Day Care tips and question to the group...................
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sunshineval ...@yahoo.com (Sunshine)
At only 9 weeks, the advice from others is abundant. However, one thing I did learn that will probably save me later, is to research day cares now. Living in a middle size town, the good day cares have very long waiting list. Especially when it comes to newborns. Also, the private schools have equally long waiting list. Even though I grew up in public schools, I want the option available to me when the time comes so I've decided to pay a whopping $10 to put my childs name on the waiting list for one of the top private schools in my town. I guess I can't stress enough that the time for this is now. I've also contacted my local Kids, Inc. which is sending me a list of day cares in my town and list of those individuals who are registered and licensed.
I do have a question to the group however....
What are some good questions to ask a potential day care provider?
Thanks in advance, Sunshine
hschin ...@aol.com (H Schinske)
I wonder how common that is in other places? I have never heard of a private school (besides Eton and places like that) that would put someone's name on at birth. The ones around here require a test the year before entry.
--Helen
Ericka Kammerer eek...@home.com
It is not uncommon around here. And you have to register for preschool (starting in September) in January, register for summer camps in February if you want to have a prayer of getting in, and jump on other announcements (swimming lessons, dance cl***es, etc.) as soon as they come out!
Best wishes, Ericka
Mariann mariw...@my-deja.com
Sunshine said...
Yes, yes, yes! I'm a former daycare center director with about ten years of experience with infant care and helping new parents. Definitely research your daycare options now rather than later... there were many times we had to turn away families because we had room the month before, but not now. The waiting list is a big factor, but you also want to allow plenty of time for return visits and follow-up questions.
Oh, oh... I can help here, too! Here's some information from a handout given to Maryland parents seeking childcare.
What do I look for in a licensed home/center?
Finding the right kind of child care takes time. If possible, begin looking a few months before your child will need care. Allow several weeks for visiting different child care centers and family day care homes.
When looking for child care, it is important to visit a child care facility when children are involved in program activities. That will give you an opportunity to see if the children like the program and how they get along with program staff. This may also give you an idea of how well the program suits your child. If you find a facility you think is suitable, try to come back for a second visit and take your child. Does your child seem comfortable there? After the visit, try to find out from your child how he or she felt about the facility.
Before you visit any child care setting, you should call and talk with the family day care provider or center director to get some basic information.
Here are some questions you may want to ask:
- What time do you open and close?
- How much do you charge, and when are payments made? Weekly?
Monthly?
- Does the price include meals and snacks, or do I need to bring food for my child?
- How many other children are in your program, and what are their ages?
- Are your services and fees written down in the form of a contract or service agreement?
If you are uncomfortable with the answers to any of these questions, the facility is probably not the right one for you.
When you visit the facility, there are three main things you should look for to make sure the program is the right one for you and your child. These three things are: the caregiver, the children, and the space within the facility which is used for child care.
1. Look at the Caregiver
- Can you talk easily with the caregiver? Are you comfortable with the person? Do you feel you can trust the caregiver?
- Does the caregiver seem to enjoy being with the children? Is he/she really listening and responding to them?
- Is the caregiver able to keep up with the children, or does he/she seem overly tired?
- Are the children supervised at all times?
- How does the caregiver discipline the children?
- Does the caregiver use a calm voice? Does he/she speak to the children on their own level?
- Does the program have written policies and procedures? If so, do parents receive copies?
2. Look at the Children
- Do the children seem to enjoy being with the caregiver?
- Are the children given a chance to make choices? Are they able to "explore" on their own?
- Do the children seem to understand and follow the program's rules and routines?
3. Look at the Space Used for Child Care
- Is the provider's child care license or registration displayed? Is it current?
- Does the program area look clean and safe?
- Do the children wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet?
- Are cleaning supplies, sharp objects, medicines, and other dangerous items put away out of the children's reach?
- Is there enough space indoors and outdoors so all the children have room to play? Is the outdoor play area safe?
- Is there enough heat, light, and ventilation?
- Are there fire extinguishers and smoke detectors?
- Are all toys and materials in good condition? Are they suitable for the children's ages? Can the children reach them easily?
- If meals and snacks are provided by the program, are they nutritious? Are they the kinds of food you want your child to eat?
In general, does the program have a safe, healthy, and happy "feel" to it? Is it a place where children can be children?
If you can answer "yes" to all these questions after your visit, you probably found the right facility for you and your child. But you also have to listen to your instincts: if you feel uncomfortable with the facility for any reason, you should look for another one.
