Finding a Quality Preschool (Guest Post)

Recently, one of my readers asked me whether she could do a guest post on my blog!

I haven’t done it before, so there is always a 1st for everything.

Anne Cruz resides in the States and she owns a site about starting a day care for for Preschoolers. Her site is Own a Day Care.

Here is her input on finding a good Childcare centre.

How to Find Quality Childcare

For many parents finding quality childcare can be a daunting but important task. There is so much to consider: licensing, health and safety, nutrition, curriculum – the list goes on and on!

When you a researching for daycare, the best thing you can do for your child is to communicate directly with child care providers, asking them important questions that can really mean the difference between finding safe quality childcare and dreadful consequences for your child.

I have provided a handy cheat sheet focusing on the important info you should receive before enrolling your child in any type of daycare center or family daycare.

• What is the ratio of staff to children, the number enrolled, and how many kids the caregiver is licensed to care for?
• Is the center open year round or are there times when the center is closed?
• Does the daycare center charge different fees for infants, toddlers, preschoolers? If so, what are they?
• Will you incur any additional costs for items like diapers, meals, supplies, or transportation?
• When my child is absent or on holidays, will I still be charged?
• Describe the educational background of the staff. Are they educated in early childhood education?
• Are all staff members certified in First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and infant CPR?
• What is the rate of turnover at your child care center? On an ongoing basis, are staff members responsible for caring for the same children to ensure continuity of care?
• Are there any non-staff members like volunteers or students who will have contact with my child? If so, will they have had criminal and background checks conducted on them?
• What are the center’s policies on behavior management accident, administration of medications, and caring for sick children?
• What are the center’s pickup policies? Does the center only release children to people whom the parents have authorized in writing? If the answer is no, remove this center from your list of daycare center options.
• How is the day structured? Can I see a sample of the daily schedule?
• Are the meals varied, nutritious, and age-appropriate? Can I see a sample menu?
• Can I drop by and visit the center at any time? Most high quality daycare centers have an open door policy and allow parents to drop in at any time.
• What methods will we be using to communicate?

When you enter the daycare center, check to see that the environment is warm and inviting. Observe how caregivers interact with children.

Check to see if children are happy and active rather than bored and listless. Listen to your intuition.

If the environment isn’t comfortable, colorful and welcoming, it may be a red flag.

Parenting Tip:

ED says: Do shop around Singapore when u look for a nursery, preschool, childcare. I went to quite a few, before I decided on which one to send my kids to. Chiltern House…Growing Up Gifted, Montessori, Brighton, Schoolhouse by the Bay, Julia Gabriel…I went to them all, before I made a decision!

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