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Quality Child Care:
Making The Right Choice For You & Your Child

Finding the right environment to nurture your child's healthy development.

Dear Friends, 

It is so important for parents and caregivers to know how critical the early years of a child's life are - how children's emotional and cognitive development depends on the nurturing and stimulation they receive from the very beginning. 

I am a working parent, and like so many of you, I've had to find other people to care for my children when I cannot be with them. I know this decision is one of the most important ones a parent ever makes, and the most difficult. Knowing what quality child care is - what to look for, what options are available, and what questions to ask - can make a profound difference in the outcome when you are making this important choice. 

I hope the information presented here will help you find a caregiver who will be a true partner with you in your child's healthy development. Parenting is one of life's greatest joys - and challenges. We can all use every bit of help and information we can get to ensure our children reach their full potential. Remember - the first years last forever. 

Knowing about brain development is important for parents and caregivers.

As parents and caregivers, you have always known that good early experiences were important for your children. Now scientists and researchers are confirming how critical these first few years of life are to your child's healthy development. 

At birth, the brain is remarkably unfinished. The parts of the brain that handle thinking, as well as social and emotional behavior, are very underdeveloped. Because the brain matures in the world rather than in the womb, the brain growth and development of infants and young children is deeply affected by their earliest experiences. 

Why is all of this important when I'm choosing a child care provider?

Finding the right caregiver is often challenging, but one of the most important decisions you will make. Even though, as parents you are the most important people in your child's life, the relationship your child has with his caregiver will also affect how he feels about himself and the world around him as he grows up. When infants and young children receive warm and responsive care, they feel safe and secure. Positive relationships with caring adults will actually allow your child's brain to grow and develop in the best possible way. 

What a good caregiver needs to know - and what parents can do to help.

This booklet tells you what good caregivers can do to help you nurture your child's healthy development. We will also suggest some guidelines to help you decide whether a child care setting you may be considering is a good choice for you - and your child. It doesn't matter if you are looking at a child care center, family child care, or care by a relative or a neighbor - whatever kind of care you choose can stimulate and nurture your child's early development in a positive way. 

PARENTS: The following guidelines will help promote your child's healthy development and school readiness. Ask your caregiver to:

l) Be warm, caring and responsive with your child. 

When children receive warm, responsive care they are more likely to feel safe and secure with the adults who care for them. These early relationships actually affect the way a child's brain works and grows.

Infants can't use words to communicate their moods, preferences, or needs, but they send definite signals to their caregivers with the sounds they make, the way they move, their facial expressions and the way they make (or avoid) eye contact. All of these signals are cues as to how they are feeling. When caregivers respond sensitively to a child's cues, she feels safe and secure. A baby begins to trust that when she smiles, someone will smile back; when she is upset, she will be comforted, and when she is hungry, she will be fed. Paying close attention to a child's needs for stimulation - as well as quiet time - helps her feel secure with her caregiver.

Making up stories, singing songs, talking about what is happening during daily routines - these "conversations" give children a solid basis for later learning. Infants may not understand the meaning of words, but when you speak to them, the parts of the brain that handle speech and language begin to develop. Talking, singing, and reading to a child is important for brain development - and a wonderful opportunity for closeness between a child and a caregiver.

Repeated positive experiences form strong connections in the brain and give a child a sense of security. Children are reassured when daily routines and rituals - especially at mealtimes and nap times - are established and associated with pleasurable feelings. Singing special songs, following the same simple routines and activities, saying the same comforting words - all these help a child learn what to expect from his environment and how to understand the world around him.

Television can't teach a child language or communication. Studies show that children who learn best in school spend a limited amount of time watching TV. Very young children are still learning what is real and what isn't, and may find many TV images frightening and confusing. If children watch TV, it's best to have adults watch with them and talk with them about what they're seeing.

Interactions between babies and caregivers form the basis of much of their future learning. As infants grow and are able to crawl and walk, they begin to explore the world beyond their caregivers. They will leave a caregiver's side to play and explore, then come back for a reassuring touch or word. This should be encouraged, as play is the way children learn.

