Choosing the right child care for your child is important. Increasing evidence has emerged to show that children's learning opportunities in the years before kindergarten have an important effect on their preformance in school and ultimately their ability to contribute to society as adults.
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning offers these four steps to assist parents in selecting the right child care for their child. Also, read below for 10 great reasons to select quality child care offered through a Keystone STARS program and to find a helpful checklist when considering child care providers.
STEP ONE: INTERVIEW CARE GIVERS:
CALL FIRST
Ask:
- Is there an opening for my child?
- What hours and days are you open and where are you located?
- How much does care cost? Is financial assistance available?
- How many children are in your care? What age groups do you serve?
- Do you provide transportation?
- Do you provide meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks)?
- Do you have a certificate of compliance?
- Do you have other accreditations?
- Do you participate in Keystone STARS?
- When can I come to visit?
NEXT VISIT THE SITE
Look for:
- Responsive, nurturing, warm interactions between caregivers and children
- Children who are happily involved in daily activities and comfortable with their caregiver
- A clean, safe, and healthy indoor and outdoor environment, especially napping, eating, and toileting areas
- A variety of toys and learning materials, such as books, puzzles, blocks and climbing equipment that your child will find interesting and that will contribute to your child's growth and development
- Children getting individual attention
ASK:
- Can I visit anytime?
- How do you handle discipline?
- What do you do if a child is sick?
- What do you do in case of emergency?
- Do you have a substitute or back-up caregiver?
- Where do the children nap? How do you ensure that babies sleep on their backs?
- What education have you (and other staff) had? What ongoing professional development is available?
- May I see a copy of your state certificate of compliance?
- May I see a copy of additional accreditiations?
- May I have a list of parents (current and former) who have used your program? May I contact these parents for references?
- What kind of parent involvement do you have?
STEP TWO: CHECK REFERENCES
Ask Other Parents:
- Did your child learn new things while enrolled in the program?
- How did the caegiver discipline your child?
- Did your child enjoy the child care experiience?
- How did the caregiver respond to you as a parent?
- Do you feel that this program has helped prepare your child for school?
- Would you recommend the caregiver without reservation?
- If your child is no longer with the caregiver, why did you leave?
Ask the Local Child Care Information Services (CCIS) Agency of Certification Office:
- What regulations should child care providers meet in my area?
- Is there a record of complaints about the child care provider I am considering and how do I find out about it?
STEP THREE: MAKE THE DECISION FOR QUALITY CARE
From what you heard and saw, ask yourself:
- Which child care should I choos so that my child will be happy and grow?
- Which caregiver can meet any special accommodations for my child?
- Are the caregiver's values compatible with my family's values? Are they respectful of my family's values?
- Is the child care available and affordable according to my family's needs and resources?
- Do I feel good about my decision?
STEP FOUR: STAY INVOLVED
Ask yourself:
- How can I arrange my schedule so I can..
- Talk to my caregiver every day?
- Talk to my child every day about how the day went?
- Visit and observe my child in care at different times of the day?
- Be involved in my child's activities?
Call 1-877-4PA-KIDS or your local Child Care Information Services office for more information.
10 REASONS FOR PARENTS TO CHOOSE QUALITY CHILD CARE
- SCHOOL READINESS! Children in a quality setting will not only gain intellectual skills, but also social skills that will prepare them for the school environment.
- ATTENTION! Lower staff-to-child ratios increase your child's individual attention while in care.
- PROFESSIONAL STAFF! A qualit care setting includes staff trained to care for children and their needs.
- GOOD RELATIONSHIPS! Quality care promotes a positive relationship between parents and the caregiver. Parent involvement is a priority.
- OPPORTUNITY! Age-appropriate learning materials and activities give the children the opportunity to learn and grow.
- RESPECT! A quality program will be respectful of children's and parent's cultral, ethnic and special accommodations.
- PROFESSIONALISM! A quality program will have business practices and policies in place so parents know what to expect in various situations.
- SAFETY! The basic need of a quality child care setting is to ensure that the children in care are in the safest environment possible.
- STABILITY! Parents have assurance that their child is in a safe, positive environment without jumping from provider to provider.
- PARTICIPATION! Quality providers participate in accrediting programs (such as Keystone STARS), continuing to strive for providing higher quality early learning experiences.
