Sending your children to daycare isn’t easy. Here are some tips to help weigh your options.
Because daycare plays such a vital role — from providing safe childcare to building an educational foundation for your little ones — there can be a lot of pressure when it comes to selecting the right facility.
What to Consider
Touring a daycare center is the only way to get the full picture of what classes are offered, what procedures are followed and how comfortable the facility makes you feel.
“Visit the center’s website prior to your tour to gather as much information as you can in order to roster up your questions,” says Mike Colant, on-site owner, along with his wife, Lisa, of Goddard School in Medina.
He suggested considering the following: credentials and certifications of teachers, cleanliness, and safety and security. He also advises checking the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services website (jfs.ohio.gov) to find out if a center has had any violations. The site also details state requirements and provides information on the Step Up To Quality rating and improvement system.
According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, “The program is for licensed learning and development programs. Step Up To Quality recognizes learning and development programs that exceed licensing health and safety standards. The standards have been expanded from three to five levels and have been revised to include family and community engagement and health promotion.”
“While you’re evaluating options, be sure to visit the provider and observe the activities for your child’s age group,” says Debra Speidel, division vice president of Learning Care Group, which operates Childtime Learning Centers, among other brands. “Meet the staff members, including those who would be working in your child’s room. For those schools where you feel comfortable, a follow-up tour with your child should occur.”
Amber Bowling, district manager of KinderCare Learning Center, cited four important areas to consider: atmosphere, health and safety, teachers, and the facility’s programs and curriculum.
Each source recommended questions to ask during a tour — see the accompanying sidebar for this helpful information.
Because one of daycare’s primary benefits is to help prepare your child for school, finding the right curriculum is just as important as the overall feel of a facility.
“Parents can evaluate the overall program offering and curriculum by looking at the educational materials and by watching to see if there is creative play taking place in the classrooms,” Speidel says. “Consider whether the children appear engaged in their activities. Other important factors may include small and large group time, child assessment technology, classroom learning centers, outdoor play and teacher professional development.”
Bowling stressed the importance of seeking a firm curriculum that’s aligned to the Ohio Academic Content Standards.
“A lot of daycare base activities are on just play,” she says. “Play is an important part of learning, but all areas of development should be covered: social and emotional; physical well-being; cognitive and general knowledge; and language and literacy development. Each should be addressed by the curriculum and the activities done on a daily basis.”
“Parents need to ask themselves if they’re looking for someone to take care of their child, or if they want a program that has a formal education curriculum,” Colant says, citing the added benefits of technology — Smart Boards, computers, iPads, etc. — in early education.
Overcoming Daycare Guilt
Whether it’s immediately after a maternity leave ends or later down the road, there is often a certain amount of guilt associated with sending a child to daycare. Each of our experts offered some advice to diminish those feelings.
“First of all, it’s usually harder on the parent than it is on the child — they’re very excited to be around other children and are so busily engaged in activities throughout the day that they don’t even realize they’re away from their parents,” Bowling says. “Although it’s hard to be away from your child, if you have a great child care center, your child will benefit.”
“It’s a natural instinct to feel guilty, but when you see what your child learns, it overshadows everything else,” Colant agrees. “It is so important for children to get involved in the preschool setting prior to going to elementary school. They will be much better prepared, especially from a social skills standpoint.”
“What your child learns today is helping lay the foundation for a lifetime,” Speidel says. “Stimulating early childhood experiences where children learn to solve problems, make difficult decisions and assess the consequences of their choices are critical to future success in school, and eventually in a career.”
For the questions you should consider asking during a tour, click here.
Absorbent Minds Montessori
A big part of entrusting someone with your most valuable asset, your children, is a feeling of comfort when you are away.
Have you heard about the Montessori Method?
Follow this link to learn more:
thesmarterkids.com/what-is-montessori/
Montessori is a different approach to education. If you are looking for a preschool in the Tallmadge or Cuyahoga Falls Ohio vicinity for your child, Absorbent Minds Montessori School is the way to go.
Visit our website: thesmarterkids.com/what-is-montessori/
Our teachers guide the studies of every child based on the child’s interests, level of maturity, developmental stages and academic readiness.
Your child’s safety, character, development and educational growth are our top priorities.
Click here for more information on finding the right preschool.
http://thesmarterkids.com/find-the-right-preschool/