There are many studies showing that children 2 and under get ill more often if they are in centers with 5 or more kids. The illnesses include serious things like pneumonia and ear tubes. Other child care options are better for the health of young children.

The problem with child care is that most of it is not high quality. Your experience may not reflect what most places are like. Unfortunately the problem is likely to get worse as the first generation of child care workers went into the field to change the world. Women now are more likely to either have careers or want to take care of their own kids.

As a mom, I have found that teachers are wrong in their belief that kids adjust better if you go away quickly. The kids will cry less that day at the center so the teacher thinks all is well. They show other behaviors at home, including greater reluctance to go to day care, increased fear of separation all the time, etc. Leaving them before they want you to go just causes more problems in the long term. Taking longer to say goodbye in the morning is not necessarily a problem with leavetaking, although it may inconvenience the teacher.