Also, you may wish to consult your state's child care regulation to learn more about daycare in your area... the URL to all 50 states is http://nrc.uchsc.edu/states.html.
HTH.
--
Mariann Mama to Nicholas, 10.27.00 http://www.kosub.org/~nicholas * To reply via email, please replace "my-deja" with "yahoo"
sunshineval ...@yahoo.com (Sunshine)
The one I'm talking about in my city has a day care as well. So the list starts pretty early. I think over 90% of the day care students go on to grade school also. If you had to ask me right now if my child would go there, I would say no (don't have $800 a month for preschool) but I would like to have that option in 3 - 4 years.
Sunshine
"TurtleJean" turtlej...@novagate.com
This is excellent!! I have a great daycare provider for Madison, but with another on the way I am not sure if she will have room for 2....especially with them being only 18 months apart. She just got a newborn this week too, so I am probably going to have to look for another in the fall. :-( I printed this out......great stuff!!!
--
Maria Madison (2/14/01) Second Miracle 8/16/02 ...
: Sunshine said...
: >At only 9 weeks, the advice from others is abundant. However, one : >thing I did learn that will probably save me later, is to research day : >cares now. Living in a middle size town, the good day cares have very : >long waiting list. Especially when it comes to newborns.
: : Yes, yes, yes! I'm a former daycare center director with about ten years of : experience with infant care and helping new parents. Definitely research your : daycare options now rather than later... there were many times we had to turn : away families because we had room the month before, but not now. The waiting : list is a big factor, but you also want to allow plenty of time for return : visits and follow-up questions.
: : >I do have a question to the group however....
: >What are some good questions to ask a potential day care provider?
: : Oh, oh... I can help here, too! Here's some information from a handout given to : Maryland parents seeking childcare.
: : What do I look for in a licensed home/center?
: : Finding the right kind of child care takes time. If possible, begin : looking a few months before your child will need care. Allow several : weeks for visiting different child care centers and family day care : homes.
: : When looking for child care, it is important to visit a child care : facility when children are involved in program activities. That will : give you an opportunity to see if the children like the program and : how they get along with program staff. This may also give you an idea : of how well the program suits your child. If you find a facility you : think is suitable, try to come back for a second visit and take your : child. Does your child seem comfortable there? After the visit, try to : find out from your child how he or she felt about the facility.
: : Before you visit any child care setting, you should call and talk with : the family day care provider or center director to get some basic : information.
: : Here are some questions you may want to ask: : - What time do you open and close?
: - How much do you charge, and when are payments made? Weekly?
: Monthly?
: - Does the price include meals and snacks, or do I need to bring : food for my child?
: - How many other children are in your program, and what are their : ages?
: - Are your services and fees written down in the form of a contract : or service agreement?
: : If you are uncomfortable with the answers to any of these questions, : the facility is probably not the right one for you.
: : When you visit the facility, there are three main things you should : look for to make sure the program is the right one for you and your : child. These three things are: the caregiver, the children, and the : space within the facility which is used for child care.
: : 1. Look at the Caregiver : - Can you talk easily with the caregiver? Are you comfortable with : the person? Do you feel you can trust the caregiver?
: - Does the caregiver seem to enjoy being with the children? Is : he/she really listening and responding to them?
: - Is the caregiver able to keep up with the children, or does he/she : seem overly tired?
: - Are the children supervised at all times?
: - How does the caregiver discipline the children?
: - Does the caregiver use a calm voice? Does he/she speak to the : children on their own level?
: - Does the program have written policies and procedures? If so, do : parents receive copies?
: : 2. Look at the Children : - Do the children seem to enjoy being with the caregiver?
: - Are the children given a chance to make choices? Are they able to : "explore" on their own?
: - Do the children seem to understand and follow the program's rules : and routines?
: : 3. Look at the Space Used for Child Care : - Is the provider's child care license or registration displayed? Is : it current?
: - Does the program area look clean and safe?
: - Do the children wash their hands before eating and after using the : toilet?
: - Are cleaning supplies, sharp objects, medicines, and other : dangerous items put away out of the children's reach?
: - Is there enough space indoors and outdoors so all the children : have room to play? Is the outdoor play area safe?
: - Is there enough heat, light, and ventilation?
: - Are there fire extinguishers and smoke detectors?
: - Are all toys and materials in good condition? Are they suitable : for the children's ages? Can the children reach them easily?
: - If meals and snacks are provided by the program, are they : nutritious? Are they the kinds of food you want your child to eat?
: : In general, does the program have a safe, healthy, and happy "feel" to : it? Is it a place where children can be children?
