What to Look For in a Potential Child Care Facility
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Just as every child is a unique individual, so your childcare needs will be unique. The first thing to consider is exactly what is best for your child, and what your needs are. Is your child better in a structured atmosphere, or does she need more freedom? Does she play well with other children of varying ages? Do you need all-day daycare, or care for after school? Does your child have any special needs that the daycare facility needs to be able to assist with? By knowing what you are looking for in terms of these specifics, you will be better equipped to evaluate potential daycare facilities.
Daycare facilities may offer a variety of types of programs. Some are more structured, and some are more informal. Some provide learning activities, while others provide only supervision. The specific facility should be able to describe what services it is that they offer.
Another important factor in considering a daycare facility is the staff-to-child ratio. Each state has different guidelines for home many children can be kept in a daycare facility based on how many adult staff will be present. In general, daycares need to have one adult for every 4 infants, every 6 two year-olds, every 8 three year-olds, every 12 four year-olds, and every 15 5-to-10 year-olds.
Some important questions for potential providers include:
- Do you have any openings for my child or children?
- How many children do you care for, and what are their ages?
- Are you registered or licensed?
- What hours are you available or open?
- What types of activities do you offer?
- What is your approach to discipline?
- What are your fees?
As a part of your screening process, you may ask for recommendations or references from other parents. In addition, you will want to visit the facility, and, if possible, observe the activities for a while to get a feeling about how well the facility will or will not meet your needs.
One of the biggest concerns that parents have when choosing a daycare facility is safety. While you cannot guarantee that accidents will not happen, you can be better prepared to evaluate a daycare’s safety. You can look out for safety-related problems when you visit the daycare. You should interview the daycare staff to find out what their disaster preparedness plans include, and to find out what they will do in case of an accident of some sort.
Ultimately, only you can determine what a “quality” child care facility will mean for your child.
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