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Choosing Quality Daycare

For parents who use daycare, choosing a quality daycare provider is one of the most important and often worrisome decision they can make. The daycare provider is one of the important elements in quality daycare. Choose someone who responds warmly and sensitively to children's individual needs. Providers need to be culturally sensitive and accepting of differences in ethnic backgrounds and customs. The best provider will also have had some training or education in early child development and child care. Providers should be sensitive to each child's learning needs, unique combination of individual, developmental, and cultural characteristics. Such attention helps children develop self confidence and self-worth. Education cannot teach a provider to express warmth and love. This, you should be able to see when looking for care for your child(ren). Parents are wise to visit prospective providers and observe how they respond and interact with the babies and children in their care. One of the real indicators of quality affecting children's social development is the provider's verbal interactions they share with the child. Good daycare providers will help children to use their words to express feelings and solve problems. Providers who are able to validate children's feelings and equip them with problem-solving strategies will help your child become emotionally and socially successful. Good staffing ratios are an essential ingredient in quality daycare settings. Make sure that there are enough providers that your child can receive individualized attention. A quality environment is well planned and invites children to learn and grow. There should be enough materials and equipment available that are developmentally appropriate for children of different age levels. Children should be able to choose from a variety of learning activities. The activities provided will appear interesting, challenging, and inviting. This will be expressed through the daycare provider's willingness to obtain ideas from the children and by choices offered to the children regarding what activities they would like to participate or not participate in. Watch for providers who are partners in play with the children. This helps the provider to know your child's developmental level. A provider who knows the children they care for can help them overcome difficulties and take them to new levels socially, cognitively, verbally, emotionally, and physically. Look at the walls. A sense of ownership can be recognized by a room display of the childrens works, stories, and photos. Look for it to be displayed at the child's level. Safety is also a key element of providing a good environment for children. Providers must be vigilant in their supervision at all times. The daycare provider needs to know what to do in case of an emergency and know how to reach parents when necessary. Sanitary procedures such as hand washing and local licensing standards must be followed. Adequate lighting, temperature and noise control are also factors that contribute to a safe environment. Forming positive relationships between the daycare provider and the parents, and the daycare provider and the child, is essential to quality care. A parent needs to feel free to visit the daycare program at all times and needs to be notified and made aware of any problems that arise. A parent must feel free to discuss any concerns with the daycare provider. Equally important for parents is knowing what happens in the day to day occurrences in the life of their child(ren) and having a sense that their child(ren) is important to the daycare provider. The location of the daycare program and the cost for the care may be a role in determining the overall quality of the potential program. Costs will vary depending upon the type of care you select and the days and hours you need. However, whether you select family care, or center-based care, quality should still be your highest priority. By knowing the care you selected is providing your child with a high-quality early education experience, you are providing your child with a high quality present and future! 10 Questions to Ask a Childcare Provider 1)How long have you been a provider? 2)What are your qualifications? 3)Is your facility or home licensed by the state? 4)Will you provide me with at least 3 references? 5)Why did you become a daycare provider? 6)What is your discipline philosophy? 7)What has been your staff's turnover the past year? 8)Am I able to drop in anytime? 9)What other adults will be around my child? 10)What is the worker/child ratio? The American Public health Association/American Academy of Pediatrics (APHA/AAP) recommends the following ratios: 0-24 months: 3 to 1; 25 to 30 months: 4 to 1; and 31 -35 months: 5 to 1. The information is free to reprint in any format provided the information at the bottom, including this, remains intact. Reprinted from Single Parent Central, www.singleparentcentral.com, which offers information and resources to single parent families. (c)2000 SingleParentCentral.com

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