Crying infants can be frustrating for a caregiver. If a baby is crying uncontrollably and the caregiver has met his basic needs and done everything she can to calm him, she can put him in his crib or other safe place and walk away. It's best if a caregiver takes a deep breath and counts to ten before coming back to see if she can offer additional comfort. A caregiver should never, ever shake an infant. Infants' necks are too weak to support their heads, so if they are shaken, the result can be blindness, brain damage, or even death. When babies are crying, they are not trying to manipulate anyone - they are trying to communicate their needs. A caregiver can never spoil an infant by responding to those needs. 

As children leave infancy behind and become mobile, they spend more time exploring their world and often experience confusion and frustration. Their feelings can become intense! Therefore, they need limits and consistent, loving adult supervision. 

A caregiver should never, ever hit a child. Research has shown that this kind of discipline can have long term negative emotional effects. Discipline means "to teach", and the way children are taught to manage their feelings is crucial to their later development. Caregivers shouldn't expect children to do what they say all the time. Children's feelings of frustration and anger often are stronger than their ability to manage their feelings, and they may hit, yell, or fall apart. When caregivers respond in a supportive, consistent way, they are helping the child to feel safe in the world.

Children's ideas and feelings about themselves reflect, in large measure, their caregiver's attitude towards them. Children have different temperaments and grow at different rates. They feel good about themselves when they master the challenges of everyday life, and especially good when caregivers acknowledge these accomplishments with praise.

To help ensure that your child will receive the kind of stimulation and nurturing that will support and promote her healthy development, you need to choose a caregiver who understands and supports these ideas. The following information can help you when you are making this important choice. 

Types of care available for infants and toddlers: 

CHILD CARE CENTERS

Child care centers typically care for groups of children in a place specifically designed or adapted for this use, and can provide care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school aged children. Center schedules tend to be less flexible in terms of the hours and days care is available, but generally offer your child the opportunity to interact with a larger number of children and adults.

FAMILY CHILD CARE

In family child care, a caregiver typically cares for up to six children, including her own, in her home. There may be a single caregiver, or there may also be one or more assistants if more than six children are being cared for. Ideally, there should be no more than three infants, four toddlers, or eight children for every one adult. This kind of setting may be more flexible in terms of hours than a center based program. Many states regulate and/or license family child care homes. It is important to understand how family child care is regulated in your state. Your local child care resource and referral agency can provide you with this information. 

If you are considering family child care or a child care center, it is important to call several places you may be considering to get a full sense of the options available to you, and what will be the best fit for you and your child. 

Questions to ask on your first phone call:

1) How many children do you care for? What are their ages? How many do you care for full time and how many part time? 

2) What are your fees and what do they include? 

3) What hours are you open? 

During this initial call, be sensitive to the fact that providers will be caring for children during working hours and may not be able to have an extended conversation with you. You should still be able to get a feeling from this conversation that lets you know whether or not you want to schedule a visit and a more extended interview. 

Set aside as much time as possible to observe each place you are considering. If you can, go back more than once to observe specific activities and routines such as diapering, meal time, nap time, story time, or perhaps the children's arrival in the morning. Then schedule some time alone with the caregiver when the children are not present so you can ask specific questions.

Questions to ask a potential caregiver when visiting a site: 

Review these questions before you go, and think about what you want the caregiver's answers to be. If you are unsure, ask someone - a friend or relative, a pediatrician, or someone else in your neighborhood or community whose opinions you value. 

1) What kind of experience do you have caring for children? How have you learned about children and their development? Can you share with me why you chose this career? 

2) What would a typical day be like for my child? 

3) How many children are in the group my child would be in? 

4) Who else will have contact with my child when they are in your care? 

5) How do you insure that each child receives individual attention? 

6) Can you describe the mealtime routine for me? 

7) How do you put the children down for a nap? Are you aware that infants should be placed on their backs to sleep? May I see the area where the children sleep? What do you do if a child refuses to take a nap? 

8) Could you describe your approach to toilet training? 

9) How do you handle discipline? For example, what do you do when a child hits or bites another child, or is uncooperative? 

10) How do you soothe a child who is crying or upset? 

11) Do the children watch television? If so, how often and what kinds of programs? 

12) Does your program include activities where you will take the children off site? How are they transported? Are there car seats for every infant and toddler, as well as booster seats for preschoolers? Can you show me how you install your car seats? 

