Child care choices are very personal decisions.
What's "right" or possible for one family may not work for another.
If you do decide to go back to work, finding childcare you're happy with can be a minefield.
Staying at home was never an option for me so I started looking for day care when pregnant.
Luckily I got lots of help from friends who'd been through it and my mum who was a playgroup leader for many years.
Based on their advice and my experience these are my top tips on how to find the best possible day care for your child - and note the emphasis there on your! What's best for little Jonny across the street may not be best for your family.
Three Top Tips to Get Started
My three absolute top tips are ...- Go and hang out
- Trust your gut
- Get your name down early
Visit your short lists and really hang out. Don't just take a guided tour - sit down and join in for as long as they'll have you. If you can, stay long enough to observe meal and nap times.
I've listed lots of things to look out for and questions to ask below, but do trust your gut instinct. I visited four and knew instantly that two just weren't "us".
As soon as you like a place, get your name on the waiting list, which may be 12 months or more long!
Questions to Ask When Choosing Day Care
1. Does it share your ethos about childcare and play?
Do you favour independent learning through free play or structured, adult led activities? Do the children decide for themselves what to do or are there set times when they all do the same thing? Can the children chose toys for themselves or are only certain toys put out by staff.
2. Is it easily commutable?
Don't under estimate impact of a long commute to drop off & pick up - it will take it's toll.3. Is it open hours that fit with your working day?
Be realistic about whether you will be able to drop off and still get to work in time and be there every night in time to pick up.
4. Does it actually have space available when you'll need it?
You may love a certain provider, but if very popular make sure you have other options
5. What are the staff ratios?
Staff ratios are not the be all and end all, but should not be less than: 1 adult to 3 under-2s; 1 adult to 4 2 to 3s; 1 adult to 8 4 to 5s. If you can find and afford better ratios go for it.
6. How motivated are the staff?
Talk to staff as well as management. Get down at child level and see how they engage with the children. Ask them questions. If you're not comfortable talking to them, it won't work.
7. What qualifications do staff have?
Paper qualifications are not everything and lots of great older staff don't have them. But it's a good sign if everyone from management down is involved in regular training.
8. What's the level of staff turnover?
High staff turnover disturbs children and is a flashing light that something may be wrong.
9. How much outdoor space is there?
I think this is a real biggie - young children need space to run around and explore their physical environment. Find out if they can go out whenever they like or only at set times.
10. What outdoor toys are there?
Is there a variety of outdoor toys - e.g. climbing frames, bikes, balls, hoops, bean bags, wheelbarrows, balance beams, obstacle courses, ball chutes, nets, traffic signs, a garden, mud for digging in? Does it vary every day? Is there a reserved outdoor space for under 2s?
11. Is there indoor space for running around?
Children need space to run around, even when it's cold, wet or too hot to go out.
12. Opportunities to explore number and maths?
Children can explore number and maths concepts such as shape, height, weight and volume through all sorts of play with e.g. sand, water, play dough, scales, bricks. Ask staff to explain what they provide - if they can't, they may not understand what they are offering. I would be wary of any "rote" learning of numbers for children at this age.
13. Opportunities to discover the natural world?
Even very young children can enjoy "experimenting" with the physical world. Find out if there opportunities to explore e.g. magnets, statics, whether things float or sink, "explosions", levers, growing plants, insect and bugs. Staff don't need to be expert scientists but they do need to be comfortable and confident providing these opportunities and helping children to observe and ask questions.
14. Opportunities for imaginary play of all sorts?
Is there a “home corner”? What’s in it? Not just standard kitchen units & dolls but things they could use to create e.g. hairdressers, shops, vets, launderette, tea party etc? Is there a dressing up rack? Hand & finger puppets? Is there imaginary play often more attractive to boys e.g. train, space ships, farms, super heroes? Is there a dolls house? Model railway? Cars? Collections of e.g. insects, dinosaurs, zoo animals, farm animals.15. Opportunities for creativity and mark making?
What different activities are offered for children to make things e.g. painting (with brushes, hands, feet!), colouring, chalks, sticking lots of different textures, junk modelling? Are different opportunities offered each day? Are children given templates to work with or encouraged to create what they want?
16. Opportunities to read and listen to stories?
Is there a book corner where children can chose books for themselves? Is there story time each day? Are there imaginative ways for them to start recognising letters - e.g. jigsaws, magnetic letters? Do they support a reading scheme?
