As a parent, you want the best for your child, but it can be difficult juggling everything in your daily life. This is where day care services come in. More than just looking after your child, they provide an exceptional education where your child can grow in all areas of their development including social, emotional, cognitive, fine and gross motor skills, and language. Here’s why an educational day care service for your child is highly beneficial.
Benefits of a Day Care Service
Signing your child up for day care has many benefits that can help them further down the line. It is highly beneficial for parents and children because of the following reasons:
- It offers consistent and continuous care, from the early months of infancy through Pre-K.
- It can help to facilitate your child’s growth and development.
- It teaches your child about socialization, learning to interact with other children and adults, as well as learning important lessons about sharing toys.
- It accommodates your busy schedule, staying open till late.
- It has qualified staff who are well-trained.
In addition to the above benefits, a day care that offers an educational aspect helps your child develop academically and this prepares them for Elementary school.
How to Choose a Day Care Center for Your Child
- The first point of reference is usually relying on the trusted reputation and word-of-mouth referrals from other parents, your pediatrician, coworkers and friends. A Google search for reviews as well as a glance at the daycare’s Facebook page can help give you an overall view of what people are saying about the daycare.
- Come up with a list of questions that are important for you, and pay attention to how they are answered over the phone. Things to consider include:
- Accreditation
- Class sizes (teacher to child ratio)
- Teacher screening
- Costs
- Vaccination policy
- Sick child policy
- Discipline policy
- Food and allergy policy
- Waiting lists
- If you are satisfied with the answers provided, arrange to visit in person in order to meet the staff and get a better sense of the place. There are number of things to consider when visiting. These include:
- Clean and sterile conditions
- A happy and bright environment
- Separate age groups
- A quiet and calm area for nap time with separate cribs
- Child-proofed objects including locks on doors
- Well-stocked with age-appropriate toys and books
- Floor space for babies to crawl and strengthen their muscles
- Safety features including smoke detectors and fire extinguishers
- If you are satisfied with the reviews, answers, visit, then it is worth dropping by unannounced at some stage, in order to see how the daycare functions when unprepared for visitors. Pay attention to how the staff interacts with the children. Pay attention to if the teachers are energetic, responsive and warm, and if the children seem happy and engaged. The teacher should be warm, open and responsive, and provide plenty of one-on-one time and attention even with group care. It’s also worth finding out about staff turnover. Children need consistency, especially to form stable relationships where they trust their caregiver. Therefore, it may be beneficial to find out what the turnover rate is like and how long the teachers have been working at their current job.
- Another important consideration is good communication between the teacher and parents. It’s important to communicate with the teacher about how your child is doing and discussing any problems that may arise. In addition, it’s important that your child’s dietary needs are addressed and accommodated.
If you are interested in enrolling your child in a day care center that offers a curriculum that incorporates a variety of learning methods to make sure each child’s specific needs are met – then contact Providence Children’s Academy today.