Steps to Selecting Day Care Centers3948201
Child care, or more generally day care, involves the care of a child by someone other than the parent or legal guardian throughout the daytime and is generally performed by an person who is not part of the family and lives outside that family. Usually, this service is conducted during the parent or guardian's work cycle. It is referred to as either child care or day care in Canada and the US whereas in Australia and the UK, it is referred to as child care. Child care is usually performed by a family members care provider, a nanny, or a nursery.
First appearing in France throughout the 1840's, the Société des Crèches was recognized by the French Government in 1869 as the first of the legal day care centers. These facilities really originated in the latter 18th century and earlier 19th centuries, but they did not appear in the US till the New York Day Nursery first opened its doors in 1854. When they first originated in the US throughout the 1850's, it was mainly a charity-based operation.
Choosing the very best day care centers
The National Network for Child Care has oftentimes stated how important these day care centers have turn out to be in the US in that working parents today just do not have enough time in their daily schedules to care for their kids. Here are some suggestions to help you choose the very best one for your child:
Look at child care referral and resource centers - it is safer to choose a day care provider from these lists than just choosing one out of a newspaper ad.
Visit the facilities you have place on your list - you want to look for important elements when you investigate every of these day care centers. This includes accreditation and licensing information, cleanliness, the kind of food that the kids are being fed, the number of children becoming cared for, and the number of adult staff members that work at the facility.
Verify out staff member qualifications - you might want to inquire as to how they were screened for the position, if a background check was conducted, and even if they have been fingerprinted. You should also find out if all of them have undergone child care training and know how to carry out CPR.
Spend time observing - you want to see how the children are interacted with by the staff members of these day care centers so you can judge the high quality of care that is becoming supplied.
Do extra research - probabilities are, when you talk to the owner or any of the employees members, they are not going to give you anything but positive feedback. Instead, you want to inquire about any of these day care centers you are contemplating by contacting either your local area Division of Health and Human Services or Department of Social Services. The primary thing you want to find out is if these day care centers are in good standing with these various organizations.