17. Do the children enjoy music making together?
When do they sing songs together? Are there lots of different percussion instruments that make different sounds? When do they get to use them? Does anyone come in to lead singing? Are they encouraged to dance move to the music?
18. Are there opportunities for group play?
Do children of different ages get a chance to play together so the older ones can "look after" the younger ones? Are there group games e.g. what's the time Mr Wolf, Duck Duck Goose, Honey Bear?
19. Are you happy with the food provision?
Who cooks food? What are sample menus? Is there provision for special diets? What snacks are provided? How do they handle "fussy eaters"?
20. Is there satisfactory security?
What are the security procedures? Do they seem to you to be followed e.g. can any adult enter without being buzzed in? Have there been any security incidents?
21. What's the health and safety record?
All children have bumps and bruises and sometimes there may be serious accidents, but repeated accidents are a sign that something is wrong. Ask e.g. whether there have been any serious accidents, whether everyone is first aid trained, what they do in the case of an accident, what they do if a child is sick?
22. What are the changing facilities like?
You obviously want these to be spotless and well organised. See if staff where gloves when they are changing. Check if there are clear procedures on the wall. Ask about potty training and how they approach this.
23. What are the sleeping arrangements?
Even beyond 3, some children will still be napping so sleeping facilities important. Do they seem calm, quiet, clean, and attractive?
24. What's their behaviour policy?
How do they encourage good behaviour? How do they respond to poor behaviour? How do they communicate any problems to parents?
25. How much are parents involved?
Are parents invited in to help out or to share a special interest? Is there a parent board? Do they communicate regularly to parents about play provision and ways parents can integrate this with play at home? Do they keep a record of children's development? How do they share this with parents?
26. Does it embrace and celebrate diversity?
Do they provide effective support for children from different family backgrounds? Is this reflected in food and celebrations? How do they support children with special learning or behaviour needs? How do they support children learning English as an additional language?
27. What does the formal quality assessment say?
Ask for a copy of the most recent external quality audits. Sometimes these get things "wrong" but they may flag warnings and prompt questions. Ask how any areas identified as requiring improvement are being addressed. Keep probing about anything you're not comfortable with.
28. Are the fees affordable?
Childcare can eat up an awful lot of your income. There may not be an enormous variety in the hourly fees but do work out whether the minimum hours that you need to commit are sustainable.
29. Are there are subsidies available for fees?
Find out if they accept child care vouchers from your employer and in the UK whether they support the "government free hours" for over 3s.30. Are they financially secure?
You may absolutely love the provision on offer, but if the provider is not financially secure or they lose their premises and have to close you can end up in an almighty mess! It is always worth asking about the terms on which they lease their premises and whether this could be up for review.I would love to hear your ideas about and experiences of childcare - do link them up below ...
Childcare
If you're looking for more great blog posts on pregnancy and new babies do check out the Friday Baby Shower a weekly link up of latest bump and baby posts from bloggers around the world ... This post is linked up at these fab parties: No Time for Flash Cards, Sunday Showcase, Science Sundays, Made by Little Hands Monday, Tuesday Tots, Show and Tell, Eco Kids Tuesday, Mommy Club, Trendy Tree House, Our Seasons of Joy, It's Playtime, Shine on Fridays, For the Kids Friday, Weekly Kids Co-op, Magic Onions, Sharing Saturday, I Can Teach My Child, True Aim Education, Read Explore Learn, Pre-School Corner, Thank Goodness It's Friday, Learn and Link, Share It Saturday Sugar Bee Crafts, Home Stories A to Z, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Joyful Homemaking, Serenity Now, The Gunny Sack, Crystal and Co, Ginger Snap Crafts, Trendy Tree House, Domesblissity, Ladybird Ln, Not Just a Housewife, Clever Chicks, Be Different Act Normal, Sumos Sweet Stuff, Keeping It Simple, Lines Across, Get Your Crafts On, A Bowlful of Lemons, Clean and Scentsible, Delightful Order, We Are That Family, By Stephanie Lynn, Whipperberry, More the Merrier Monday, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Carolyn's Homework, Shabby Creek Cottage, 36th Avenue, Six Sisters Stuff, 52 Mantels, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Elizabeth and Co, Whatever Goes, Finding Fabulous, The Thrifty Home, Skip to My Lou
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