Your child is going to school for the first time. What an emotional time this is! There is so much on your mind. How he or she will adapt? How he or she will be treated? Will he or she eat or drink enough? All these questions can be summed up in one: How do I find the right preschool or child care for my child?
What kind of child care is there available?
Home-based care:
Listed family homes: People who must list with the division are those who are compensated to provide regular child care (at least four hours per day, three or more days a week, for more than nine consecutive weeks) in their own homes for 1-3 unrelated children.
Registered Child Care Homes: Registered Child Care Homes provide care in the caregiver's home for up to six children under age 14; they may also take in up to six more school-age children. The number of children allowed in a home is determined by the ages of the children. No more than 12 children can be in care at any time, including children of the caregiver.
Licensed Child Care Homes: Provide care for less than 24 hours per day for 7-12 children underr 14 years old. All types of licensed facilities have published standards they are required to follow and are routinely monitored and inspected.
Center-based care:
Licensed Child Care Centers & preschools: are any operation that cares for 13 or more children under 14 years old for less than 24 hours.
Do not make the mistake to choose a facility based on proximity or cost alone. The closest school to your home might not necessarily be the right choice for your child. Also, keep in mind that the highest cost doesn't always guarantee the best teacher and facility. Likewise, the least expensive rates do not necessarily mean poor teachers and facilities.
Since I'm a former preschool teacher, I thought I knew exactly what to look for when I had to make this decision, and even for me it was a little tricky. I visited a few preschools that were the closest to my home with the hopes of finding the right one for my son among those. I decided to try one that presented itself very attractive, even though I was a little uneasy about this one school: It was so close to home and it look so good as far as appearance goes, that I decided to give it a chance. To make a long story short, I was right about "my gut feeling" I had about this school. My son only lasted there two weeks, and he was miserably unhappy for the whole time.
And that is why I think "your gut feeling" is so important, and the first thing I would recommend when looking for the right school for your child is to pay attention to your instincts.
1. Pay attention to your instincts
You know your child best. Pay attention to any feelings of uneasiness you may have experienced during site visits or interviews. Could you picture your child in this setting? Were the toys and activities you observed the kinds your child would enjoy?
2. Look and listen
You can tell a great deal by observing and listening to what is going on in the classroom. Did the children seem happy and were they enjoying activities? Did the teachers seem to be loving, nurturing and responsive to all children in their care? Were problems handled promptly and appropriately? Did the teacher seem like the kind of people you can trust with the health, happiness and well being of your child? Is this a place where you would feel good about your child spending many hours each day?
3. Professional Qualifications
What is the lead teacher's level of education? Research shows that children whose teachers have more education have better outcomes. Increased education and specialized training in early childhood education produces higher quality programs and positive child outcomes. Formal education plus annual in-service training equals higher quality levels.
Every state has mandatory hours of training required for childcare givers to attend, for teachers and helpers as well. For instance, in Florida, there is a 30-hour-childcare training that is mandatory for all childcare workers, teachers and helpers to attend, and then a 10-hour-Age appropriate-training thereafter. You may inquire whether your child's teacher and/or helper have completed this mandatory training. The number of hours varies from state to state. To find out more about this you may visit your state's DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES or CHILDREN'S SERVICES Website.
4. Curriculum & Daily Routines
Do they use a curriculum? What curriculum do they use?
A curriculum based on developmentally appropriate practices should be utilized and teaching staff should have been trained in implementing this curriculum. This is extremely important if you are interested in your child being educated and not just being watched. Implementation of a developmentally appropriate curriculum is a strong predictor of children's success in school.
Not only that, you don't want your child in an environment where there is nothing planned to do. He or she is going to be bored out of his or her mind after he or she is done playing with toys, and most likely will engage in misbehavior and disorderly conduct due to lack of organized and planned activities. This is when children begin to hit and push each other and become aggressive to one another due to lack of planned activities. The day has many hours. We can not expect children just to play for 8 hours. And I'm a teacher, I know all about children learning by playing, but even play needs to be planned and guided by the teacher.
The following is what Broward County in the State of Florida requires on this aspect:
DAILY ROUTINES and PROGRAMS
1) Infants:
Infants shall have planned activity periods of play suitable to stimulate their interest, opportunities for talking and cuddling with staff members and ample opportunities for exercise outside their cribs on mats or on a clean floor surface. All infants should have a daily outdoor period, weather permitting.
