Child Care Services - Day Care Center

Terry looked at the clock and ran her hands through her hair and then bit her lip absentmindedly, hoping that someone would notice the time and tell her that she could leave for the day. She hated being late everyday. It was as if she was taking advantage of her sister's kindness, but then she did not know what to do. 30 minutes later she opened the door to her car, switched on the ignition and sped into the night. As she drove into the night she kept thinking that she had to find an alternative otherwise her sister would lose her job because of the baby. Terry picked her son up and thanked her sister, she then reached home, gave him dinner and put him to bed. She then had a shower, put some sandwiches on a plate and switched on her computer vowing to find a good child care service for him.

Child care is a term used to describe short-term care that is taken up by someone other than a parent. It falls into two categories - individual and group. Individual child care involves providers who look after your child or children only, whereas group child care involves group providers who are responsible for looking after a group of children.

The first two things that you should consider are the amount you can afford to pay and your child's safety. Apart from these, the other things you need to consider are:

• Convenience: While choosing day care services, take into consideration the location too. If that is fine, then find out about the hours that they are willing to care for your child and whether those hours work well around your own working schedule.
  
  
• Safety: You can find out how safe the service is by checking its licensing. You can also talk to the person in charge and ensure that they know how to handle emergencies and are well-trained in first aid and CPR. If you want to make doubly sure, then ask for references.
  
  
• Staff: Since children require individual attention, find out if there are enough staff members to care for the number of children. Also, find out whether all the main caregivers have a college degree and are trained in child development. You could also watch how a staff works with the children. This will give you information about whether they are kind and caring.
  
  
• Facilities: When you visit them, look around and see if they have an outside area where the children can play and if that area is shaded and has enough material and equipment. Inspect the equipment to find out whether they are in good condition and whether children can reach them.
  
  
• Programs: Before you make your decision, ask for the timetable as this will give you information about your child's daily routine. If you are interested you could also inquire about whether parents' can be involved in providing and planning the program.
  
  
• Transportation: Find out if they offer transportation. If they do, ask what their policy is regarding infants. Ask to see the vehicle they use for transportation and while doing so, make sure that car seats and seat belts are available.
  
  
• Nutrition: If you have an infant, ask about who will provide the baby food, and formula, and when and how the baby will be fed. You could ask about the menu, so that you will know what kind of meal your child will be fed. Do ensure that it is a well-balanced meal!
  
  
• Pre-Academics: If you have a preschooler, find out about the curriculum the service provides. Do ensure that they spend some part of the day in teaching your child such things as numbers, letters, colors, shapes, visual skills, auditory skills, language skills, social skills and motor skills.

When trusting someone else to take care of your baby, it is important that you do all the background checks. This will ensure that you have a peace that the apple of your eyes is safe and happy, while you are putting in your work hours.