Choosing the right childcare for your baby can be a tough decision; despite being regulated, childcare facilities will all perform differently and have different values they uphold. Of course, every parent wants what is best for their child, so making sure the provider of your choice is right for you and your circumstances is vital to ensure a happy, healthy environment.
What should you be looking for when choosing the right childcare provider?
What Provider You Need
Finding the right provider and style of childcare is of utmost importance. For some families, preschools can be the best type of childcare notion as they are similar to the school environment and enable your child to get used to the structure and routine of being in an education setting. However, a nanny is ideal for families who prefer their child at home and need the flexibility to cover unusual working hours or family dynamics. However, a childcare provider provides preschool levels of care in their home, meaning you get the best of both worlds.
Once you have decided what option is best for you, what do you need to look for in a childcare provider?
Staff and Child Interactions
Keep an eye out for how the staff interacts with the children when you’re touring potential locations. Ideally, a caregiver should be on the floor with the children, either playing with them or holding one of them in her lap. To survive during their early years, babies require tight, loving, interactive interactions with their caregivers.
To ensure this, newborns’ first caregivers must be warm and responsive. Even in group care, infants and older babies receive a sufficient amount of individual attention. While local states choose staffing ratios for childcare facilities, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a ratio of one adult for every three newborns under the age of 12 months.
Check Their Policies
Investigate whether or not you and the caregivers have similar parenting philosophies on discipline, television; feeding; and sleeping, and so forth. Ask about the sick-child policy (what symptoms preclude a child from attending?) and the sick-child allowance. A backup plan should be in place if the family day-care provider or in-home caregiver becomes ill and cannot continue working. The more questions you ask early on, the less likely you will be disappointed later on.
You Can Communicate Easily
You will have to rely on what your baby’s caretaker tells you about your child’s day until they can communicate. When you drop off your child for the first time in the morning, you should tell the caregiver how your child slept the night before, whether they are teething, whether they ate breakfast, etc. At the end of the day, you’ll want to know the same things, such as how many diapers they went through, when they napped, etc. It is always advisable to communicate with the caregiver in person rather than over the phone. If that isn’t possible, inquire whether there is a convenient time to call, such as during nap time.
