If you’re looking for a place to send your child every day — one that is safe and enjoyable while still offering a Christian atmosphere — there are probably two options you’re considering: church daycare or Christian daycare. (Depending on the age of your child, you might instead be searching for church preschool or Christian preschool.)
At first those options might sound like one and the same, but there are some specific differences between them that can’t be ignored. Sure, as a Christian daycare and preschool, we’d advocate for a church preschool over a secular one, but there are some aspects of church preschool that might make you think twice about choosing one.
There’s More Traffic Around A Church
Churches are “mixed-use” spaces, and that’s a good thing. After all, a church is meant to serve the community and its members in a number of ways. There might be people stopping by for a support meeting, while others are there to make use of the gym. Members might be there to decorate for an upcoming holiday, or simply stopping by to talk to the pastor/reverend about something.
Unfortunately, that ends up leading to a lot of extra traffic driving in and out at all times of day, which isn’t necessarily something you want around kids. The less traffic the better, especially during pick-up and drop-off times. One of the best parts about a Christian preschool is that there’s not a lot of extra traffic in our parking lots.
Strangers Are Kept To A Minimum
Like we said above, churches have people coming in an out all day long, and that’s a good thing. It’s the sign of an active church that has a lot going on.
But that also means that there are a lot of people walking around who have nothing to do with church preschool. In addition to the people who are supposed to be there — those who are interacting directly with kids and have proper background checks — there are people in the building that simply have nothing to do with the church daycare. Of course, we’re not saying that every person in the church shouldn’t be there, because they probably have a legitimate reason. But at the same time, as more people are wandering around it becomes increasingly difficult to verify who should and shouldn’t be there.
When you send your child to a dedicated preschool or daycare center, you can make sure that the only people walking around the halls are those who should be there. With multiple security measures in place at each of our Fort Worth-area preschools and daycare centers, you can be sure that your children will be safe.
Mixed-Use Rooms Can Be Less Safe
Unless you go to the same church in which a church preschool operates from, you might never see the other ways in which the rooms are used. And it could be quite a surprise.
The preschool and daycare rooms are often used for much the same purpose for Sunday school as they are during the week for the church daycare. But the primary difference is that there are different people using the room. While preschool and daycare employees are well-trained in what is and what is not acceptable in a church daycare, Sunday morning teachers are often voluntary and might not adhere to the standards set forth by state laws, such as disinfecting the space or ensuring that allergens (such as nuts) aren’t introduced to the space.
When you choose a standalone early education center, everyone who works there simply knows the rules and the proper way to clean. The space is used for one purpose, so it’s much less likely that problem elements will be introduced.
Is The Denomination Overwhelming?
Church denominations have always been a blessing and a curse. While it’s great that the denominations can draw even more people into the Christian faith, it also divides the church and causes rifts between people.
If you type in “church daycare near me” and find that the nearest option is a denomination you don’t always agree on, you’ll probably move on to the next option. After all, your child will be in daycare during every workday, which means that they’re certainly spending more time in the church daycare than they will at your church on Sunday mornings.
That’s why a Christian daycare center — one that’s not associated with any particular denomination — is such an excellent choice. Christian preschools and daycare centers offer a solid foundation in the Christian faith without focusing on the beliefs of any one particular denomination.
Church Preschools Don’t Have To Try As Hard
Churches certainly have one big advantage to drawing in clients: the built-in base of congregants. They know that many parents will choose their church daycare as the default, so they always have a constant stream of kids coming in. Unfortunately, the church preschool might just rely on this guaranteed enrollment and not focus on ways to attract students in other ways.
At Kid’s Kampus, we work hard to set ourselves apart as a Christian daycare center. We don’t have a built-in client base, so we’re constantly striving to improve the services we offer to children and their parents.
Are You Ready To Choose A Christian Preschool?
It seems that the aspects of a church that make it so great are also those that make it less good as a space in which to have a daycare center. Sure, it’s good when churches are active, but that also introduces aspects that can be detrimental to how they work as a preschool or daycare center.
Church daycares certainly serve their purpose, especially for parents who are looking for a denomination-specific option. But for most parents, a good all-around Christian environment is simply a better option. If you’re looking for a great place to bring your child every day, our seven early education centers in Euless, Justin, Burleson, Bedford, and Colleyville are great options. Click here to learn more about us!
