Daycare might be the first space that your child is going to explore outside of your home. Since you will not be accompanying them on this journey, choosing the right daycare facility is of utmost importance. This can be a challenging and overwhelming time for any parent. If you want to make the best choice, we have prepared a daycare checklist for parents.
Program and Curriculum
Be it 6 months old or 6 years old, children tend to learn something new every day. The first thing you should look for when selecting a daycare is their curriculum. You need to ensure that the lessons taught in the daycare are age-appropriate and will aid your child in their personal growth. What are your goals for teaching? Are your programs tailored to fulfil children’s developmental needs? How will you intend to update us with our children’s progress? These are some of the questions to ask daycare providers while enquiring about the curriculum. You need to make sure that they give equal importance for learning and playing. Children of this age group require a lot of play time to ensure their overall growth.
Daycare Environment
Another important factor you need to tick off from your daycare checklist is the environment of the daycare. Make sure the daycare building, play areas, classrooms and other spaces are safe for infants and young children. Check the safety and security procedures the facility follows to protect and take care of children. Take time to check out that there are no safety hazards you need to be worried about.
Materials Used
Be sure to pick up a daycare with clean activity spaces and play materials. Check the toys and other materials used at the daycare to ensure they are play-safe and child-friendly. Ask for the daycare essentials for infants at daycare and the things that need to be added to the infant daycare packing list. By taking time to time to check these things, you can rest assured that your child is going to provide a friendly, safe and warm environment conducive to learning.
Child-Instructor Interaction
While visiting the daycare facility, be sure to check the educational background and experience of teachers. Interact with the staff and find out if they have been trained in first aid, infection control and CPR. Pay attention to how instructors interact with the children. Make note of their body language, actions and the words that they use while engaging with children. Also, observe the way children respond to them.
Daily Activities
The day-to-day activities at every daycare centre can be different from each other. While some focus on learning through structured classroom activities, others put more emphasis on outdoor activities. Consider your child’s behaviour and needs before committing to a daycare program. Additionally, check if the learning activities match your parenting style.
Recommendations
One of the best ways to know about a daycare facility is by speaking to other parents. Ask your family and friends about their personal experiences and if they have any recommendations. If you have a specific daycare in mind, ask for their opinion on that facility. You can also visit the facility’s website and look for reviews by parents to check if there are any red flags.
First Impression
Remember to trust your gut feelings while deciding on a daycare. When you feel that something is not right about a daycare, then there are high chances that you are probably right. What did you feel when you visited the facility? Did you feel happy and welcomed? Will your child like this place? Consider these things before making the final decision.
Choosing the right daycare facility for your child is not going to be easy. However, we hope this guide will help in making that big decision. While you are in the lookout for a daycare centre for your child, we hope you consider Mindseed Preschool as well.
