In order to end up with day care best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.
Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of day care are available, familiarizing yourself with the different curriculums and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in day care.
Research the market: Day Care essentials
The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the day care market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:
Type: Day care comes in several types, including small day care groups in an individual's home, and government or private day care centers. Each one provides a different level of interaction with other children and attention given specifically to your child, and varying emphasis on different activities such as play or learning.
Size: The size of the day care group will determine how much individual attention is given to your child. If your child has special needs, you might consider a one-on-one nanny service or you might choose a facility that is specially trained to handle your child's needs. If you have an only child, they might enjoy a group facility and interaction with other children. For families with more than one child, finding day care that can accommodate all of them is also important.
Price Range: It is hard to put a price on your child's welfare and happiness, but like it or not, most people are on a budget. While most day care programs are in the same price range, they do differ based on the activities and educational options provided. It is important to find the best value, which is the highest quality care at the most affordable price.
Age Range: Usually, day care facilities do not accept children younger than six weeks, which is the average length a person can take off from work. While some day care programs cater to young children that are of pre-school age (infant to age five), others cater to the after-school age as well.
Education: Each facility should follow the standard-issued guidelines. However, some day care programs provide additional education such as foreign language and computer proficiency. Others provide programs like dance, gymnastics, music, and art.
Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself
Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in day care. For example, will you use the childcare only for when you do your weekly shopping or will you need to place your children in day care during the day while you are at work?
You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.
| Have I used day care before? |
| | If you have used day care, work out what you did or didn't like about the day care. You may be looking for something exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient. |
| Does my child have special needs? |
| | If your child has developmental disabilities, then you may prefer the focused care that a specially qualified nanny can provide; you will need to check that any potential day care centers are equipped to deal with your child's needs. |
| What type of day care do I want? |
| | You may like the childcare to be intensive or perhaps you would prefer the range of options at a larger or a specialized center. |
| Would I like education and extracurricular activities included? |
| | This can be an important part of your child's learning so look for structured fun activities. |
| Is this day care permanent? |
| | You may need care full-time or perhaps only part-time care. Maybe you only need it for summer vacation. |
| What kind of supervision is provided? |
| | Ask about the staff to child ratios for each classroom and if the children are supervised at all times, even during naptime. Find out about the director's qualifications, if they have a degree in a child-related field and have worked in childcare previously. Enquire if all carers have a current first aid certificate. |
| How does the playground equipment look? |
| | Check out the play equipment and sandbox to make sure they are clean and well maintained. Also see if a fence surrounds the play equipment. |
| How much should I pay for day care? |
| | Ask other parents about the rates they pay. Calculate what you can afford to pay and make sure you know what is included in the price. There may be discounts available for more than one child. |
The real value to getting the answers to these questions is that it clarifies what you are looking for in childcare for your children -
before you go looking. Once you know what your options are you will have the knowledge to select a safe and enjoyable environment for your child while you are not with them.
Although it may be tempting to book into the first day care program with an opening, it might not actually meet your needs and it might not be truly appropriate for your child. Choosing the wrong caregiver will cause your child unhappiness and you will have to start the process all over again.
Understanding your needs is the key to a successful choice and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the selection process.
Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of day care and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.
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