycare facility or private help such as a nanny, experts and parents suggest the following tips for ensuring the best care possible for your children:

Tapping into local resources churches, school districts, colleges and universities with early childhood education programs for example are good ways to begin searching for a qualified caregiver, experts say.

Cost certainly is a factor when choosing daycare. As parents of multiples sometimes find, having someone come to their home can be just as cost efficient, if not more so, than taking their children outside the home.

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