Everyone wants the best care for their child. Child care centres play an important role in the development of the child. When you are choosing a care centre, there are some pointers that can help you make the best choice. Here are seven things that can help you know if the care centre offers a favourable environment for your child.
1. Accreditation and Rating
Start by ensuring the centre is accredited. Centres providing education should meet standards set by the National Quality Framework. Such centres should display service approval, provider approval and service rating. Services that are waiting for their evaluation should display their provisional rating. Other centres operate under the Children Services Act. They must display their licences including names of the licensee and their representatives.
2. The program
Inquire about the program at the daycare centre. Ask for their daily routine; some centres put schedules on display, so it helps to check first. Find out if the staff is trained and their policies on learning, cleanliness, and accountability.
3. Relationship with parents
A care centre should communicate openly to inform parents and discuss issues relating to the care of their children. Orientation for new parents can ease the transition and clarify many concerns like visiting hours and involvement in activities.
4. Facilities
Facilities like toys are important for early learning. The carer to child ratio is also essential for quality care; the ratio should be at least one carer for every four children. Also, consider the availability of adequate playing areas.
5. Diet
For all those hours you are away, you expect the child to eat healthy and well-prepared food. Check out the menu; it will also help you harmonise the feeding even at home. You can also identify any foods can cause allergic reactions or sensitivity to your child.
6. Health and safety measures
Children can feel unwell at some point, or they could be on medication. So the child care centre needs a system in place to cater for such situations competently. Also, the playing environment should be supervised and convenient for all children's needs.
7. Time
Your convenience matters too. Some centres operate even in late hours, on weekends, and during holidays while some do not. If you work on such days, narrow down your search to such centres.
Conclusion
Do your homework well in advance to find the right fit on time. It will help you get a slot or get to the top of the waiting list. Start searching a few months or even a year before you actually need to enrol your child.
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