What Constitutes A Good Daycare For Infants

What Constitutes A Good Daycare For Infants

What Constitutes A Good Daycare For Infants

What could be more important than keeping your children safe and happy? For so many parents, this is a struggle since they have to balance work and taking care of their family. The first thing many parents do is start the search for the right daycare for infants or daycare for children. When do you need to start looking for a daycare and what do you need to look for? First, it is best to start looking as soon as you can. The more time you have, the more likely you will have the necessary time to do all the research you need to do so you can find what you are looking for.

Some Things You Should Focus On When Searching For A Daycare

  • Look at the online reviews
  • Ask other people about their thoughts
  • Ask the daycare director to supply you with names and numbers of parents who have children at the daycare. Then, call them and get their opinions. Take note of what they say and see if you can determine any patterns that might be questionable.

Always Go For A Visit

If the children seem happy and they appear to be engaged, then that is a good sign. Look carefully at the environment. Does it give you a pleasant feeling? Is it clean and welcoming? Is the environment appropriate for the age? Are the equipment and toys age appropriate? Do the children appear to be comfortable with the teacher? Does it appear that they are encouraged to explore their environment and make age-appropriate decisions? Imagine your own child in this space. Ask yourself if you think they would be happy.

Look To See What Type Of Curriculum The Daycare For Children Uses

This is highly subjective and is based on what you are specifically looking for as a parent. Maybe you are interested in a very structured environment or maybe you feel a Montessori daycare that allows for a more flexible and free environment is what your children need. It is important however, that whatever curriculum they use, television or videos should not play a large part in their day.

Are The Caregivers and Teachers Properly Qualified?

It is so important that caregivers have the proper training and certifications that they need. They should all be trained in CPR and other medical emergency procedures. It is also preferable that there are as many caregivers as possible that have some form of training or degrees in early childhood. This training does not guarantee they will be good teachers, so it is important to watch how they teach and see how they engage with the students. You also need to determine how comfortable you feel with the teachers. What does your gut tell you? All of American Montessori’s teachers are Montessori Certified.

Daycare Safety

Safety is obviously very important. When you are visiting the daycare, look around to see any tell-tale signs of danger. Imagine your child in the space. Child-proofing should be taken seriously. It is also so important to follow the correct food-safety practices. The play area should have toys that are safe and age-appropriate as well as in good condition.

Student-Teacher Ratio

The ratio between teacher and student should be small. The smaller the better. Look to see if there is a high turnover of staff. You want caregivers that are committed, and they cannot become committed if there are constantly new employees coming and going. That good retention of employees offers consistency of care for your child.

The daycare for infants or children should have clearly defined rules and policies. If the operating policies are not defined, then that might be a sign that care is inconsistent and may not be up to appropriate standards. You do want a little flexibility in policies however, in case there are some extenuating circumstances.

Is The Daycare Accredited and Licensed By The Proper Authorities?

Look for a daycare that is licensed or possibly accredited. All daycare facilities are supposed to be licensed, but accreditation places higher standards on a daycare. American Montessori Campus is accredited by the American Montessori Society.

If you are able to find a daycare that satisfies your expectations on these criteria, then you have probably found your daycare. No place is perfect, so you have to determine which one fits with your requirements the best. If you live in the North Dallas area, then the Plano Montessori School and Daycare might be a great place to visit. This Montessori daycare offers a stimulating environment that allows for individualized learning through trained Montessori staff. Your child’s interests are taken into consideration as they learn to explore the world around them.

Learn more:

Choosing Daycare Near Work or Home

Montessori Games for 3 Years and Older

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