There’s no ‘best age ’ or ‘worst age' to start daycare. It should be started only when you feel that your child is emotionally, physically and socially ready for that kind of a leap. In any case, if a child is not ready for daycare, they may start showing signs of distress and annoyance. This can have serious consequences with respect to their personality, later on in life.  Even so, a lot of experts feel that a very young child of 12 months can be sent to a daycare. Having said that, each child is different and has different temperaments. A similar yardstick can never be used to measure their behavior. They may require a different kind of child care.