Choosing a Day Care Center
Giving your child care and working at the same time is always hard for any parents nowadays. And because most parents both work to handle their child future and other expenses, it is expected that parents resort to child care centers and services.
Leaving child care to other people isn’t a laughing matter. In choosing a day care center is very important and crucial to the safety and the welfare and as well the upbringing of your child.
Child care is something very common nowadays. Simply put child care means that another person other than the legal guardians, most of the time someone not related to the family, is the one caring for the child.
Day care providers are everywhere. There are many types of day cares the question is which one will be right for you and your child.
According to some families, the best child care will be the one given by your family, a relative like a sister or an aunt or maybe grandparents. But in the western community, other relatives are busy as well. That’s why there are these two types of child care settings: day care centers and home-based child care.
Home-based child care is usually done by family relative or a nanny. Because they’re being cared of inside the house, the possibility of getting ill is low. Although that is said, a nanny isn’t required to have any certification or whatsoever to take of your child, so be vigilant when choosing so. Also a child taken cared of at home is disadvantageous. It keeps the children in their own world making them unsociable to other children. And because you the parent is always at work, you won’t be sure if your child is well taken care of and receiving good education from the nanny. That’s why day child care centers are more convenient.
Child care centers or more popularly known as day care centers provides nurseries and gives the home like feeling to children. It’s a center where children are able to play interact and learn with other people at the same time.
When Choosing a Day Care Center, you must be careful and vigilant. Remember that the safety and wellbeing of your child lies to the day care provider of the center.
First thing you have to do is to create a list. A list of all child care centers in your vicinity will help you know which one is the nearest to your work place or your home. The also ask around. Ask your friend on what is the best child care center he/ or she knows. The more positive the feedback is the better.
Now you’re narrowing down the list of child care centers. When Choosing a Day Care Center make sure you visit the facility as well. When visiting, take notes oh how many people are working for that center, how many children are there, how clean it is and what food they serve to the children. And most importantly is if they are licensed do so. Licenses are very important; this will tell you if they’re good to perfect, accurate and legible the staff and the center are.
Staffs should at least have a license on basic CPR and have a decent record on taking care of children. The best day care provider is someone who attends classes on child caring and always updates their skills and licenses for this type of work.
You can ask the staff member how long they’ve been working there. If the care givers are always new, then it’s no good. Children would have to adjust to new nannies all the time and that’s really intimidating for any children, they’ll have a hard time adjusting. Staffs should have a warm and pleasing personality. Remember that they will be like a second parent to your children, what they see from adults they may copy. A day care provider with a bad personality can affect the growth of your children.
It is suggested that one adult should handle at least 7 children whose age is 3 years old and four to five children if lower.
Facilities should be perfect. Look if all areas are safe especially the play area. Is the center clean and sanitary? Do they serve the right nutritious food? And do they have enough places and exits in case of emergency? These are the questions you need to find the answer in Choosing a Day Care Center.
Now that you’ve picked out the child care center, determine the prices. Not because it’s expensive it has the best services and choosing a cheap day care center won’t assure you of a good day care provider. That is why research is important. Choose a child care center where your money would really meet what you need. Sometimes the best child care services become expensive due to the training and licenses and other things staffs and centers do to provide quality caring.
And last but not the least is follow-ups. Not because they have great background on child caring doesn’t mean you can just walk out work. Observe if the staffs are doing their job properly. See if they’re interacting well to your children and promotes good values to your children. Observe your children as well. If they are able to easily adapt to the care giver then that’s great sign of development. Make it a habit to visit time to time like in breaks from work. This can assure you the safety of your child.
Now remember when choosing a Day Care Center, make sure you do well research and never settle for second best. The safety and the wellbeing of your child rest in the day care provider’s hands.
