Finding a decent daycare center is really difficult sometimes. It is usually the first time that parents send their kids somewhere for long periods of time where they are not present so it’s a complicated process. They want to make sure that their children are being well cared for and are happy and safe at all times. There should never be a time where the parent is worried about their kid in a daycare center. Here are a few things that you can look for in good child care services.
Kid Friendly Environment
This might seem like a no brainer but you’d be surprised at how many daycare centers do not have a very kid friendly environment. This doesn’t just mean the atmosphere but it’s everything that contributes to that to. There should be no sharp corners, uncovered outlets or other areas that a child could easily hurt or endanger themselves. There should also be kid friendly toys and books and decorations. Lots of colors and eye catching patterns are what children of that age like to see and they can even learn a lot by just seeing these things.
Involved Teachers
When you go and check out a daycare center, the last thing you want to see is the workers and teachers sitting around, chatting or looking at the phones and otherwise ignoring the kids while they fend for themselves. You want to make sure that there is going to be someone paying attention to your child and playing with them and ensuring that they have a good time. This is especially important if your child is a little older and is trying to potty train. You don’t want your child sat in front of a television all day long so that the adults don’t have to do anything. If they work in a day care then they should have a natural love for children and want to play with them and work with them.
Structure and Schedule
Kids thrive on structure, boundaries and schedules. There should be designated times when the children can eat, watch a movie, sing songs, eat, nap, play outside, free play inside, make crafts and whatever else the day care offers. This will ensure that the kids never get bored or get into anything that will hurt them. When a child is busy and being taken care of, they will have a much more fun time and won’t miss their parents as much. They will also be able to learn essential things like shapes, color, numbers, alphabet and more.
Reasonable Policies
There need to be policies in place that stipulate how the potty training children are taken to the bathroom and when and by whom. There should also be allowances for the parents to drop by whenever they want to in order to check on the kids. However, if the children see the parents before they are getting picked up, it might make things more difficult for the child and the workers so don’t be offended if they would rather you not let the child actually see you. However, there should be some kind of video camera or tinted glass where you can see what your child is up to and how they are liking their new surroundings.
Flexible Hours
People work at different times. This means that a good child care center will be open from very early until quite late. Of course, the employees will have to work on a shift basis so that no one is there the entire day and gets burnt out. Childcare is hard work so they should take care of their employees. However, there should be flexible hours when you can put your child in and payment based on those hours. If you work from six in the morning until six in the evening, with a three hour break in the middle, you should be allowed to pick up your child for those three hours in order to save a little money. Or, if you want to leave them the whole time one day, you should have the option to pay the fee and know your child will still be taken care of until you pick them up.