When it comes to finding the right daycare to leave your children with other than family, it can be difficult. I know when I had to find care for my children, it was one of the hardest decisions my husband and I had to make for them. I am very protective and picky when it comes to my children. Yes, there are some parents that just need to find a sitter to watch their kids and then there are others (like myself) that wants to make sure that we find the right care for our children.
First of all we took tours at a few different daycare sites and called around to see what was available. I have come up with a few tips to look for when taking a tour of a center that could be a potential. Make sure you feel comfortable when you leave your child and go to work. Remember that the teachers you leave in charge of your child is going to have a big impact on their lives. Your child for the majority is at daycare five days a week for eight plus hours a day. That is around at least forty hours a week. You have to make the right decision!
Pay Attention To How The Staff Interacts
Pay attention to how the staff interacts with the children in the classroom. If you see that they aren’t engaging with the children, than they probably won’t be when you are not around. Do you see pictures of the children doing activities or art work posted on the walls through out the room? This is important. This shows that they are interacting with the children and doing things together. It helps your child socialize and to have structure. It helps your child grow and be prepared for school in the future.
A Good Reputation
The center you choose should have a good reputation. It should be warm and welcoming. You don’t want to enter a center for the first time and not have anyone approach you and welcome you. First appearance is everything. When I walk into a daycare, I want to be welcomed and I want the center to be welcoming. When I say I want the center to be welcoming, it is not just by someone saying hello to me. I want to see that they have a parent communication area for parents to be involved with the center and know what is going on with their child. I want it to be organized and I want it to be fresh and clean. It just shows that the center cares and the staff employed care. I also want to see that the children are happy and so are the teachers.
Daycare Needs To Have A Safe Area?
You definitely want to make sure that the area is safe. Is there a lot of traffic around the center? What is the crime rate around the center? How are the businesses ran around the area the center is located. Do you want the daycare center to be located in the city or in the country? With that being said, just do your research about the area the center is located. Can never be to safe. Make sure that there aren’t random people just constantly walking about the center or to much traffic where the children are playing. Also you want to look at the playground offered for your child to play on. Is it fenced in? Does it have fence tall enough your child can’t climb over. Safety is key!
Daycare Has A Stimulating Curriculum
- First, is there a parent communication board available?
- Second, is there curriculum posted in each of the classrooms?
- Do they do portfolios for each child for growth?
- Is there structure or a schedule that is followed?
- Do they offer a wide variety of sensory toys?
Are They Licensed and/or Accredited?
In conclusion, you want to make sure that the daycare is licensed. It is a plus if they are accredited as well. That just means that they have more money to spend on the center to provide more for your child. First of all, don’t be afraid to ask if they’re licensed or accredited!
Also, you want to make sure your child or children are getting the best care when you aren’t around. For example, you wouldn’t want to go to a restaurant that wasn’t licensed to serve you food. Therefore, being licensed means they are held to a standard. A standard to make sure they are meeting the requirement to run a safe and health facility. Having a license also will make sure that your child is in a classroom with state ratio (and not in a classroom with 10 kids to 1 teacher if they are only three years old), background checks are ran on staff before they are hired, training is completed with staff, and much more.