2) Other Age Groups:
The facility shall have a daily schedule of activities posted in a place accessible to the parents. The activities shall be appropriate to the developmental age of the child. The daily schedule shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
o Broad blocks of time for activities in art, language development, music, block building, creative and dramatic play, science, manipulative play, active play, indoor and outdoor play periods
o Time period for providing meals and snacks
o Quiet time or nap period
Activities for both indoors and outdoors shall be provided by a flexible daily schedule of regular routines in order to give the children the sense of security they need to help them become self directing and independent, and to develop a positive self image. There shall be a sufficient amount of play equipment and materials available for the licensed capacity of the facility.
3) Each child three years of age or under shall have a daily rest period of at least one hour on a cot, mat, crib, bed or playpen.
5. Ratio and Group Size - research strongly suggests that smaller group sizes and more staff with children lead to better outcomes for children. Lower ratios and smaller group sizes allow teachers to give children more individual attention, a key to success.
I think this is the same for all the states, but again, you should check your state's Children Services Website to be sure. Bellow is Broward County's, Florida, student/teacher ratio rules. And I using Florida as an example because I completed my Early Childhood Education/Child Development studies there and I'm must familiar with the rules and regulations of this particular state pertaining to this subject.
RATIOS OF PERSONNEL TO CHILDREN
Age of Children
Ratio
Under 1 year of age
1 staff member for 4 children
1 year of age
1 staff member for 6 children
2 years of age
1 staff member for 11 children
3 years of age
1 staff member for 15 children
4 years of age
1 staff member for 20 children
5 years of age and older
1 staff member for 25 children
6. Family Engagement: The program recognizes that children's chances for success increase when families get involved in their child's early care and education program. The program promotes ongoing family participation in a variety of ways.
7. Program Administration: A strong set of management practices including record-keeping, financial management, staff hiring and retention practices, and emergency planning are key to a successful program.
Signs to look for:
What to look for:
Do the children look happy, involved in activities and well-cared for?
Do teachers get on the child's level to listen, talk and play with children?
Do teachers give individual attention to each child?
Are teachers warm, kind, calm and patient?
What is your child's reaction when he first sees his teacher in the morning?
Are there sufficient materials such as blocks, books, puzzles, art supplies and toys for all the children and are they available throughout the day?
Are well planned activities such as music, painting and dress-up play provided for children?
Does the facility seem cheerful, clean and safe with equipment in good repair?
Is hand washing and diaper changing done frequently?
Is there adequate indoor space for play, naps, meals, belongings?
Is the outdoor play are fenced, safe, well-equipped and supervised at all times?
Questions to ask
(You will probably receive an information packet that will answer some of these questions for you, but if you don't, here are some important questions to ask)
Is the program licensed? Accredited?
Private accrediting agencies perform an important quality assurance function by accrediting or certifying early care and education programs that meet their standards. Accredited child care programs have a strong interest in quality and have met a set of standards higher than licensing standards set forth by the particular Early Childhood Agency or Association they have cared to join. Some of the well known National Early Childhood Associations are: NAEYC, ACEI and NAFCC, and there are many others.
Are references and background checks conducted on staff?
How many of the teaching staff has been employed in this facility or home for more than one year?
Does the person who will be teaching your child have training in early childhood education, First Aid and CPR?
How many children are there for each adult? (adult to child ratio)
How many children are in your child's group? (smaller group size is a quality indicator)
Are there written policies/information regarding: philosophy of education for young children; discipline; on-going staff education/training; illness and injuries, napping; and toileting habits?
AND ALL OTHER QUESTIONS YOU FEEL THE NEED TO ASK. DON'T HESITATE...
Once you have made a choice. It doesn't all end there. You will want to talk to your new teacher often and make occasional visits to ensure that your child is safe and happy- that your decision was the right one.
I sincerely hope this information was helpful to you and that you find the right Preschool or Child Care setting for your bundle of joy like I finally did for mine. When one's child is excited and looking forward to going to school every time, one realizes that making the right choice makes a whole world of difference, and it will show...
If you would like to add your own thoughts or comments to this post, please feel free to do so below.
Reina is the Publisher at BestforYourKids.com BestforYourKids.com - A blog that talks about helpful tips for raising Babies, Kids and Teens.
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