: : If you can answer "yes" to all these questions after your visit, you : probably found the right facility for you and your child. But you also : have to listen to your instincts: if you feel uncomfortable with the : facility for any reason, you should look for another one.
: : Also, you may wish to consult your state's child care regulation to : learn more about daycare in your area... the URL to all 50 states is : http://nrc.uchsc.edu/states.html.
: : HTH.
: : : --
: Mariann : Mama to Nicholas, 10.27.00 : http://www.kosub.org/~nicholas : * To reply via email, please replace "my-deja" with "yahoo"
louis ...@homeplc.com (louisa)
I signed my daughter up when I was three months pregnant for a two year old spot. Good day care is hard to come by. It was the same place my son had attended when he was 3-5.
"Jill" jk...@charter.net
Does anyone else think it's sad that there are so many kids going to day care that there is a waiting list? Day care is a necessity for some people, but I wish the ones who didn't have to use it wouldn't.
~ Jill Mom to Eric 7-6-2000 and Baby Ethan due in March ...
sunshineval ...@yahoo.com (Sunshine)
Thank you so much, Mariann! You are a life saver! I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this post. Once again thanks!
Sunshine
Mary McHugh trollbust...@notroll.com
... snippage of rest of good start What are the charges for overtime? (these can be killer!) What is the holiday schedule? (does it coincide with your job?) Do I have to pay for vacation time (usually yes but some centers will credit you up to a week or two)?
Inclement weather? If this is an issue for you, you need to find out how they let parents know if the center will be closed.
Look at the playground area -- is it safe? Is it inviting with lots of safe activities? How much time do the children spend outside? (As much as possible, I hope).
Where does the center recruit caregivers?
Do they run background checks on candidates? What kinds of questions are asked of the caregivers? If a background check is run (and it should be), what things are they looking for?
What is their turnover rate? Do they accept drop-ins? (if you're looking for full time care, this may not be important) What happens if a caregivers calls in sick? Do they use temps? Where do they get the temps? Are the temps screened?
Check with your state for violations and complaints lodged against any daycare you're interested in. What kind of security do they have? How do they ensure that the right child goes with the right person?
There are more good security related questions in the book by Gavin DeBecker _Protecting the Gift_. Go to the library and check it out, but be forewarned... it can be a scary book.
On a personal note, the first daycare I placed my child in was awful.
Unfortunately, since I didn't start early enough I had no choice.
Fortunately, the infant caregivers were good and that's what was important. However the facility was like a dungeon for the toddlers.
They were in a basement, no sunlight. The playground was a tiny area crammed with a climber that barely fit. They only got to go out about 20 minutes a day because they had to cycle so many kids thru the playground. And they only went out if the caregivers felt like dressing them up in the winter or putting sunscreen on in the summer. There was a security code for the door but because they had so many children, there were tons of parents "tailgating" thru and most of the time they had no one sitting at the front desk. The staff turnover rate was atrocious.
Where she is now, it's a big, uncluttered center. The building is 1 story square with the cl***rooms around the perimeter. So, the cl***rooms have plenty of windows with natural light and they actually open up the windows during the nice weather for fresh air. The center of the building where there are no windows are for the potty, laundry, & teacher's lounge. It's a relatively small center so everyone knows everyone and a stranger would be immediately noticed. In fact, I personally have witnessed the local police there twice in the past two years because someone suspicous was noted just in the area (not at the center itself).
There are lesson plans even for the infants, but even so, some days if the weather is spectacular, they just chuck the plan and spend most of the day outside. There are two play areas -- one shared by the toddlers and infants with scaled down to size climbers and one for the pre-school and pre-k. As long as it's not raining or bitterly cold, they go out twice a day for at least an hour.
The center is very organized and very well run, business wise. They arrange for special activities throughout the year, for example, the local zoo comes with the zoomobile and they bring in a man who does children's sing-a-longs. Parents are asked to participate if they can.
For example, one child's mom is a scientist and she came for the day with a bunch of cool science experiments. One mom came and did face painting. I spent my day just reading out loud to the kids, so you really don't need any special talents.
About a month ago, I asked my daughter if she'd rather stay at home or go to the daycare center and she didn't hesitate in her answer. She wanted to be able to go to "school". That to me was the ultimate compliment for them.
Trust your instincts when you visit the centers. When I was looking to change daycares, I visited a lot of places that were like the first one we were in, just slightly better. I only visited this one as an afterthought and it completely stood apart from the rest. I was glad I made the effort to visit just one more center.
Mary edd #2 3/18/02
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