choosing a day care

A Guide On Choosing A Day Care

Raising your child to the best of your ability is something that all parents want to do. However, there are times that you just need help, and asking for or looking for help to raise your kids is not anything to be ashamed of. You will find that this information on choosing a day care will help.

It's time for you to wonder back into the world of the working parent and know you're concerned about the care of your child, and justifiably so. There are many things to consider. Here are some tips to help in choosing a good day care for your child.

Whether you are planning to put your child in a commercially ran day care center or in the care of someone in their home you need to check carefully, and ask lots of questions.

Start by looking over the facilities carefully. Are they clean, are they safe, are they child proof? Does it feel relaxed and comfortable. Does there appear to be plenty of activity centers for the children? Have a really good look. Don't be embarrassed to snoop. Even check the fridge to see what kind of snacks or juice is hiding in there.

Watch for things like poison and ambulance numbers clearly posted at all telephones. Check the playground equipment and note the type of surface. Look for smoke alarms and fire exits. Note the type of heating. Space heaters can be dangerous. Watch for baby gates, and check that cleaning solutions are locked up or well out of the reach of the most creative child.

Next you need to get references. Don't just use the references provided by the day care. Ask for a list of past attendants, say from a year ago. Look some of them up and give them a call. Explain why your phoning, and most parents will be more than happy to share their experiences.

You need to find out what the child to staff ratio is. In other words how many children is one staff member responsible for. The fewer children per staff member the better for your child. Both for safety reasons and for interaction.

A ratio of 4 to 8 children to one staff is acceptable. A ratio of 10 to 14 to one staff is a little high. You should also find out if the older and younger children are separated. If they are, for older children the ration of 10 to 14 to one staff may be acceptable.

There are other advantages to separating younger and older children. The risk or spreading infection is also reduced. Younger children normally pick up different illnesses than older children. By keeping the children somewhat segregated you reduce the chance of spreading disease.

If your child is an infant you need to pay even more attention because infants are at the highest risk. You want a very low ratio for infants, and you want to make sure that all infant equipment including cribs, change tables, and infant seat are safe and meet all government regulations....

Page 2: A Guide On Choosing A Day Care

Related Articles

Choosing A Good Babysitter

Once you've conducted preliminary interviews, short list the potential babysitters that are left. Then have them come to your home and spend some time with the children. You should duck out to a position where you can see and hear but where neither the children nor the sitter can see you. ...

A Guide On Choosing A Day Care

Even check the fridge to see what kind of snacks or juice is hiding in there. Watch for things like poison and ambulance numbers clearly posted at all telephones. Check the playground equipment and note the type of surface. Look for smoke alarms and fire exits. Note the type of heating. Space hea...

---