QC Family Focus: October 2014

Choosing The Daycare
Perfect For You
Brandy Keller
Red Rover Children’s Learning Center
Choosing a safe, comfortable, and educational daycare
for your child can be one of the most nerve-racking decisions a
parent has to make. Whether it is your first child or your fifth
it’s not easy to leave your child every day. It is easier to handle
knowing your child is in safe reliable hands, and they are in a
fun learning environment. Parents should ask all the questions
they may have about how their child will be cared for. This will
help them make the right choice based on their priorities for
their child.
First thing you need to do before visiting any daycare
is talk about what is important to you and the experience
you want your child to have day to day. Mapping out these
priorities helps the decision making process. The second thing
to do is make appointments to visit the centers and speak with
the teachers and directors. You really cannot get an accurate
feel for a place until you’ve been there and see how things run
day to day.
Things to look for once inside the daycare. Along with
a good reputation and a detailed parent handbook out-lining all
the policies and procedures of the center, safety should come
first! Red Rover holds safety to its highest standard so when
you enter our building the first thing you will notice is that
you can’t. We have locked doors and all parents must have
their personal code to enter the door. Along with that we have
security cameras in every room that parents can come and
access in our main office. These things are important because
it gives you a peace of mind that the daycare is aware of who
is entering their building at all times and your child is safe and
secure inside the building. After that it is important to notice
cleanliness. Floors, walls, shelves, tables, windows should all
be clean and sanitized. Staff and children should be washing
their hands often. Take a tour of the outside grounds. This is
where your child will be running and playing so the equipment
and toys should be in good condition and age appropriate.
This goes for the toys inside the classrooms as well. Pay
close attention to smoke detectors and emergency precautions
in the classroom as well as making sure the room has been
appropriately child proofed. Lastly, check and make sure the
center has an up to date license. This means that they have
been inspected by the state and have been approved by the
Department of Human Services to care for children. If the
center is serious about health and safety you are in good hands.
Ask about the staff. Most centers hire daycare workers
that have some background in early childhood. Whether that
be working in a center or have gone to college for at least 2
years with early childhood classes. All workers should be first
aid and CPR certified as well. Pay attention to how the staff
interacts with the children and the activities they do. The staff
should be down with the kids interacting and participating
with activities. Also make sure there is enough staff in every
classroom based on the number of children that are in the room.
8 October 2014 - QC Family Focus
This insures that the children are getting the proper amount
of attention along with being safe and having enough eyes
watching them.
Fun but structured curriculum. It might sound
crazy to be talking about curriculum if you are looking for
a daycare for your infant but it is important! At every age
level and in every room there should be a detailed schedule
as to what your child is doing and learning everyday. These
should be posted, if not inside the classroom, outside of it.
Everything from working on their large motor skills to what
books they are reading at circle time. Our classrooms work
on themes from week to week such as colors, the circus,
and different holidays but no matter where your child goes
they should have a well thought out curriculum along with
a schedule that includes diaper/potty breaks, snacks/lunch,
inside/outside time, and nap time.
You need to feel comfortable about who is caring for
your child, so expect the center you are inspecting to be an
open book with complete information. Daycares should
have an open door policy for parents, meaning that you
are welcome to stop by anytime, unannounced to check on
your child. Talk with the teachers and the director as much
as possible during the process. If they seem like they don’t
want to answer your questions or chat maybe it’s not the
right connection for you and your child. Make sure you
tour the entire building not just the room your child will be
in. They will get older and have to move into a new room
so you should be comfortable in the years to come. This
process can be overwhelming, so please ask questions. We
hope that with these helpful tips your daycare and its staff
will become your extended family.
Contact Red Rover Children’s Learning Center for
information about pre-school or child care.
www.RedRoverCLC.com or 563-359-9899