It is every parent’s responsibility to ensure that their children are well taken care of, especially when you intend to leave them in a daycare environment.
Before enrolling your child in a daycare facility, there are several things to consider so that your child receives the care and attention they need in your absence. Below are 5 things to look for when searching for a daycare.
Below are 5 things to look for when searching for a daycare.
High levels of hygiene
The environment needs to be clean, warm and conducive to your child. Choose a daycare that maintains high levels of cleanliness to maintain healthy living standards for your child. For older kids, caregivers should take into account hygiene practices like the need for the children to wash their hands often, especially after using the restroom and before eating among many others. Infants should also be cleaned well after diapering.
Have engaging activities
Most children, especially the older ones need to be involved in active learning where they participate in activities for their growth. By playing they are able to nurture their mental and physical growth. Choose a daycare where the children have interesting things to do, explore, read and interact. These can either be puzzles, books, blocks and dramatic play materials, running, throwing among many other engaging activities.
Safety
Your child’s safety is the most important aspect. Ensure that the daycare is welcoming and inviting and within a safe environment and that the building, as well as surrounding, is safe for your child. The equipment and playing tools such as toys should be in good condition. Check whether there is a security system in place. This prevents the chances of unauthorized people from being able to access the premises without being monitored. It will also help you be at peace knowing that your child is in a safe condition.
Professional staff
The staff working in the daycare should handle children kindly and with respect. This is from the director, teachers to any other staff that is present. They need to be accredited and have specialized training in child development, verified in CPR, first aid, and infection control. The daycare should also have lesson plans and daily schedules that tell you more about your child’s daily routine.
In case you are not sure, ask for references or ask the center to provide you with more information. In short, find out as much as you can about the daycare facility. Use the Explore & Develop childcare finder to choose the closest daycare based on your location.
Make a site visit
Make a visit to the facility to oversee how the staff interacts with the children. The caregivers should spend enough time with the kids or hold the infants whenever they cry. Their language should also be respectable with great parenting ethics on topics such as discipline being among the top factors.
Find out more about the staff turnover rate. Every infant should get the best care and the number of staff should balance with the number of children being attended to. At no point should more than 4 infants be under a single adult per adult. Check the feeding schedule, meals being offered and sleeping time among other routines in their schedule. The food provided should be healthy. Also, check the sick-child policy
