help! playcentre in chch

hubby and i want to put our wee man (11mths) into playcentre soon to give him abit of socialising. poor thing has only 3 mates, all girls and the youngest is 3! we live in north beach chch and am wanting to know if anyone can recommend somewhere local to take him?? i don't even know what i should be looking for as jack is our first child and the whole thought of 'strangers' looking after him scares me! we only want to send him for approx 2hrs a day 2-3 times a week, how much does that usually cost?   

We did Playcentre with Maya as well, started when she was 11 mths and we finished at the end of last term. Auckland Ass. is one of the strictest apparantly and we had to do a minimum of 2 sessions per week, plus training and meetings etc. Maya loved PLaycntre, and we made some great friends there which is good for both of us as I don't have many friends who have kids similar ages. It was also good as we started when I was on my own with Maya and I got great support from the other Mum's when it came to having to go to evening trainig and meetings. But now I am working full time, and I was finding it all a bit much, I was having 2-3 nights per week out with Playcentre and it was affecting my time with Willie, and stressing me out. But if I ever become a SAHM I would definitely go back coz the Playcentre experience is great for kids.

Maya is also in daycare, has been since 5 mths old, and she is so sociable and bubbly. I am sure part of it is her personality to begin with, but she loves daycare and comes home and tells me stories about all her little friends. Daycare provides her with a range of experiences and social situations that she would never get if she wa at home with me, especially when I was on my own and it was just her and I. It was hard to leave her at first, but now seeing how happy she is when I drop her off I know I'm doing the right thing.

Hope this helps a bit, from another Mum who's tried it.

Hi Vanessa,

I live in christchurch, and most of our childcare centres are a little more relaxed. I had Jayden in daycare for two three hour sessions a week at 6 months, and he thrived there. The best thing to do is shop around, most daycare centres invite parents to come and visit, they show you around and let you know what routines they follow etc. Ask lots of questions and look at the cleanliness and space. I have worked in a lot of daycare centres and it is best to shop around. I have been in some that are really interactive with babies and others that bascially leave babies to there own devices and leave them to entertain themselves. I did work in a really nice one over your way but it was `a long time ago and the name esacapes me I'll sleep on it. Most of all go with your instincts, your the best judge at whether it's the right palce for your baby or not.

thanks for your help guys! i think i'll go through the yellow pages and see what's around my area and then visit a few places.
i appreciate your help as i really didn't know where/ what to look for