Whether you work full-time, a few hours a week or have other outside commitments, choosing child care is an important decision. You want to ensure your child is in a safe, caring, and stimulating environment, with plenty of opportunities to learn and grow every day. You also want an open, positive relationship with your child’s caregiver(s).
Good caregivers:
- Understand how children grow and develop.
- Provide children with a stimulating environment and many ways to learn.
- Know how to respond to a child’s emotional needs.
- Work with you and listen to your concerns.
- Want to help your child reach any goals that you have set.
A good child care setting:
- Is clean, safe and has a small number of children per staff member.
- Has staff who are professionally qualified, fully immunized, and have had police background checks.
- Has areas for indoor and outdoor play.
- Has a quiet space for rest or naps.
- Is smoke-free, both outside and inside.
- Has regular but flexible routines that include a variety of activities appropriate for your child’s age.
- Has a variety of safe toys and equipment that is cleaned regularly and kept in good condition.
- Serves nutritious meals and snacks.
- Allows you to drop in, unannounced, for short periods of time.
- Ensures that inactive screen time is not part of routine activities.