When parents have to make the decision of which daycare center to send their children too it can be daunting.
There are several questions that you will want answered and although the whole process of selecting the right daycare center can be worrying, if you approach it with the right attitude it can be easy.
You have to decide what environment your child will feel most comfortable in, will they react better in a group daycare center or in a family environment.
Both are very different daycare system, they have totally different policies and structures.
A family daycare center is far more personal but will often only have one member on staff, which can put pressure on them trying to cope with more than one child.
They will have fewer children, not often over 8 at one time, but they will do activities that maybe below your child's age if they have younger children there.
A group daycare center will have several staff members, and the children will be separated into age relevant groups for different activities throughout the day.
There will be far more children in these daycare centers, and your child may be lost among all of the others.
You must visit the daycare place on several occasions and at different times of the day before deciding which one to use.
Talk to the staff and other parents, this will help you determine how other parents feel about the way the daycare center treats their children.
If possible talk to some of the children as they will often tell you if they are having fun.
Establish what the turnover rate for staff is, a high turnover indicates there is a problem.
You want your child to have a teacher they not only like, but one they will be having for some time.
Ensure that the daycare centers are licensed and registered with the state; some will fall through the system.
You do not want to use one of these as they will not have been checked and approved.
Check the pupil to teacher ratio, if the class is too big then the quieter children may be forgotten and will fall behind.
You will need to find out what the policies and rules are in either type of daycare place.
Sickness, vacations, holidays and emergencies all need to be covered, as you will need to know exactly what is expected of you from the daycare people.
Making sure you have good communication with the daycare centers is essential; many relationships break down because of a lack of knowledge regarding the policies.
Also check the facilities and the outdoor areas, these will tell you a great deal about the place.
If they take pride in these areas then they care about the center as a whole.
You also have to fully trust the daycare place.
When you leave your child in the care of another person it is worrying.
You want the knowledge that the daycare system is professional, trustworthy and knowledgeable in child care.
Children are children, and they will have scraps and bangs as it is all part of growing up.
As long as you trust your chosen daycare, then you will have a fantastic relationship with them.
There are several questions that you will want answered and although the whole process of selecting the right daycare center can be worrying, if you approach it with the right attitude it can be easy.
You have to decide what environment your child will feel most comfortable in, will they react better in a group daycare center or in a family environment.
Both are very different daycare system, they have totally different policies and structures.
A family daycare center is far more personal but will often only have one member on staff, which can put pressure on them trying to cope with more than one child.
They will have fewer children, not often over 8 at one time, but they will do activities that maybe below your child's age if they have younger children there.
A group daycare center will have several staff members, and the children will be separated into age relevant groups for different activities throughout the day.
There will be far more children in these daycare centers, and your child may be lost among all of the others.
You must visit the daycare place on several occasions and at different times of the day before deciding which one to use.
Talk to the staff and other parents, this will help you determine how other parents feel about the way the daycare center treats their children.
If possible talk to some of the children as they will often tell you if they are having fun.
Establish what the turnover rate for staff is, a high turnover indicates there is a problem.
You want your child to have a teacher they not only like, but one they will be having for some time.
Ensure that the daycare centers are licensed and registered with the state; some will fall through the system.
You do not want to use one of these as they will not have been checked and approved.
Check the pupil to teacher ratio, if the class is too big then the quieter children may be forgotten and will fall behind.
You will need to find out what the policies and rules are in either type of daycare place.
Sickness, vacations, holidays and emergencies all need to be covered, as you will need to know exactly what is expected of you from the daycare people.
Making sure you have good communication with the daycare centers is essential; many relationships break down because of a lack of knowledge regarding the policies.
Also check the facilities and the outdoor areas, these will tell you a great deal about the place.
If they take pride in these areas then they care about the center as a whole.
You also have to fully trust the daycare place.
When you leave your child in the care of another person it is worrying.
You want the knowledge that the daycare system is professional, trustworthy and knowledgeable in child care.
Children are children, and they will have scraps and bangs as it is all part of growing up.
As long as you trust your chosen daycare, then you will have a fantastic relationship with them.