CHILD CARE CHOICE
 
Child Care Choice and Options...
Child Care Choice
By Vanessa Rasmussen, © 2006-2010, All rights reserved.
Finding
the right child care center or an individual for your child can be an extremely
time consuming process. It is always advisable that you look for the right
child care well in advance. The best way to start your search is by calling
your local Child Resource and Referral center (CCR&R). CCR&Rs can
give you the facts about child care, and a list of child care options in your
area that may meet your needs. These centers also provide you with information
pertaining to financial assistance programs that you family may qualify for.While visiting a child care center ensure that
your child gets maximum benefit out of it. Please remember, choosing child
care requires considerable time and effort. After all, you wouldn’t want
your child to be ignored and mistreated. Here are some pointers you should
consider while choosing the best child care center:
- Inquire about the number of children under
every adult. This is more commonly known as the Adult to Child ratio. The
lower the number of children under one adult, the better. Ideally, for an
infant you would want the ratio to be not higher than 1:3 (One adult supervising
3 infants). For older children a ratio of 1:8 would be good.
- The total number of children within a group
is also crucial. A small group is always advisable. For instance, a group
of 8 children under two adults is better than a group of 16 children under
4 adults. The Adult to Child ratio in both cases is the same, however, it
is much easier to manage a smaller group.
- A very common mistake most parents make
is to ignore researching the time each caregiver has spent in a particular
child care center. Children find it very hard to get used to new caregivers
frequently. It is essential that your child stays with the same caregiver
for at least 10 to 12 months. Do not opt for a child care center that has
a reputation of hiring new caregivers frequently.
- A lady in her mid forties would not necessarily
make a great caregiver. Always look at the qualifications of each and every
caregiver in the child care center. A person who has additional qualifications
such as a degree in education and training would be more suited. Also inquire
if the caregivers attend any additional seminars and workshops to improve
their skills.
- Look for accredited child care centers.
These are the ones that meet standards of child care and thus are more qualified
to handle your children. There are numerous accredited centers throughout
the United States. The National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC) and The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) are the
two largest organizations that accredit child care programs.
While there are plenty of options to consider
while choosing your child care center, you should stick to these basics. Remember,
choosing someone to care for your child is a big responsibility and one of
the most important decisions you will make as a parent.
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