When I was a kid, my mom hired a sweet elderly lady in our neighborhood to care for me and my sister during the daytime. Over the years, this wonderful woman kept dozens of children at her small home. She was talented at her position. I was never bored. In the mornings, I enjoyed reading a variety of books. During the afternoons, my caretaker played several educational board games with the children she kept. I learned new words, gaming strategies, and teamwork while sitting around her dining room table playing these fun games with other kids. On this blog, you will discover how to incorporate educational board games into your daycare’s schedule.
If you have recently had a baby and need to get back to work, you may be thinking about putting him or her in a day care center. This is a big decision to make, and there are many benefits and downsides to doing this. Therefore, you need to make sure that you make an informed decision. To ensure that you have plenty of time to find the most suitable day care center and program for you and your baby, you will want to give yourself plenty of time before you must go back to work. For instance, you may want several weeks to look at your options. Here are a few tips to help you choose the right day care.
Do Your Research
Speak to other parents in your circle and find out if they have any recommendations. If you do not know any parents who use a day care center, then consider reaching out to your pediatrician or OB-GYN. Alternatively, ask those in the waiting room at your next appointment or the playground. Online resources can help as well.
Conduct Interviews
You will want to perform some over-the-phone interviews as a basic screening process. If the staff does not seem very forthcoming with basic information or their hours are not very convenient for you, then you will want to immediately scratch their center off of the list.
Visit the Center in Person
As soon as you have narrowed your list down, you will want to visit the centers that are left on the list. You will want to determine if the center and its program meet your basic requirements. Make sure to trust your gut when you are there touring the center. If it doesn't feel right, then you shouldn't allow your baby to stay there.
Check Out the References
Make sure that you get a list of references from the day care provider, and make sure that you actually follow through with checking them out. While it may be tempting and less time-consuming to simply rely on the recommendations that the child care providers have provided you with, you will feel better if you call current and former clients yourself to determine how truly happy — or unhappy — they are with their experience.
Drop by the Center Unannounced
By now, you have probably narrowed your list down even more. However, you probably still have a few centers to choose from. Before you make a final decision, consider dropping by the centers without an appointment to get a true picture of how the center is run and what it looks like when they cannot prep for your arrival. If they will not allow you inside, this may be a red flag.
For more information, contact child care centers in your area.
Share9 November 2020
