“You know,” she said, “I was telling another parent today, who is thinking of putting their baby here, that it’s good for them when they start early. Look at your son! I told her, he’s been here since he was four months old, we’ve watched him grow up, and he’s like our baby. He is happy here, and it isn’t a stressful experience when he’s dropped off in the morning.”

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Hearing her call my son “their baby” filled me up with happiness. At every step, the educators have excitedly shared our joy at my son’s progress. They eagerly waited for him to start crawling and standing, celebrate new words, new teeth. At pick-up, they tell me highlights from his day.

He is also gaining an education and social skills through the structured and unstructured play and activities they offer him. It’s so much more than the “babysitting” people often equate childcare with.

When we placed our son in childcare at four months old, although no one said anything to us, I was worried about the judgment or concern our families might have. I didn’t know anyone else who had done the same. I was alert to any criticism, largely because I had my own anxiety about it. But as our son has continued to thrive throughout his early childhood, my fear of judgment has mostly dissipated.

Even though I still feel guilty sometimes, I think guilt may just be part of parenting. It does take a village to raise kids. As society continues to change and evolve, it’s only natural that so, too, should our image of the village. Too often, we exclude childcare from that definition. But along with my family and friends, my son’s educators are an integral part of our village. They love him like he is a part of their family, and he adores them in return.

Zoya Patel is a freelance writer.

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