Few things are as difficult for parents to deal with as the daunting task of placing their children in the care of others. If you are a new or first-time parent, this anxiety increases ten-fold. Are you a bad parent for putting work ahead of the needs of your children? Of course not. In fact, the proper child care environment should add to your child's exposure to social stimulation. Interacting with peers and learning to respect others are valuable lessons that must be learned in order to function in society.
But how do you find the right center for your child? There is an old joke: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!" Well, the key to finding the right child care facility is "Visit, visit, visit."
Here's a brief checklist of what you should look for and what questions you should ask.
I realize the cost factor is also a serious consideration and I will touch on that later in the article.
The first step is to make an appointment to visit a center. Bring a note pad with some concerns written on it so you are sure to get answers before you leave. Once you arrive at the center for your tour, make note of the following things:
- Is their license prominently displayed?
- Is their license current?
While on your tour, pay special attention to your surroundings. Is the center clean? Are the teachers actively engaged with the children (playing on the floor with them) or are they passive or even absent. Do the children look happy? Do not visit as soon as the center opens. The children are still revved up from their parents leaving them. Give them a chance to settle into the daily routine. Also, avoid visiting during nap time.
Different states have different teacher to child ratios. Find out the different ratios for you child's age group in your state. Are there an appropriate number of teachers with the children?
Spend some time with the center director or administrator and find out what the educational level is of the teaching staff. Are they hiring college graduates with early childhood education majors? Do they offer or encourage continuing education within the child care field?
Also, find out if there is a parent committee and, if there is, who is head of the committee? The parent committee acts as a watchdog for the center by voicing concerns about specific policies or teachers to the center director. You can usually speak to members and get a feel for how many complaints they might have.
Ask if the center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
After your visit is concluded, call the State Department of Health and ask them the results of their last licensing visit to the center. They can tell you of any safety violations that may have existed and if those issues have been dealt with satisfactorily.
I promised that I would touch on the subject of cost, so here we go. In most cases, the large child care chains (Bright Horizons, Tutor Time, KinderCare, etc) charge more than a smaller, privately owned center. However, this increased tuition allows the larger chains to pay their teachers higher salaries and that usually equates to teachers with more education in early childhood development. It also results in lower staff turnover.
After visiting several centers (if there are several in your area), you can make your decision based on comparative data from each center.
Once you have found the right place for your child, be prepared for the real heartbreaker – when you go to pick your child up at the end of the day and he/she doesn't want to leave!!
Steve Cinque - null
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