Guidelines to Choosing a Quality Daycare

I have been in the early childhood field for many years and I have worked in for-profit centers, interned in Headstart programs and church preschools, and been invited into family child care homes. I have held positions ranging from cook to director and I have seen parents come through that knew exactly what to look for in a quality child care center and some that didn't have a clue. There are many choices to choose from when looking for the right program for your child. For a prospective parent, the variety of centers can be overwhelming. How do I know which one is right for my family and what do I look for when I am touring the center are the main questions in a parents mind when they begin the search. My goal is to answer these questions and provide you with an informative knowledge base that will give you security in knowing that I have chosen the right place for my child

First, there are three variations of child care centers that a parent can select to provide their child care needs. You can opt to enroll your child in a family child care home, a center located in a building with the sole purpose of being used for providing child care or a child care program that has a church affiliation. A provider who cares for your child in their home operates a family child care home. This individual has decided to keep children in their place of residence and divide up their home between areas used by their family and the daycare. Their home must be inspected by a regulatory agency and be found in compliance of building guidelines. Another variation of a child care center is a center that is located in a building that is dedicated for the sole purpose of providing child care and was started by an individual or group of individuals who have invested capital into the organization. These individuals develop the center policies and fee structure. The third form of a child care center is a child care program that is connected to a church is operated on church property. They are governed by a regulatory agency as well as a church committee board. The committee board creates the center policies and fee structure. Each of these types of centers has guidelines and regulations that they must follow however the guidelines may differ between the center types. Also, each state develops their own regulations for child care centers and their regulations may differ from their neighboring states.

You can choose to place your child in a center, a family child care home, or a church preschool program. In a child care center, you have a building that was designed just for child care. Child care centers comply with regulations from the health department and the licensing agency and sometimes with franchise guidelines. They normally employ at least four staff members. In a family child care home, an individual has decided to use their place of residence for their business. The advantages to an in home are that there are fewer children (usually know more than eight); the providers are more flexible with their hours of operation and sick day policies. The disadvantages to having your child in this type of environment are that your children are exposed to the people that visit this person's home. Also, another thing to consider is that because they don't have as many children enrolled, they also may not have the need for an assistant or other staff members. The family child care home is usually run by one person who works the entire day. Make sure that you are comfortable with the person who is caring for your child and that you have to trust them. And then you have church programs to choose as your child's provider. In the state of North Carolina, churches follow slightly different guidelines than centers. The advantages of having your child enrolled in a church center are that they teach the children about the bible on a regular basis.

Now that we know the differences in center types, let's look at the four main elements that a prospective parent must look intently at when they are touring the center. First and foremost you want to check out the staff. You want to watch how the staff reacts to you but also you want to see how the staff reacts to your child. Do they acknowledge you when you enter the room? Do they make eye contact with your child and make some sort of gesture that welcomes the child and makes him/her feel comfortable? You want to enroll your child in a center where the staff are nurturing and responsive all of the time. The manner in which a teacher behaves in your presence is the same way that they will behave when you are not around. Nevertheless, you don't just want to watch the interactions between the staff member and your family but also the interactions between the staff members and management. You can get an idea or a sense of how a daycare operates by watching the how the staff and management work together. Unhappy staff members create environments that may not be ideal for your child. Workers who are unhappy rebel against their supervisors in various ways such as not adhering to regulations. This endangers your child.

Second, you want to learn about the center's history. What sort of events have happened in their past? How long have they been operating? Can I meet the owners? In North Carolina, you can find useful information about a child care center by looking on the Division of Child Development's website. You can see what sort of license they have, what sort of actions have been taken against the center, and other information. A center's compliance history is a very important part of their operations. It will tell you whether the center has ever been cited for violations that may be due to health and sanitation procedures, child abuse and neglect, improper supervision, and inappropriate discipline. You want to know whether this center complies with regulations on a regular basis and not just when a visitor walks through the facility.

Third, take a look at the center's toys and materials for the children. Are the toys clean and in good condition? Are there enough toys for the number of children in the classroom? Are the toys developmentally appropriate for the child's age group? You also want to know if the center has enough supplies for the classroom such as paper, glue, crayons. A center that does not have these basic supplies may not be in a good financial situation. Also, a center that has dirty toys indirectly promotes the spread of infectious diseases such as the common cold and flu, RSV, head lice, diarrhea, etc. In child care centers, it is sometimes impossible to prevent the spread of sickness throughout because children touch everything! That's why hand-washing and cleanliness are a BIG thing.

Finally, acknowledge your gut feeling! That feeling that you have in the pit of your stomach is leading you in the right direction. Even if you normally make informed decisions that have been obtained by research and factual information, use your gut this one time. This is not the time to exclude the little voice in your head that is screaming NO! Take mental notes on how management treats you when you walk in the front door. Do they offer you a friendly, sincere greeting? Do they offer to show you around? Do they provide you with information about the center, the center's programs, and emergency policies? How friendly and informative they are about their services will give you a glimpse into how they will behave when you may need to discuss a sensitive issue with them and they need to be friendly and informative then. If there are any doubts in your mind or you have an uneasy feeling, either walk away or ask to sit in and observe a class. Centers should have open door policies that allow parents to enter unannounced. You should be able to eat lunch with your child, read a story to the class, participate in activities, etc. Think out loud to yourself....why don't they want me in the center.

I hope that this information has been beneficial to you. I believe in my heart that it is my job to protect every child that I come in contact with either indirectly or directly. My final tip to you is DO NOT let the cost of the program be the sole reason that you choose a center. Your child is worth more than a few saved dollars. We all know that you get what you pay for and if you are searching for the cheapest child care center, you are searcher for lesser quality.