I'm agree that it depends on the place. I would never choose daycare centers because I believe the more children in one place, the more illnesses and problems will go through. I get illnesses in my home daycare. But for instance, I haven't seen headlice in 4 years and it was 6 years before that. A large center and one that services before and after kids will likely have it off and on much more often. I had one child with pin worms 20 years ago. We've never had it since. I've had some illnesses that never went past the first child because I can and am more in control of the cleaning and the preventative measures I can take when I hear someone is ill.
Discipline wise... Every single child will try any negative behavior they see in another child. Put 100 children in a place and imagine the behaviors you will have to work through. In my small home daycare we only have a handful of children and when someone brings in a new bad word or some bad game (like head butting), it's much easier to find the source of the problem (like an adult relative teaching this behavior). In a big daycare, good luck finding the source of negative behaviors. I can also go YEARS without any biting incident. Daycare centers will rarely be able to do this because biting is contagious.
I also hate the idea of high turn over in a center. But I think it's awesome that they have more money to put into equipment. And yet in my home daycare I am able to get the kids out and about every few days. We are happy to go all sorts of places and participate in puppet shows, water fountains, playing in indoor play facilities, library trips, zoo trips, trips to local farms, and the list is endless. For parents that trust me to drive their kids it's great. Some parents HATE the idea of their children being in a car with anyone but them.
I agree with the poster that said in home caregivers really want this job. It's certainly not the money LOL! We can earn an okay living but it will never be great. Daycare centers have far too many people that are just parking themselves someplace temporarily. They may not even have children of their own and I would want my provider to be a loving mother with a lot of years of experience and common sense.
I am also an extension of my parents. For instance.. When one of my parents has a repeated problem at home, I can help them. We discuss with the child that if they continue to (fill in the blank at home), they will be excluded from the next field trip we take. Since we go someplace a couple times per week, every week, this works well. They can stay home with my mother and missing out is just terrible. They stop doing the offending behavior post haste. Daycare centers are not going to stand around 30 minutes every night and talk about the child both here and at home and agree together how to handle various ages, stages, and issues.
When one of my daycare babies has a yeast infection, I give them clear water baths and let them run around naked. I air them out and they get over it quick. Would a daycare do that?
I don't see daycare centers as more reliable either. Many daycare centers close down for snow days and close down for major holidays. I'm open for both. I've never missed an unplanned day in 24 years and I have my family to back me up. You just have to look for a provider with a good supportive family and a good work ethic. When my neighborhood shuts off the water to work on old pipes, the parents all bring me water and I make do and stay open. if that happened in a daycare center neighborhood, they'd close. When 1/2 the area is out of power because of a storm, I don't close either. I have to figure things out for my family. So I figure things out for yours as well.
Hands down I believe in home is better. But I am biased.