The choosy mom’s guide to child-care selection

As your child clutches your leg when you drop him at the child-care center you have chosen, you are probably fervently hoping you have chosen well. When narrowing down choices, it’s not easy to make a selection, knowing someone else will be responsible to care for your bundle of joy the better part of each day. You know asking, “Do you have any openings?” is probably not enough research; but, doing a background check on everyone from the provider to the guy who delivers their newspaper is going a bit far. Still, keeping a few basic principles in mind should help you select a good child care provider and give you peace of mind.

The legal nitpick

Surprisingly, many moms are embarrassed to ask licensure questions of child-care centers, especially home providers. This isn’t prying, it’s good sense. A license indicates that the state has guaranteed a provider has been checked and certified to provide adequate, safe child-care. This will give you profound peace of mind when you pull away from the child-care center each day. And, don’t just ask if there’s a license, ensure it matches the type of center being run. If the provider is licensed to care for only a small number of children, and the center is hosting a posse, look elsewhere.

Staff questions

Ask about the staff that works at the center and about their qualifications to work with children. Also, ask about the staff turnover rate, as this may indicate a problem with the center’s management. Question the volume of staff on shift for various points in the day and the number of adults assigned to each child. This is also a good time to ask for references—and be sure to check them. Be wary of a center that either does not give references or whose references are negative or do not check out.

Training and emergency plans

Find out what training the child care center’s staff has that qualifies them to respond to emergency situations for children. CPR or choking rescue procedures for babies and children differ from those for adults. If no one on the staff is trained in basic first aid, look elsewhere. Ask about what emergency response plans the center has in place in case of various disasters like fires, tornados or attacks.

The center’s schedule

Ask questions about the center’s scheduled closures and days of non-operation for holidays or planned vacations, as you’ll need to make other arrangements in advance. You will also want to know the center’s daily routine schedule. This will help you prepare your child in advance to fall in step with the center without feeling too disrupted. You can adjust his meal and nap times a few days or weeks in advance of entry into a new child-care center in order to help ease his transition.

Observation and visit options

The child-care center you select should allow pop-in visits from you at the time of your choosing. If they request you schedule visits, question what they are cleaning up or hiding before your arrival. You should feel free to observe your child at will.

Sick child and provider policies

Find out the center’s policy on sick children. Some child-care centers allow the sniffles but not fevers. Others draw the line at vomiting and diarrhea. And, if you select an in-home provider, ask what the backup plan is for when he/she falls ill and cannot provide the normal care schedule.

Extra fee schedules

If your child is ill or you go on vacation, do you have to pay for unused days? What about days the center is closed? Some centers offer part-time and flextime schedules. You should find out about them before you sign up, especially if you don’t plan on working full-time. Also, some charge fees for early drop-offs or late pickups, even down to the minute. You might ask about traffic patterns, to alter your schedule in order to avoid these pesky fees. If the center provides its own transportation, perhaps picking your child up from school, you will certainly want to know the fees attached to this convenience. And, most centers operate on a very fixed budget when it comes to supplies; so, find out if you will be contributing to their rotating supply of tissues and crayons.

Discipline and other policies

If you have established a firm, no hand-slapping policy, you will want to know if the operators of the center employ this discipline method when telling the children not to touch something. And, if you don’t allow television, you will want to know if 3 p.m. is television hour. Or, you may want to pack a nutritious option if they serve sugary snacks. Whatever is important to you, find out whether the child care center has a policy that doesn’t mesh with your at-home policy.

Choosing someone else to care for your child is never easy. It means letting someone into your child’s life, taking a role that you’d rather fill yourself. But, in a world with mortgages, car payments and just the need to get out to feel fulfilled outside the home as well as within it, finding adequate child care is a necessary reality. By researching your options and following your gut, you should be able to find a solution that works for your family.

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