Tips on Selecting a Child Care Center

At some point, children will be taken care of someone other than their parents. Choosing an appropriate child care center is one of the overwhelming choices you should make.As a parent, you should see the safety of your child at child care center.You have to find out whether the child care center is nurturing, fun and educational. You can place your child in an in-home or center-based care. But, before selecting the child care center, you should follow specific guidelines.Keep in mind and be sure that the child care center you are selecting will take care of your child same as he receives at home. Know your child’s needs, likes, dislikes, interests and behavior before determining the type of child care center.

Selecting the child care center:

• The main step in selecting a child care center is, make a list of qualities that you are looking for in a caregiver. You should go the child care center and observe the center while children are there.
• Talk to the parents of other children. Find out the child to caregiver ratio. If you find out there are too many children for one caregiver, your child will not receive the type of care you are expecting.
• As day care workers are lowest paid workers, ask about the facilities turnover rate. Find out whether the facility and the caregivers are licensed through the state. Licensed facilities follow strict standards, so better to choose licensed child care center.
• Find out about the experience and training of the staff. Some states do not require training and experience. Make sure that your child caregiver has good amount of experience and training.
• Find out whether the staff has submitted both background and criminal checks. Find out whether staff knows first aid and CPR.
• Many parents drop their children at child care center thinking that their children are receiving proper care. Care centers should allow you to observe the caregivers in action and make sure that rooms are clean.
• You should also watch the caregivers whether they are looking the children properly and carefully.
• Find out whether there are any physical punishments given to the children by the caregivers. If such type punishments are there, you have to decide to join your child or not.
• Will the caregiver informs the parents if the child is not feeling well? Find out if your child behaves badly with another child or caregiver, what type of policy or punishment is given?
• You should ask about how many hours child care center will work daily? Before finding about the caregiver, you have to see the timings of the center and your work schedule timings.
• Check whether the child care center is near and conveniently located. Ask about the fee for the child care. A well established child care center will be expensive. This is not the area to save money.
• You have to meet the child caregiver and decide whether the center is right for your child. Once you have decided, inform your decision to the child care center.

Source from http://www.theparentszone.com/parenting/qualities-to-look-for-before-selecting-a-child-care-center/