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Questions To Ask A Daycare Provider

Questions To Ask A Daycare Provider

Question to ask a daycare providerHave you found great daycare for your child? How do you know for sure? National statistics show 80% of American children spend time in daycare by age 4, but not all daycares are created equal. In order to determine if a daycare provides the best childcare, there a few key questions you should ask.

Don’t short-change the potential of great early education, with the right daycare your child could end up ahead all throughout life. Back in 2010, a study by the National Institute of Health found children enrolled in high quality (not just any) daycare continue to score better on academic tests, even at age 15.  (Learn More)

There are many great daycare facilities in the state of Florida, but there are just as many mediocre to poor daycare facilities. The differences between a good and bad daycare can’t be pin pointed by price, neighborhood, or who goes to the school. Instead, you want to ask the right questions and look for any red flags. Here we explain 6 of the most important questions you should ask in order to find the best daycare for your child.

1. Are Teachers Credentialed?

The learning process starts early for children, from day one in fact. Quality daycare centers understand how to provide children with the fundamental building blocks for academics. Teachers and staff trained to understand your child’s psychological needs are better able to foster a positive learning experience. If teachers are not credentialed, the focus may only be on supervision. This doesn’t mean your child will be unsafe, but it does mean your child will miss out in big ways.

2. Are All Instructors CPR and First Aid Certified?

Although Florida State requires CPR and First Aid training for all childcare workers, you might be surprised to find some establishments don’t follow the rules as closely as they should. Safety credentials might be put on a backburner, expected for certain staff only, or taken years before and then forgotten. If every staff member on sight is not properly trained to react in an emergency, what happens if your child needs help? You want to be sure that all staff trusted to look after your child know how to react in a time of need.

3. Is Daycare Staff Bi-lingual?

If your child is bi-lingual this is a very important question to consider when looking for high quality daycare. If your child speaks a language that no one else on campus speaks, this can make him or her feel ‘different,’ or even less enthusiastic about going to school. This is only one reason why bi-lingual staff members are beneficial. Secondly, we live in a world where cultural and linguistic diversity are necessary going into the future. Bi-lingual teachers benefit children that only speak one language as well, granting them exposure to different languages and cultures that will enhance their worldly understanding and knowledge.

4. Is The Daycare Safe?

Asking one simple question is not enough to determine if a daycare is safe. It’s the little details that add up, predicting the overall safety of a daycare. At first glimpse all might appear safe, but always take a closer look, and pair your detailed analysis with the following questions:

  • What is the teacher to student ratio? Are there enough teachers per each student to make sure all children are carefully monitored at all times?
  • Where are the cleaning products, medications, and other potentially harmful substances kept? Is there any way a child could access these?
  • Are staff members trained how to handle an emergency situation? This links back to maintaining CPR and First Aid credentials for all staff that instruct and look after children.
  • Is there a monitoring system in place in case something goes wrong?

(Read Article Here)

5. Does The Daycare Encourage Parent Interaction?

According to the Child Care Education Institute, all quality daycare centers should offer ways for parents to get involved in the classroom. Always ask daycare centers what sort of parent-child interaction they offer. When children see their parents involved with their education they became more enthused about learning. In fact test scores, attendance, and attitude towards school are all proven to increase when parents are involved in their child’s education from day one. A great daycare will offer events and opportunities for parents to join in on the fun. For example, at ABC Learning we offer regular literacy nights for parents and students to enjoy together.

When it comes to finding quality daycare for your child you can never ask enough questions or do enough research. Who cares if you seem crazy, you should be crazy, after all this is your child. At ABC Learning we go above and beyond to keep your child safe, while also providing a nurturing environment for them to learn and grow in!

 

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