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Every parent dreads the first day they take their child to a day care center; the guilt tugging at their hearts as they leave their loved child in the custody of another person. But by following a few helpful tips, you can assure yourself that your child is being placed in the best place possible.
First, visit the daycare during the daytime BEFORE you sign any agreement with the owners or agree to let your child stay there. Visit during lunchtime if possible, to see the interaction between the daycare workers and the children is already there. If there are too many children for the workers to handle safely and properly, rethink your choice. Ideally every child would have their own worker, but this is highly improbable in most situations. The best thing to do is to sit back and observe the workings of the daycare as an impartial observer; watching how the children are fed and taken care off before you enroll your own child and lose your observer status.
The foods served for snacks and meals should be nutritious and gauged to the ages of the children involved - fresh fruit should be served at least once a day, if not more, depending on the menu supplied by the establishment. Mealtimes should be friendly and safe; with no dangerous situations cropping up due to inappropriate utensils being given to the children or inactivity on the part of the workers. The eating area should be clean and safe with strict supervision of the children as they eat their meals and return to their routine.
Changing areas for younger children should be well away from the general play areas; with sanitized diaper pails and plenty of disinfectant on hand. Even if the majority of children are toilet trained, there should be a safety area for when accidents happen and they can be cleaned up at a minimum of exposure to the other children. There should be no smell of urine in the center at all; especially not in the changing areas and never in the food areas.
The children should be separated by age and each cared for by their own set of workers. There is no way that a baby can be properly watched and monitored and entertained at the same time that a two year old is rushing about the play area. Each group of daycare workers should be familiar with each child and with any medical or physical problems that might crop up; especially in the area of allergies. Parents should make sure that there is at least one person on duty at all times trained in First Aid, if not more. Emergency phone numbers should be in plain sight by the phone, as well as a binder of the parents' emergency contacts and specific medical history if a child is prone to certain problems.
Every daycare center has a daily routine either posted or available in a handout format for the potential clients. Read it over and then compare it to what you are witnessing to make sure that the workers are following it as well. Outside playtime is a great addition to the schedule, as long as the playground is a safe and supervised atmosphere. Most daycare centers have the equipment already on their grounds, but this doesn't mean that they are automatically safe. Observe the equipment and make sure that it is clean and safe; no rusty steel edges anywhere nor shattered wood that can catch on unwary children. The grounds should be soft and covered with some sort of padding and protection for children who fall off the equipment. As well, watch that the workers dress the children appropriately for the weather if they are being taken outside for a walk or to play. You might send a hat and mittens to the center with your child, but if the worker doesn't put them on when they go outside it's a waste.
Talk to the workers and see how they like their jobs and how they plan to keep their interaction with the children fresh. Too many times people fall into a routine of boredom and miss the opportunity to expand their teaching time with a class; instead becoming mired in the routines. While a television set in the center doesn't automatically disqualify it as a good daycare, inquire what is being watched and when. If your child is watching cartoons for a good part of the day, you might as well not bother placing your child in such a place.
Look around the center and judge the atmosphere. Are the walls brightly colored or a drab gray? Are there pictures and paintings, or are they barren and boring? Are the toys in the play area kept in good shape and rotated around the center, or are they old and in need of repair or replacement?
If possible talk to other clients of the center as to their interaction with the owners. Are problems dealt with promptly and efficiently, or are they ignored? Are the workers carefully screened before they get to work with the children? What are the policies on picking your child up late? Some centers will charge a premium price if you are not there at a certain time to pick up your child, so best to be safe and get all the information up front. Are there special trips to nearby sites, and if so how are the children transported? All these questions should be easily answered by any daycare center that is honest about wanting your business and eager to care for your child.
Daycare doesn't have to be a traumatic experience for parent and child. By taking a bit of extra time to evaluate your choices you can find a center that will encourage your child's creative and intellectual skills and provide a good atmosphere for learning.
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