 Choosing
Child Care
Today, with both mothers and fathers working, many children are in preschool or other child care settings before they enter kindergarten. Choosing the right child care is essential to prepare your child for academic success.
 Here are some tips to guide you:
- Think about the kind of care you want for your child. Options include a:
- Relative (grandmother, sister, uncle, etc.).
- Family day care provider, usually a woman who takes care of a small group of children in her home.
- Child care center that generally offers a curriculum and staff with educational backgrounds in early childhood development.
- Caregiver who comes into your home.
- Determine what you can afford. Government -subsidised child care programs are available, although most often there are more people who need type of care than there are spaces available. And don't forget, many families are entitled to the child care credit on their income tax forms.
- Recognise that there are many ways to find good child care.
- Ask friends and neighbours how they found their child care. See if they, or any day care providers you may know and trust, can recommend experienced people or facilities.
- Look in the Yellow Pages under "Child Care centres."
- Look in your local newspaper in the classified section for advertisements, or place an ad of your own.
- Post notices on your church or synagogue bulletin board, in grocery stores, local community centres, or in the employment office of local colleges or universities.
- Look for notices that other people have posted. If you are looking for a family day care provider, a local licensing agency can provide you with llistings. Many communities have resource and referral agencies that help parents identify the options that best meet their needs.
- Start looking early, particularly if you have a special program for your child in mind. Such programs may have long waiting lists. Some child care providers may even require you to put your child's name on a waiting list before the birth.
- Gather information. If you are looking for a family day care provider or for a person to come into your home, interview the person at length and check references. Before you meet this person, prepare a list of questions. If you are looking at day care centres, visit them, more than once, if possible. Just because a person or a program worked for someone else doesn't mean it's right for you. Regardless of the type of child care, be sure to check references.
No matter what kind of child care you are considering, look for caregivers who:
- Are kind and responsive. Good caregivers are affectionate, enjoy children, are energetic enough to keep up with your preschooler, patient, and mature enough to handle crises and conflicts.
- Have experience with preschoolers and enjoy spending time with them. Find out how long they have worked with preschoolers, why they are in the early child care field, and whether they provide activities that are appropriate for your child's age. Observe their behavior with children. Do the children seem happy? How do the caregivers respond to them?
- Recognise the individual needs of your child. Look for caregivers who are considerate of different children's interests and needs and who can provide your child with enough attention.
- Share a child-rearing philosophy that is similar to yours. Find out what kind of discipline is used and how problems are handled.
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