5 Essential Tips for Choosing a Childcare Center

Choosing a childcare center is a crucial decision. You want it to be a safe and secure environment for your child, a place where they can grow and thrive in, and somewhere that's convenient for you as well. How do you pick one? There are some basic elements you need to insist upon when it comes to choosing a childcare center. Here are five tips to guide you:

#1 Take note of the child-staff interaction.

When you visit potential childcare centers you've shortlisted, the first thing to look at is the interaction between the staff and the children. Ideally, caregivers should be on the floor playing with children. Notice the number of staff per child ratio, as well as the childcare facilities the place has. Is it clean? Is it welcoming? Are the staff friendly?

#2 Get a policy check done.

Speak to the caregivers, and find out what their parenting philosophies are like and see if it aligns with yours. You don't need to share all values, but getting a sense of what they would do to discipline children, how would they manage feeding time, what kind of food and drinks is given, as well as their sick-child policies, are all good questions to ask. The more questions you ask on the get-go, the less unpleasant surprises you'll get.

#3 Look at the place for yourself.

Survey the space of the childcare center to see if it's clean, well-stocked with books, and contain age-appropriate toys. These are the prerequisites, but there are also other details to consider, such as if the center is shared by older children, what areas do babies have, dedicated areas for swings and bouncers, floor area, and so on. 

Shared childcare in ultimo should have a separate location from younger toddlers, babies, and infants. You might want to visit the center at different times, just so you can get a sense of how the center is run, check on the staff-child interaction, and check out what their routine is.

#4 Keep talking.

As much as it's vital for your child to feel comfortable in the center, you want to be able to communicate comfortably with the staff as you'd be relying on them as well to tell you about your child's day, and to provide them with any information about your child, such as if they are teething and if they have slept well the night before. You’d also want information from the staff, such as how many nappies your child went through and if they are happy overall at the center. If you feel right about the staff and communicating with them is easy, chances are they would be right for your child, too.

#5 Trust your instinct.

Every parent knows if something isn’t right. Trust your gut instinct when you feel something isn’t the way it should be, or if you feel a little off with the staff at the center, or it could even be the location just doesn't feel right. You aren't obligated to stick to one place, so feel free to investigate other options.

Ultimately, you want your child to be in a place that they thrive in, and that’s good and nurturing for them. If you feel good about the childcare center, then sign up with them. One such place you can check out is Kinder Kids. 

No matter what your working hours are like, you are your child’s primary source of love and support. Under your guidance and care, together with the help of well-chosen child caregivers, your baby will grow into a healthy and happy child.