Authored by Rodney Southern in Parenting
Published on 09-08-2009
When it comes to your children, finding a top quality day care center is of the utmost importance. With the concerns that have come to light in recent years, daycares have fallen under a very careful eye. Gone are the days of simply finding a location that is nearby and trusting that it is a good one. There are steps you have to take to make sure the day care center is safe as well. Here is a guide to finding not only a convenient day care center, but one that will keep your child engaged and safe as well:
While location is no longer the only consideration, it is still a consideration. You want to find a day center that is not only close to your home, but close to your work as well if at all possible. This allows for you or your spouse to reach your child in the event of an emergency.
The next thing to consider is the hours of the day care center. Do they fit with your needs and the needs of your child?
There are numerous organizations that now follow day care centers and keep up with any violations. Be sure you check out any potential day care and make certain they have all the proper licenses and certifications. Investigate any and all violations carefully before enrolling your child.
Another important factor is your access to the facility. Can you visit any time you please? You should be wary of any day care center that does not allow this. Also, you should be allowed to inspect all areas of the center, and see that they are safe for your child.
Another very important factor is the level of education of the caregivers. They should either be highly educated in the field of child care, or have plenty of experience. Taking care of children is a very difficult thing to do, and experience is a valuable tool.
How many people are on staff in comparison to the number of children? This ratio should not be much more than one staff member for every ten children. Anything above this reaches a problem with young children.
Are the health standards at the day care center up to par? Do they require certain shots and levels of health in the children? If not, then you should consider moving on. Having the right shots at a young age can be a huge health boost, and not having them can be dangerous.
You should also consider the cost of attendance. If a day care center is very inexpensive, this is not necessarily a good thing. Often, these types of day care centers are lacking in the areas of proper supervision and supplies. Make certain that the rate is consistent with the care given also.
References are another huge benefit to finding the best day care centers. It is fine to contact the listed references for the day care, but you should also seek out some on your own. Often, the references for a day care center are out of date, or have an interest in saying the day care is good. Ask a few parents in the parking lot on your way out if the day care is up to snuff. Parents will not hesitate to tell you what is good and bad.
