Your baby's caregiver should know what makes babies tick. She should have both the patience and energy to meet the demands of babies and small children. Since consistency is important for babies, the caregiver you choose should respect your wishes and share your philosophy of child care. If you think your baby should get attention when she cries, you don't want a person who thinks that this spoils babies. Your baby needs to get nearly the same treatment in daycare that she gets at home.
Daycare centers are much larger then either and take many children.
In-home care has some obvious advantages. Your baby gets attention, love, and care from one person who's there when you can't be. If you work odd hours or need to travel, an in-home caregiver may be better able to adjust to your schedule. This is called family daycare. The home-like setting is only one advantage of this kind of care, but there are others.