Hang On to Good Child Care When You Find It!

Whether you work full time or just go for the occasional outing, you need to find and keep reliable childcare. You depend on this person to take care of your most precious treasures while you are away: your kids. We all have seen numerous checklists to help in choosing quality care situations. Here are suggestions about how to keep the care once you find it.

Start by treating your caregiver as a professional at all times. This person is a vital part of your family routine. She (or he) keeps your child safe, meets the child's needs, and stands in your place as teacher, guide, and entertainment director. Many have extra training and/or lots of experience at what they do. They are making every effort to provide the quality care that your child needs. Where would you be without your caregiver? This person deserves professional treatment, just as you give to any other professional that you hire, like a doctor, plumber, tutor, or electrician.

Your caregiver is counting on prompt payment for services, since there is a business to run. There are bills to be paid, just like at your house. If you are dealing with a home care provider, your payments are her PAYCHECK. How long would you be willing to work at your job if your boss frequently asked you to please wait for your pay until the next time HE got paid?? Most of us wouldn't stay very long, because our own families would suffer. Don't put your caregiver in that position by requesting to pay later than the agreed time.

Your caregiver should also be able to count on the schedule that you set up with her. Arrive promptly for drop off and pick up times, give advance notice when your child will not be in care as scheduled, and come quickly if your child gets sick or needs to leave care for some reason. Many caregivers must charge for days that are missed under some or all circumstances; they count on this income just like you count on your pay check. Check your caregiver's policy or ask if days absent will be charged to the parents. Remember that your caregiver may not be able accommodate the cousin who spent the night; many areas have strict rules about the number of children that can be in a care situation.

When pick-up time arrives, remember that your caregiver does this for a job. She has a family to tend to after everyone goes home. Be careful to make pick-up time efficient by coming and getting your child, talking only about important matters, then leaving promptly. If you feel that something needs a longer discussion, ask your caregiver to set up an appointment for a visit or phone call to discuss the matter more thoroughly. Find out what are convenient times to call; your caregiver may have a schedule that won't allow phone conversations during certain periods, such as mealtimes or nap times. She may prefer not to discuss business matters on the weekends, or may want to have calls in the evenings after all of the clients have left. The best way to find out her policy is to ask!

Most caregivers have written policy statements that cover aspects of how they run their business. You'll find that many of the situations that come up are already addressed in these statements, and you'll save lots of time and energy by reading them carefully and keeping them for later reference. You may want to make sure that the policy addresses all of the issues you feel are important, and if you still have questions in your mind, write them down and ask.

"Babysitters" are a dime a dozen, but a provider who truly cares for your children in a safe and nurturing way is a treasure. Whether you use this person's services daily, weekly, or once in a while, treat him or her like the valuable asset that he or she is to your family. Without quality care, where would you be? Child care is a demanding job that offers little financial reward. Job burnout is one of the biggest problems in the business. Help your caregiver do the job in the best possible way by offering consistent consideration and unfailing respect. It will make the day go better for everyone!