A Scoop of your Interest: How To Choose A Licensed Day Care Program for Your Kids

A licensed group day care program allows children to learn and play in a healthy, secure, and friendly environment. Nevertheless, day-care centers are the focus of raging controversies, owing to the fact that, quality centers are not always the norm. Some are poorly maintained, poorly managed, poorly staffed, and pack children in like luggage. Some of the questions a parent should ask when looking for a licensed group day care program are:

• Is group day care what I really want for my child?
• Do I want it to be close to home or work?
• Do the hours fit my schedule?
• Would I feel comfortable leaving my child there?
• Can I afford it?

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Parents will answer these questions differently according to their situation and the needs of their child. However, there are some basics things that all parents should look for in a group day care program . The following document, prepared by the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Day Care, tells you what some of those things are and suggests how you can find them.

Start your search early:

• If possible, give yourself at least three months to find a good program.
• Call the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Day Care for names of licensed centers.
• Call the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) Vacancy Information number to find out if you are eligible for publicly funded day care services.
• Talk to relatives, friends, and neighbors. They may be able to recommend day care centers or tell you which to avoid, based on their own experiences.

Compare your choices:

• Always visit a center before enrolling your child, no matter how highly the center was recommended.
• Visit more than one center so that you can compare the types and quality of services provided.
• Visit each center before enrollment.
• Talk to the director, look at the center, and visit all classes, especially the ones your child will be in.

Yes	No	Questions to ask during your visit:
		Is the center licensed? All out of home day care programs for seven or more children under 6 years of age must be licensed by the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Day Care.
		Can you drop in to see your child without calling first? According to the City and State laws, parents must be able to see their children or take them out of the center at anytime.
		Do the director and group teachers have experience and training in child care? In order to best help the children learn and grow, the director and teaching staff of licensed centers must have special training and degrees in teaching young children.
		Is there enough staff to give the children the attention they need? There should be at least one teacher and one assistant for each group of 10 two year olds, 15 three year olds, 20 four year olds, and 25 five year olds.
		Is the staff available for parental conferences? The staff should keep parents informed about their children's progress and problems. Parents should have a chance to discuss the policies and operations of the center.
		Is there a variety of activities to help the children develop and learn? Children should be involved in different learning activities during the day, such as: playing with blocks, painting, cutting and pasting, drawing, coloring, molding with dough, storytelling dramatic play, music, outdoor play, etc.
		Does the center provide meals? All centers should provide time for a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. Some centers also serve breakfast and lunch. If lunch and snack are not served, parents must provide home-packed lunches and snacks and the center must have a refrigerator for storing them.
		Do the children get a rest period during the day? Children attending full-day programs must have quiet, relaxed period of about one hour a day. The center must provide separate cots, cribs or mats for each child to rest.
		Are special health exams required for the children and staff? According to the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the center must require that children be up to date with their immunization and have regular health exams. The staff must have yearly health exams and TB test (PPD).
		Are sick children properly cared for? The center must give parents specific instructions about when a sick child must be kept at home. The center must have a plan for separating sick children from the other children until the parents can pick them up.

Yes	No	Things to look for during your visit:
		Is the current license posted where you can see it easily? Look for the date and the number and ages of the children the center is authorized to care for.
		Do the children seem to be enjoying the activities they are involved in?
		Is the staff warm and friendly to the children?
		Does the staff talk to the children with respect and listen to them with interest?
		Are the children permitted to express their feelings?
		Does the staff discipline the children in an appropriate way? If the staff "puts children down" in front of others, ridicules, spanks, or doesn't give meals as a way of disciplining, mark NO. And avoid the center!!
		Are there toys and equipment such as blocks, puzzles, books, clay, or musical instruments, that allow the children to learn and use their imagination?
		Do the classroom materials, books, and pictures include examples of the different ethnic and racial groups in the community?
		Is there an opportunity for the children to choose their own activities at some time during the day?
		Does the staff eat with the children? Do they encourage relaxed conversation during mealtime.
		Are weekly menus posted in the centers that serve meals? Are fruit and vegetables, bread, milk, and meat, fish, chicken, or cheese served daily?
		Are the toys and other play equipment clean, in good repair, and within easy reach of the children?
		Is there enough space indoors and outdoors for the children to move freely and safely?
		Are the children supervised at all times both indoors and outdoors?
		Do the windows have window guards on them?
		Are emergency numbers of the following agencies posted near the telephone: Fire Department, local police precinct, Poison Control, local hospital, Child Abuse Registry, and Health Department?
		Does the center have good air circulation and is it at a comfortable temperature for the children?
		Are all child care areas at the center free of cigarette smoke?
		Is the center clean and uncluttered? Check the classrooms, toilets, kitchen, backyard, etc.
		Are the walls, furniture, and equipment free of peeling paint and other safety hazards?
		Is there at least one toilet and one sink for every fifteen children?
		Are there separate toilet facilities for adults?

Make a decision:

• After your visit, go home and think about what you saw.
• Visit other centers and compare what you saw at each of them.
• Think about your feelings when you visited each center.
• Call the center director or the Bureau of Day Care again if you have further questions.
• Be sure that the center you choose has a current license and meets your needs for location, hours, and cost.
• Go over the checklist for each center you visited before making the choice.
• Ask yourself: Would I feel comfortable leaving my child at the center.

A Scoop of your Interest

How To Choose A Licensed Day Care Program for Your Kids

Start your search early:

Compare your choices:

Make a decision:

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