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- Personnel - Caregivers are experts at nurturing, teaching
and playing with children. They should have training in
early childhood education, experience and ongoing child
development training. High quality centers provide the good
wages and benefits necessary to recruit and retain qualified
staff. Staff retention is essential to the continuity of
care, which is vital to child’s developmental well-being.
- Caregiver/Child Ratios - Group size and ratios of caregivers
to child should be low enough to facilitate positive interaction
between adults and children. National Accreditation standards
for adult-to-child ratio’s are 3:1 infant; 4:1 toddler;
8:1 preschool; 14:1 school-age. Physical Environment- The
indoor and outdoor environment of the center or home should
be safe, clean, functional, attractive and challenging.
- Program- The social, emotional, and cognitive needs of
each child should be met by offering a variety of age-appropriate
materials and activities supporting the child’s natural
desire to explore, experiment and problem solve. Find an
arrangement that fits your personal philosophy for your
child’s care.
- Parent/Caregiver Partnership- Parents should be encouraged
to actively participate in the child’s development
and care by promoting a partnership with the caregiver that
supports the child’s individual needs and respects
the family’s values and culture.
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Look
Visit several homes or centers. Look for a safe environment
with toys, books, and materials within a child’s reach.
Do the teachers enjoy talking and playing with the children?
Are infants able to crawl and explore safely? Do providers devote
time to one-on-one activities with infants and toddlers, to
reading to children and to frequent conversation?
Listen
Do the children sound happy and involved? Do they converse easily
with each other and with caregivers? Do caregivers speak in
cheerful and patient tones? Too much noise may signal a lack
of control; too much quiet may mean not enough activity. Is
TV used as a substitute for more stimulating activities?
Count
Count the children in the group, and the number of staff members
caring for them. For each adult, there should be no more than:
3-4 infants or toddlers; 4-6 two-year-olds; 7-8 three-year-olds;
8-9 four- year-olds; 8-10 five-year-olds.
Ask
What is the background and experience of all staff? Providers
trained in child development are more likely to be able to meet
your child’s individual needs. Ask about staff turnover.
Find out if family providers are licensed, and if the center
or home is accredited by a professional organization.
Check
Talk to other parents who have used the center or home.
Call Child Care Aware (800-424-2246) to find the child care
resource and referral agency nearest you. Even after you start
using child care, continue to drop in and check it out for quality.
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Child Care Aware
American Academy of Pediatrics
National Network for Child Care
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Care About Quality Child Care Connection
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