Going back to work after you have spent a lot of time off is hard. It is harder still when you have to enroll your baby, toddler, or preschooler in a preschool program where he/she will be safe while you work. Yet, there are so many programs out there, so how do you choose? What is more, you probably do not realize that there are different types of preschool programs. The following types, and what they typically offer, may help you choose. 

A Babysitting Service With a Schedule

These are licensed facilities, that is true, but they focus less on formal education and classroom work than they do on play. There is still a daily schedule in each room to follow, but the schedule uses playtimes centered around naps, meals, and outdoor time. A lot of parents prefer to call this a "nursery school," since it is more or less a babysitting service with a schedule built in. If you want your child to have more fun playing and spend less time focused on preparing for his/her first year of kindergarten, this might be a good option. 

Public Preschool With Some Classroom Work

A public preschool is any preschool (with the exception of a preschool sponsored by a religious school and existing inside the walls of a church or religious structure) that accepts open enrollment applications all year long. These preschools have schedules as well, but a lot more time is spent working on learning counting, numbers, alphabet/letters, writing, and beginning reading skills. Science and introductory geography, as well as art and music, may also be part of the daily schedule. 

Public Preschools Sponsored by Government Agencies

These are preschools offered at a significant discount or for free to families who need to work but cannot pay for childcare. They are also for kids who are recognized as "at risk" because of the low-income households in which they dwell and/or the neighborhoods they are from. You may qualify if your child shows any developmental delays and you do not have enough money to pay for a preschool where there will be more attention paid to helping your child catch up to his/her peers, developmentally speaking. 

Private Preschools

Private preschools are establishments with a greater focus on curriculum and the arts and sciences. Little ones are tutored in foreign languages, musical instruments, or singing, dance, painting, and drawing, as well as in the usual school readiness subjects. It is a higher caliber of education, typically with the higher price tag to go with it. However, many of these private preschools now offer scholarships/financial assistance. 

For more information, contact a local preschool like Advantage Learning Center.