Choosing a Child Care Center
Whether you are new to the area, making a change in your child care
arrangements or having your first child,
there is a lot to think about when you choose a child care center.
You have some tough decisions to make. What do you want your life and your
child’s life to be like during the preschool years? Do you (both parents) want
to work full time? Do one or both of you want to drop back to part time? Does
one of you want to stay home fulltime? Are you a stay at home parent looking for
a group experience for your child? Child care – what kind of setting, a home
care provider or a center? Is a relative going to be with your child part time
or full time? Do you really want your mother mothering your child? This process
can feel very overwhelming, especially if you are also moving or changing jobs
or newly pregnant!
You are not alone. There are parenting classes out there in increasing numbers
but the large majority of us go into this parenthood thing with very little real
preparation. In fact, the current generation of parents is even less prepared
than our parents or grandparents were. We come from relatively small families
ourselves in which we were not required to be involved in the parenting of our
siblings or cousins as previous generations were. We also have issues and
choices that previous generations did not. It is more common than ever for both
parents to have full time careers. It has also become more common for single
parents to choose to have children and the average age at which people are
having children is rising. Fewer people live in traditional suburban
neighborhoods where preschool children would play in small groups around the
community. Although some families still have the option of a local set of grandparents
available to do child care, that is becoming less and less common. Often we
don’t live close enough to our parents for that to be possible and many
grandparents still have busy lives of their own that don’t have room for full
time child care.
So, you have decided that you want to find a good child care provider. The
good news is that good child care does exist. The bad news is that there is a
lot of poor quality care out there as well and it is now your job to figure out
which is which. There is a lot of competition to get into the good child care
settings, so you need to start your research and get on waiting lists
immediately.
Here is a list of sample questions for you to consider asking as you visit
child care programs and home care providers.
1. What are your hours and what schedule options do you offer?
2. What is the staff/child ratio in my child’s group?
3. What kind of training do the staff have and do they have ongoing staff
development opportunities?
4. Are the staff members trained in CPR and first aid?
5. What is the curriculum philosophy at the Center?
6. How is discipline handled at the Center?
7. When is the Center closed, do I need to pay for the days that my child is on
vacation?
8. Are there opportunities to meet with my child’s teacher?
9. Can I visit my child’s classroom anytime that I wish?
10. What are the tuition costs and how is payment handled?
11. What happens when my child is sick?
12. What happens if I am late picking up my child?
Once you feel that you have found a setting that is a match for you, it might
be wise to ask for the name and phone number of a couple of other parents who
are currently enrolled in that program. Other parents with children just
slightly older than yours can give you the real story about a particular Center
or home care provider.
Making the right decision about a child care program is very important. You
need to be able to go about your day knowing that your child is spending his/her
day in a place that is safe, nurturing, stimulating and right for his/her unique
needs.
We hope you will use Grandparents, but what ever you chose, I hope this page has
helped
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