When DS was a baby, one of the things we considered with daycare was whether the babies were separated from the general population, specifically the "germy toddlers". DS was one of 6 infants and the daycare we chose had very stringent sanitation, germ control guidelines. Daycare was not an easy decision for us and we thought long and hard about our options.
A small family child care might be ideal, but consider exposure to other children, how diaper changes are conducted -- sometimes a provider will line the kids up and do diaper changes all at once. Do they wash hands in betweeh? Our daycare providers wore gloves and sanitized the table after each child was changed. A coworker complained to me when her grandaughter was a baby that the older girls (toddlers) always wanted to help with the babies -- feeding them, bringing them their toys and pacificers. What about children coming home after school...
It's a personal decision, do your homework whether it's a small child care, larger facility, college students coming into your home and find the right fit for you and your child...
