I live in Japan. My kids are 2 and 4. They both go to a school that goes from 8:30-2:30, 5 days a week. I assume it’s similar to a preschool or nursery school there; they make art work, do crafts, play, go to the park, etc.
We are planning on moving to the US (Indiana) soon. It seems like preschools are not available for children that are 2, is that right? Also, the preschools that I can find seem to be for like 2 hours. Is that even worth it? Do they not have full day schools?
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What you’re looking for with a child that age would be more equivalent to a daycare here I think
Preschool for ages 2 and 4 is something you pay for privately. Usually called daycare or preschool. They do all the things you mention and usually go from 8:00-5:00 or so.
At age 5 public kindergarten starts. Indianapolis has full time kindergarten but I think some districts only offer half day.
What area of Indiana are you coming to?
I can get specific recommendations if it is Indianapolis. I have family and friends with young kids.
Anyway, welcome! We are happy to have you.
Also I want to say Indianapolis has the largest Children’s Museum in the world and it is awesome. You should definitely go especially for the 4 year old.
Chicago is also not far from most of Indiana and it is the best city in US.
There is infant care but to qualify for preschool they have to be 3 and potty trained, here in California.
Our childcare system here is laughably bad, particularly in a state such as Indiana.
3 is minimum age for kindergarten
You’re looking for a daycare center for the 2 year old and preschool for the 4 year old.
My brother and sister-in-law managed find a high quality day care center and preschool at a local community college. You might want to check out either local community colleges or state universities.
If you are more working class, there’s a huge waiting list for daycares that accept vouchers.
“preschool” generally starts at 3. The 2 year old would need to be in daycare. It’s not uncommon to find both in the same building, they’re just different rooms and structures.
Daycare with preschool activities is often how they are described.
What you want to look for is a MONTESSORI school for your children. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori_education#Infant_and_toddler_programs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori_education#Infant_and_toddler_programs)
There are Montessori schools in Indianapolis (several), Fort Wayne, Columbus, Bloomington. and a few other towns.
Montessori schools are wonderful for encouraging creative development in young children; I highly encourage you to seriously consider a Montessori school in your new community.
It’s gonna be expensive