How To Choose The Best Childcare For Your Baby

19 May How To Choose The Best Childcare For Your Baby

Choosing the perfect childcare center for your baby/toddler can be a big hassle. There are families that I know where putting the child in a care facility is not an option. Being a mom you want to always be there for your child however moms are often times faced with a situation where that is not possible like myself and therefore a 9 – 5 is the only option we have in order to take care of our children.  Here are a few alternatives that I would like to share with you guys that helped me out and I know for sure has helped a lot of parents out there when choosing a childcare facility.

Environment of the childcare center

Check to be sure that the childcare center is in a good environment. A nurturing, safe, caring and loving environment is a key component when seeking out the perfect center. Take time to do your research and check out the center. Ensure that the facilities have passes all safety regulations, some of which will be pasted on the wall. Ask questions to be sure that the center is fully equipped with art work visuals and the various learning instruments that are needed to enhance growth and develop your child educationally physically and emotionally. Always take a tour of the facility while your child learning is taking place so you can hear the good things that they are selling about their facility but also see it and experience it for yourself.  It is ok to be particular about their hygiene and the condition of the place as your little pumpkin will be under their care. With a good environment your baby will be all happy and well nurtured.

Teachers and teaching crew

No matter the age of your child he or she needs a good teacher or a good teaching team or crew. Every mother and father I know will want the best possible teacher for his or her baby. You want people that care for children, can stimulate children to learn and have compassion for children. You want teachers who are passionate and knowledgeable about teaching children and can appreciate the struggles these children may face being away from their parents and being in school.

It is always good to have a good parent teacher ratio; not overcrowding and just enough to promote more time to be spent with each child to build a great bond. A good relationship is crucial between parents as well because at the end of the day there is a common ground and that is the wellbeing and growth of the child. I personally have a great relationship with my daughters 3 year old teacher and whenever there is anything that needs my attention she calls or text me to notify me. Be prepared to build good relationship with the teachers and participate in their activities as often as your time permits so you can understand them better and help them understand your baby more.

Curriculum/Teaching Styles

How about asking questions about the curriculum before signing up your baby? From my experience I believe that even the schools will feel better when they meet a parent that wants to know about the curriculum and be a part of the learning process. After all the school will do their part and ten expect us parents to continue at home.

There are different ways to go about educating our children these days and various curriculums as well. A student centered, play-based approach is great as it always starts with the child’s best interest first and foremost.

Philosophy of the Facility

Feel free to ask questions regarding the philosophy of the childcare center. The beliefs and traditions of a childcare center are pretty important as to what a center stands for and can dictate the care your child will receive. Most of the time the philosophy and belief system is not only based on the state regulations and guidelines but also impacted or influenced by the beliefs of the owner.

Don’t be afraid to share your beliefs and ask questions on how a facility may go about dealing with certain situations. For example when I was hunting I asked what their policies were when dealing with discipline in order to find out if their policy were similar to mine. Finding a center that shares similar beliefs as your family is important.

Conclusion: Do your homework and know what is most important for you:

Putting your toddler in childcare for the first time is never easy and making the choice of a good childcare center is also a daunting task. There is also the situation where finding a childcare center may actually be more difficult than even finding a good one. It is important to still ask these questions even when you are still placed on a waiting list. The waiting period is for me a period to find out more about the childcare center.

It is my sincere hope that you can benefit from using some of these tools to reduce the stressfulness of the process. The key is to ask questions and to keep your eyes and ears open. I hope that this article can make the journey of finding a good childcare center a lot easier for you mommies and daddies out there as it did for me and my family.

Are there other tips that you think I should add to this? What tips did you used and have worked for you in choosing a childcare center for your baby?

About the author:

Kristal Tracey is a nurturing, fun loving black educator. She enjoys writing as it became a way to express herself wholeheartedly and truthfully. She has a passion for the well being of children. The Catch, HTGAWM, Suits, and Blindspot are just a few TV show favs she loves to indulge in. When she is not writing for Kachy TV blog you can find her writing on her blog at https://KriystaStylesLiving.com