Picking a Child Care Center for Your Young Child: Some Important Considerations

Article Written By: Eva Verda

There is a growing need for daycare centers as more parents, especially mothers of preschool age children are forced to find work outside their home. Selecting a childcare center is one of the most essential choices that a working parent will make to help ensure the health, safety, and overall well being of their child while they must be away from them. It can be also a stressful decision, and many consider choosing a daycare center for their child as one of those necessary evils in life.

First, you will need to calculate the amount of hours needed to care for your kid. Will you need someone to look after him a few hours a day, a couple of times a week, or full-time care for at least 30 to 40 hours a week?

Next, review the different kinds of day care available. You could start by making a list of the centers in the area of the city that is going to be the most convenient in terms of dropping off and picking up your little one. When choosing a childcare center, pick one that's not too small, i.e. has more than one staff members. When selecting a center, experts say parents should seek out a program that is certified and licensed, meaning it meets basic requirements, and that it is accredited by a professional organization.

It's important to pay attention to how well the center is organized. Look around and see if the facility is child friendly, for example, if toys and supplies are within reach of a child to make it accessible for the child to help him/herself. The value of attentive, child-centered personnel is the reason parents to be thorough when selecting a child care facility. Talk to other mothers and fathers who send their little ones to childcare.

Visit at least three programs. Bring your child with you. When you go, look at the play area, the caregiver(s), and the children. Does it look clean and safe for every age child there? Is there plenty of space inside and out so all the kids can have room to play? Do the toys and games promote different kinds of play, such as creative play, building projects, and also artistic play?

When selecting a provider, it is important that you be well-informed. Talk to the provider and ask lots of questions. For example, some questions to ask: What are the opening and closing hours? How many children do you care for and what are their ages? Are the groups small enough to provide one-on-one attention to each child during the day? Are meals provided or should I bring food for my child? Am I allowed to I stay and watch my child play?

Ask the caregiver if you may talk with other parents who use that home or center. If you do talk with other parents, here are some questions that might help you. Does your child enjoy going there? What do you like most about this child care? What are some of the things that you don't like? If you had to find care again, would your child still go there?

When observing the interaction in between the teachers and children, ask yourself: Am I comfortable with the way the teacher disciplines the children? Does the caretaker compliment achievements and help eliminate conflicts? Do the caretakers appear to like and respect the children? Are the children doing activities that suit their age and stage of development? Keep in mind that activities that are too complicated will be frustrating, but children learn from new activities that are interesting and somewhat challenging. Are they allowed to select activities that interest them? Do the children have a daily routine which allows for indoor and outdoor play, sleep time if appropriate, and time for both individual play and group activities?

About the Author

Choosing the best child care center can be a daunting task. If you are in New Jersey, looking for childcare in New Jersey, we invite you to come to talk to us about your child care needs. Our private, full day, year round program was created for children who are creative, individualistic, inquisitive, competent and imaginative.

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