What To Look For When Choosing A Daycare
Choosing a daycare for your child can be a difficult decision; the last thing you want to do is place them in a facility that is going to ultimately be detrimental to their development and happiness. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to distinguish a “good” facility from a bad one. Before making a final verdict, there are a few key pieces of info you should know.
An important starting point when investigating a facility, especially an institution that cares for a large number of children, is to find out if it is licensed. If so, you know the key providers (often the directors) have completed a minimum amount of training in early childhood development, education and/or care, often in a secondary institution. It is good to discover what training and experience the teachers and aides are required to possess before being hired, as these are the people who will often have the most hands on contact with the children on a daily basis. These individuals should also be trained in first aid and CPR, and familiar with emergency procedures should a situation arise.
The facility should have set policies in place for issues pertaining to the children themselves, and these should meet your expectations as well. A plan for emergency action should a child become injured should be in place, and able to be implemented immediately. Along with policies pertaining to emergencies, they should have a standard method of discipline for the children, as well as a procedure to be followed when such disciplinary actions do not yield the desired results. These should mesh well with your disciplinary actions at home to prevent confusion for the child.
Most daycares, whether institutional or in-home, will have a set daily schedule. It’s good to discover that schedule, and ensure that your child will be able to follow it. Children should be allowed plenty of play time, as well as some structured activities to prevent the advent of boredom during the day. Naptime can often become a point of contention in a daycare situation; a good facility will have both a naptime for the children who continue to take naps and a “quiet time” for children who don’t.
Potty training should also be addressed with any potential caregiver, particularly if your child is not yet out of diapers. Some preschool programs may require the children to be toilet trained prior to enrolling them or will charge an extra fee for having to change diapers. It is very important if your child is not yet potty trained to ensure that whatever facility you choose is willing and able to assist in teaching your child to use the bathroom.
The facility itself should be clean and childproof, with items such as safety latches on doors, gates on stairs and electrical outlet covers. In a private home, areas with fireplaces or wood stoves should be unavailable to children. There should be plenty of room for children to spread out and play, and areas that allow for physical activity both in and out of doors. Age appropriate toys should be available, as well as items such as cribs and highchairs for younger children. All such equipment should meet current safety standards, and a good provider should have an inventory of said equipment and toys and be on a constant look-out for safety recalls.
The most important thing to remember is any good facility will encourage you to come in, meet the staff and observe classroom interaction prior to enrollment. Follow your instincts on such visits; remember, no one knows your child like you do!
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Seven Things Daycares Don’t Have to Tell You
Every parent strives to find a good daycare for their kids. Being the responsible and intelligent parent that you are not different. If you’re about to enroll a kid in daycare, you know you can’t just pick one out of the phone book of off the internet and hope for the best.
If you’re like most parents you’ll at least visit several daycares before picking one for their kid. You’ll do your homework, right?
You have no doubt printed checklists and questions to ask during the appointment you scheduled to visit the daycare. Heck you might even stop by accidentally on the wrong date for your appointment just to see what’s going on when they’re not expecting company. You can take a quick peek, apologize, and confirm the “correct” date for your interview and inspection.
During your interview you’ll ask about the staff and licensing. You’ll ask about lunch and snacks. The staff will do their best to answer your questions, and you’ll leave feeling good about a particular daycare.
Meanwhile, back at the daycare, the staff and owner will be breathing a sigh of relief. There were nine things they didn’t have to tell, and they will be delighted that you didn’t know to ask.
Here are the Seven things daycare providers don’t have to tell you:
Some daycare staff members may work before their background checks are completed. You are smart enough to know better than to risk putting your child in the hands of someone you know nothing about. While it takes the state months to do a background check, I can do a complete background investigation in 72 hours or less.
Daycare Providers Do Not Have to Tell You About Past Complaints to the State. You’ve heard the expression about something that looks, walks, quacks, and whatever else they do being ducks, right? Well complaint after complaint to the state, even if they were unfounded, should at least be a yellow flag needing further investigation.
Daycare Centers Do Not Have to Tell You About Registered Sexual Predators in the Area. You can at least hope they know how many there are, which at least shows some proactive thinking on the daycare’s part. Check for registered Sex Offenders in the area of any daycare you’re considering. Just because the court told them to stay away from kids does not mean they will be able to.
Recent Criminal or Suspicious Activity is Something Else Daycare Owners Would Rather Keep Quiet. Recent criminal activity can include everything from a potential child molester creeping around outside of a daycare, to stray bullets from a gang corner down the street. A pattern of traffic accidents in front of or near the daycare is another area of concern. This is especially true if the daycare’s playground is only protected by a chain link fence. The police will have a records of all traffic accidents at or near the daycare.
Staff Criminal History and Contact With Law Enforcement History. As a former police officer, I hate to admit this, but the police can’t catch every criminal every time. Somebody who was investigated for child abuse or sexual misconduct three times in other states can still be working in the daycare you are considering for your kid.
If they have not been charged and/or convicted, chances are good that they will pass the background check. Would you want someone who has been investigated for sexual child abuse three times watching your kid?
Past Lawsuits They Have Lost or Successfully Defended. If a daycare center has been successfully sued, they still may be able to operate depending on the incident. Even if a daycare has been unsuccessfully sued for an injury to a child, it could also be a warning sign, or a sign the daycare owner has a very good attorney. Either way, your kid’s safety is at risk.
Professional Daycare Licenses Revoked or Suspended in Other States. Since some state’s daycare licensing divisions are way behind others in technology and online records availability, some daycare providers who have had their licenses suspended or revoked in other states can still get a license somewhere else – even in Florida.
Parents can check most of this information on their own. You can also hire licensed private investigator investigate this for you.
If you’d like more information please visit http://www.the-lionfish-group.com/daycare.html