Child care centers play an integral role in preparing young children for their future social and educational activities. A child care center can provide a young child with their first lessons from people other than their parents. As a parent, you want to find the best child care center that is available in your area. Here are some things that you can do to find a good child care center:
Tour the Child Care Center: Take a tour of the child care center that you are considering. When on a tour, look to see that the facility is clean and that things in the play areas are safe for use by young children. A good child care center should have plenty of books, soft and hard building blocks of all sizes, art and crafts materials, age-appropriate toys, and child-sized furniture. When on a tour, ask the tour guide if the children in the center have their own storage cubbies where they can keep their shoes and other possessions while they are there.
Observe the Caregivers and Children: Young children need to be continually supervised during all activities. Ask the caregivers for the ratio of caregivers to children at the child care center you are considering. The younger the children, the more caregivers are needed to supervise them. During your facility tour, observe how the caregivers interact with the children and how the children respond to the caregivers. Observe if the children seem at ease when interacting with their caregivers and are happy when talking and playing with other children.
Make Surprise Visits: Drop into a potential child care center at a time when there is no scheduled tour. Make surprise visits at different times of the day to see the variety of morning and afternoon activities for the children. Look to see that all of the children are being supervised and that they seem happily occupied in their activities.
Ask About Physical Activities: Young children need daily physical activities to grow and become strong. Look for a child care center that offers outdoor sports, scheduled play in sandboxes, playhouses, slides, jungle gyms, and organized group running and jumping games. Some child care centers also offer wading and water play for young children.
Ask About Indoor Activities: Young children also need indoor learning activities to prepare them to attend school. These activities can include story time with a caregiver, building with blocks, drawing, painting, other arts and crafts, dancing, reading picture books, collaborative games, playing musical instruments, having a group snack, and taking a nap. A well-equipped child care center will have supplies for all of these activities.
Look for a Licensed Child Care Center: To find out if a child care center that you are considering is licensed, contact the Department of Health in your city and/or the regional Office of Children and Family Services in your state. They can refer you to the licensing office for child care centers in your location.
With some research and a few site visits, you can find a good child care center within your local area. Once you choose a child care center, establish an ongoing dialogue with the caregivers so that you will know what your child is learning each day and how they are progressing. In that way, you can continue these activities and lessons at home and discuss them with your child.
