Thursday, June 08, 2006
How to Pick Quality Child Care: from a Child Care Provider Part-10
C) There are not strict policies for the facility. The provider is very easy going.
While even the most well thought out, clear, and concise parent pack can be interpreted in a million and one ways....the absence of one can spell disaster. You are not only looking for a provider that expects certain things from you and your child, but also one who expects certain things from themselves. A quality child care professional has learned through trial and error what works and doesn't work for their facility. A contract and parent pack protects your and your child's rights as well as the provider's. Provider's without this will constantly be facing difficult, and confusing situations with parents.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
While even the most well thought out, clear, and concise parent pack can be interpreted in a million and one ways....the absence of one can spell disaster. You are not only looking for a provider that expects certain things from you and your child, but also one who expects certain things from themselves. A quality child care professional has learned through trial and error what works and doesn't work for their facility. A contract and parent pack protects your and your child's rights as well as the provider's. Provider's without this will constantly be facing difficult, and confusing situations with parents.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
How to Pick Quality Child Care: from a Child Care Provider Part-9
B) The provider does not ask for paid holidays, vacation time, training days, or personal days, and only requires payment when your child attends.
Not a good deal! Usually most providers when they start off believing that they need to be open from dusk to dawn, never take vacations, holidays, etc. A quality provider will recognize that they need to take holidays for personal time with their family, vacation time to relax and rejuvenate themselves, training days to improve their work performance and provide inspiration, and personal days to attend to personal maintenance matters such as dental visits, doctor visits for themselves or family members. No one can live on a fluctuating income..much less maintain a business. A provider who doesn't require a steady income will soon lose their business...due to financial inadequacies. They will not be able to afford to maintain their business..much less new toys, food costs, maintenance, utilities, etc. and you will either be stuck with poor child care conditions, or none at all.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
Not a good deal! Usually most providers when they start off believing that they need to be open from dusk to dawn, never take vacations, holidays, etc. A quality provider will recognize that they need to take holidays for personal time with their family, vacation time to relax and rejuvenate themselves, training days to improve their work performance and provide inspiration, and personal days to attend to personal maintenance matters such as dental visits, doctor visits for themselves or family members. No one can live on a fluctuating income..much less maintain a business. A provider who doesn't require a steady income will soon lose their business...due to financial inadequacies. They will not be able to afford to maintain their business..much less new toys, food costs, maintenance, utilities, etc. and you will either be stuck with poor child care conditions, or none at all.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
How to Pick Quality Child Care: from a Child Care Provider Part-8
Overall......
A) The provider is open and available all the time.
This is very bad. Imagine spending 12 hours per day, 5 days per week with up to six 2 year olds and you will understand what I mean! That is a 60 hour work week...with additional time being spent on cleaning, grocery shopping, bank runs, craft supplies, general business paperwork, etc. A quality provider will set limits on their exposure to stress. They will know what they can mentally handle as a work schedule and will demand that the opening and closing times be adhered to. Respect these requirements and limits..quality providers understand better than you what stress they are under on a daily basis and what they can handle. Quantity is not equal to Quality.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
A) The provider is open and available all the time.
This is very bad. Imagine spending 12 hours per day, 5 days per week with up to six 2 year olds and you will understand what I mean! That is a 60 hour work week...with additional time being spent on cleaning, grocery shopping, bank runs, craft supplies, general business paperwork, etc. A quality provider will set limits on their exposure to stress. They will know what they can mentally handle as a work schedule and will demand that the opening and closing times be adhered to. Respect these requirements and limits..quality providers understand better than you what stress they are under on a daily basis and what they can handle. Quantity is not equal to Quality.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
Monday, June 05, 2006
How to Pick Quality Child Care: from a Child Care Provider Part-7
F) The home/facility is in perfect condition.
Oh every parent thinks that this is the best thing in the World. What it really means is that the provider is spending a lot of time cleaning. You want to look for a good balance between cleanliness and messiness. Why? Because children are messy. They are messy players and eaters. A home that is in top notch perfect condition has an inordinate amount of energy being spent on it to maintain it that way...especially with a large number of children in the home on a daily basis. Look for worn, well used, well loved toys. Children don't care about 'brand new' appearance...they just want to have fun!
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
Oh every parent thinks that this is the best thing in the World. What it really means is that the provider is spending a lot of time cleaning. You want to look for a good balance between cleanliness and messiness. Why? Because children are messy. They are messy players and eaters. A home that is in top notch perfect condition has an inordinate amount of energy being spent on it to maintain it that way...especially with a large number of children in the home on a daily basis. Look for worn, well used, well loved toys. Children don't care about 'brand new' appearance...they just want to have fun!
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
Sunday, June 04, 2006
How to Pick Quality Child Care: from a Child Care Provider Part-6
E) The provider talks in depth about policies.
Wrong! Providers have a responsibility to find a 'good fit' as much as a parent does. This means spending time with the family..parents and children. If there is a personality conflict between the child or parent and the provider then eventually this will cause problems in the facility. Good quality providers look for children and families that will generally work within their facility environment. Discussing policies that you can read on your own time is unnecessary. Questions about policies can be answered over the phone or at another time.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
Wrong! Providers have a responsibility to find a 'good fit' as much as a parent does. This means spending time with the family..parents and children. If there is a personality conflict between the child or parent and the provider then eventually this will cause problems in the facility. Good quality providers look for children and families that will generally work within their facility environment. Discussing policies that you can read on your own time is unnecessary. Questions about policies can be answered over the phone or at another time.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
Friday, June 02, 2006
How to Pick Quality Child Care: from a Child Care Provider Part-5
Your job as a parent is to look past the polished 'tour' and find the little clues that will help to ensure a good choice in child care.
D) The provider is very interested in talking to you during the interview.
Wrong! The provider should be paying special attention to your child. There should be a strong focus on letting your child warm up to them and making your child feel comfortable. The provider should ask the child's name, and remember it. They should let your child come to them rather than overwhelm them before they are ready. You should come secondary to your child...after all they are the ones who will be spending majority of their time with the provider.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
D) The provider is very interested in talking to you during the interview.
Wrong! The provider should be paying special attention to your child. There should be a strong focus on letting your child warm up to them and making your child feel comfortable. The provider should ask the child's name, and remember it. They should let your child come to them rather than overwhelm them before they are ready. You should come secondary to your child...after all they are the ones who will be spending majority of their time with the provider.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
Thursday, June 01, 2006
How to Pick Quality Child Care: from a Child Care Provider Part-4
C)The interview.....
This is the hard part of picking a child care provider. Eventually child care providers get a very polished persona for parents. They are a little like politicians that have given the same speech over and over again. They know when to make a joke, when to laugh, and when to be serious. They have worked the same speech, the same interview, and the same tour a million times and are very good at it. It isn't that they are trying to fool you...like a wolf in sheep's clothing. For the most part they are good honest people who would just like to keep their business full. But the problem is that there are poor quality facilities that give the impression of being something they are not.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
This is the hard part of picking a child care provider. Eventually child care providers get a very polished persona for parents. They are a little like politicians that have given the same speech over and over again. They know when to make a joke, when to laugh, and when to be serious. They have worked the same speech, the same interview, and the same tour a million times and are very good at it. It isn't that they are trying to fool you...like a wolf in sheep's clothing. For the most part they are good honest people who would just like to keep their business full. But the problem is that there are poor quality facilities that give the impression of being something they are not.
MORE CHILDCARE DATA CLICK HERE
