I worked in a toddler classroom for several years, and we sometimes had a two year old start in our class after only being home with Mom or Dad. Usually, the transition was kind of rough. At that age, kids still have separation anxiety but aren’t mature enough to be comforted by the idea that Mom or Dad will be back soon to pick them up. Kids who started part time usually took a couple of weeks to settle in, but after that, they did great and had a lot of fun. Most likely your daughter would need a little time to adjust to being away from you. At first she may cry when you leave, and be sad off and on while you’re gone. Then, she’ll cry when you leave but perk right up once she knows you’re gone. After a while, she’ll be too busy to bother saying goodbye to you. She’ll bond with her caregivers and learn she can trust them to meet her needs. Honestly, the first couple of weeks might be rough, but then it’s smooth sailing. In all my years working with toddlers, I never had a child take more than two weeks to adjust.
High quality childcare has a lot of benefits for both you and your child. She gets to socialize with other children and learn expected school behaviors. She’ll participate in activities that will help her develop fine and large motor skills, creativity, language, and early math concepts. She’ll have fun and not even realize how much she’s learning. I remember when my daughter was in preschool, she said to me “I don’t learn anything at school. I just have fun.” By that time she could recognize and write all the letters and numbers, was starting to read, and could do math problems in her head! You also benefit from the experience and knowledge of your child’s teachers. Working with kids helped me learn to be a better parent, and talking to my kids’ caregivers also really taught me a lot. The teachers are like an extra support system for your family. So yes, childcare can be very beneficial.
The key is to find a daycare with exceptional standards. There are many articles available online on how to find a high quality daycare center or home daycare, but if you have any specific questions you can PM me and I’ll be happy to give you some things to look for or questions to ask.