13) Do all the children spend time outside on a regular basis? Is the yard fenced and the equipment safe? Can you see the entire play area at all times? 

14) What happens if my child is ill? If you are ill? How do you handle medical emergencies that may occur with the children? 

15) Where do you keep medicines and cleaning products? 

16) How will you communicate with me about my child's progress? 
 
 

Questions to ask yourself when looking at a child care setting

1) Is the location of the home or center convenient and workable for me? 

2) Is the caregiver interested in hearing about my child? 

About her routines, her likes and dislikes, her special needs? 

3) Does the caregiver seem to be enjoying herself in her work? Does she talk warmly to the children when she is diapering them and feeding them? Do the children in her care seem to want to be with her and respond to her in a positive way? 

Can I imagine my child being cared for here? 

4) Am I comfortable with the cleanliness and safety of the environment? Are the diapering and food preparation areas separate and clean? Does the caregiver wash her hands after every diaper change and before preparing any food? 

5) Does the caregiver talk with each child at the child's eye level? Does her voice sound patient and cheerful when she talks to the children? Do the children seem happy, relaxed, and involved? Are there lots of toys, books, art supplies, and other learning materials in the room? Are there things for children of all ages? 
 
 

IN-HOME CAREGIVERS

Usually known as baby sitters, nannies, or au pairs, these people care for your children in your home. You might find them by placing an ad in a newspaper, on a college job board, through an employment agency, or they may have been referred by a friend or a friend's caregiver. When someone responds, ask a few questions over the phone, such as how much experience the person has had, what their salary requirements are, etc. Trust your instincts and set up interviews only with people you have a good feeling about. Make sure it is at a time when you can give the applicant your full attention. 

Ask them to bring a list of their work experience and their references. Explain the job to the applicant - hours, responsibilities, salary, and any benefits. Ask general questions and listen closely to the responses. For example: 

1) How do you feel about doing this kind of work? 

2) What kinds of activities do you enjoy doing with children? 

3) How do you feel discipline should be handled? Could you respect my feelings about discipline even if they are different from yours? 

4) How do you handle medical emergencies? What would you do if one occurred and you couldn't reach me? As you are listening to the answers, pay attention to how you feel. Do you like this person? Does she seem sincere and honest? Do you feel she is loving and nurturing? 

Check all the references you have been given. Ask each reference what they liked and didn't like about this caregiver. Ask to see the applicant's DMV record if they will be driving your child. 

 If you feel you would like to hire someone, see if she will come and care for your child on a day when you will be home most of the time, but can occupy yourself with other tasks. This will give you a chance to see first-hand how the caregiver relates to your child. You should feel absolutely certain that she understands your expectations. Clearly explain the things you want her to do with your child - and just as importantly, what you don't want her to do. 
 
 

Important Information to Communicate to your Caregiver

Whether you choose family child care, a child care center, or an in-home provider: 

Leave a list of all emergency phone numbers, including your pediatrician, the local poison control center, and the nearest hospital emergency room. If your child has any medical or food allergies or takes any medications, explain this fully - and leave written instructions. 

Leave all the numbers where you can be contacted. Include the numbers of at least two friends or relatives who can be called if you cannot be reached in an emergency. Notify these people that you are leaving their number with your caregiver, and give them any information you feel they may need to make decisions regarding your child. 

Ideally, your caregiver will have taken a certified course in CPR and basic First Aid for infants and young children. If she has not, call your local chapter of the American Red Cross and find out when and where the courses are offered. It is important that you and your caregiver become familiar with this critical information, and that you feel comfortable that she will know what to do in case of an emergency.

Finding and choosing the right child care situation is not always easy. You can expect an initial adjustment period for you and your child. Drop in unannounced from time to time to make sure everything is going well. Pay attention to how your child acts when seeing his caregiver each day. Is he happy and excited?

Does he seem comfortable around her? This is the best indication that you have made a good choice.

This booklet underscores the vital importance of the relationship between children and their caregivers in the first years of life.

The right kind of child care can be a wonderful opportunity to enrich children's lives and help them realize their full potential.

The first years truly last forever. 

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