Child Care Should Be A Home Away From Home

Many new parents actually dread the possibility of having to send their children to child care. I know...I have been in that position. If it is the first child, the fear can be elevated to panic. The fact is, more women are being forced to get jobs in order to support themselves and their family, and if there is no alternative form of income, they may have to find child care prior to going to work. Finding child care does not have to be the most difficult decision mothers make. It can in fact, be the best decision they will ever make for their child. This article intends to offer some guidelines to help with the decision-making process.

A common emotion experienced by mothers is guilt. It is normal for mothers to feel guilty about leaving their children with anyone, even their fathers. They feel like they have deserted their children, which is a natural phenomena that mothers experience even when they have left their children with their fathers for a short period of time. Perhaps this is triggered by the natural instinct mothers have to nurture and protect their offspring. However, if they have investigated the child care facility and got referrals from other parents who have their children registered there, that feeling of guilt will soon disappear.

Many child care facilities offer the educational stimulation that prepares children for school or reinforces what is already being taught at schools. This is vital for them to maintain good grades at school, and to even excel in their class. Child care may even offer extra-curricula activities that parents would like their children to participate in which may not even be offered by the school, such as music, dance, drama, soccer, basketball, football, swimming, gymnastics, rollerskating, bowling, go Kart racing and so many others.

We are all social beings. We thrive on interacting with each other. The saying no man is an island is actually true, because it is not the norm for someone to be anti-social. Interacting with other children is a great way to teach children to share. They can also develop the language skills necessary for them to communicate. A great advantage of having children start child care prior to starting school, is that they bond with other children in their age group and with a variety of personalities. This bond can even last during their school life and even into adulthood if they attend the same schools.

Some child care institutions offer parents the opportunity to have their children celebrate their birthday with the other children who are registered there.   This can be a very convenient way of having their children share the event with the children they share with and are accustomed to without worrying about the hassle of invitations, finding a location for the party or even cleaning up afterward.    Everyone really benefits from the party, and the children actually feel like they are in a home away from home.

Child care offers parents the ability to have that me time. Whether it is the time needed to go to work, to go shopping or to do whatever needs to be done. Unfortunately, there have been too many reports of children being neglected or unsupervised while the parents have left the house to run errands or to go to work. The news are full of incidents with children being fatally burnt in house fires, strangling themselves wih cords, belts or ropes, trapped in refrigerators while playing with their siblings and many other instances which could have been avoided by having the children in child care. We all need that time to do our errands or just to relax and refresh ourselves. Child care offers parents the ability to do those things they really need to do while their children can be in a safe and supervised environment.

It is extremely important that the child care chosen for your child is ideal. There are various things to consider when choosing child care. It is important that the parent visit the facility while it is in session so that the operation can be observed. Parents should be prepared to ask the following questions:

1. Is the child care provider trained to care for chilidren? Has he or she been certified in basic courses such as First Aid and CPR as well as other basic chlld care courses? Is the facility licensed? Does the provider have any experience in caring for children? Does the provider have any children?
2. Is the facility accident proof? Are all the sockets plugged? Have all hazardous material been stored securely away from the child care area?
   
3. Are there any pets, especially dogs, that have access to the child care area?
4. Does the child care provider smoke or drink alcohol?
5. Is the child care area clean, neat and odor free?
6. Are there sufficient sleeping mats and cribs (or playpens) for each child?
7. Is the child/teacher ratio adequately maintained?
8. Are there substitutes available in the event that the provider is unable to care for the children?
9. Are there sufficient educational toys, games and books for each child to use?
10. Is there an ideal curriculum in place to cater to the each child's age and stage of development?

It is important that there be an understanding of the policies of the child care facility before you register your child?

1. What are the hours of operation?

2. Are meals provided by the facility?

3. What are the weekly fees? Do the fees still need to be paid in full if the child is absent? Are there additional fees such as registration fees or deposits?

4. Are there additional fees, such as late fees if the child is picked up late or late payment fees?

5. Do the children have field trips regularly? Are the parents required to sign permission slips? Are parents allowed to be chaperons? Is a public vehicle used for field trips?

6. In the event of an accident, are incident reports provided, and parents informed in a timely manner?

7. Do children receive assistance with home work? Are children transported to and from school?

8. What curriculum is used in the child care?

9. What material should parents bring e.g. change of clothes, diapers, food, drinks, educational material, toys, games?

10. What is the policy on discipline? Is there any form of corporal punishment practiced?

It is extremely important that the child care facility abide by the policy of ensuring that children are adquately supervised at all times. In addition, please note that it is illegal to use corporal punishment in any child care facility. It is a good idea to find out what is the policy on discipline prior to registration.

The ideal child care can be a home away from home.

Parents are forced to earn a living, and that may unfortunately limit the time they are allowed to be with their children. Some, if not all, of these parents have had certain goals for their children, but unfortunately there may be no guarantee that these goals can be accomplished. It is imperative that the child care provider that is chosen to care for their child or children have similar goals for the children in the child care.

Firstly, parents do not want to spend too much on child care, since this can severely affect their budget. Prior to registration, parents should compare fees, hours of operation and location of the facility with others. The fees charged are important, because some parents may be impressed with what the child care program, but soon cannot afford to pay the fees that are being charged. Parents need to always choose a facility that charges fees that they can comfortably pay. Some facilities cater to a wide age range (birth to 12 years old) which can be ideal, because all their children can be at the same place, and the facility may offer sibling discounts to reduce the fee. In addition, some facilities accept vouchers or government coupons for qualified parents. In this way the government subsidizes the payment made by the parents.

Secondly, the facility should offer programs which stimulate learning in children. An ideal curriculum should be used where children can be taught skills appropriate for the age and stage of development. Infants need to be potty trained. Preschoolers need to be prepared for school. School age children need to be assisted with home work, and trained to develop several skills.

Thirdly, extra-curricular activities should be offered. Performing arts are not usually offered in schools, but child care facilities that offer dance, drama, music and similar skills can fill the gap. In addition, football, soccer and other team sports may be provided by the facility.