Tips For Finding The Best Daycare for Your Children

In an ideal world, every family would be wealthy enough to have one (or even both) parents stay at home to look after their kids. Unfortunately, the cost of living has been steadily increasing over the last few years, and all too many parents find themselves having to go out to work in order to cover rent and food, and save up to support their kid’s education. This means that from an early age children need to go into daycare. The good news is that if you choose the right daycare centre, you can give your child a good start in life.

Start Looking Well In Advance

It’s a good idea to start looking for a good daycare center well in advance of when you think you will need it. It will take longer than you think to visit each center, look at your options, and apply for any financial aid you might qualify for. The sooner you start looking, the greater your chance of finding a good center.

Don’t Be Embarrassed to Shop Around

You do a lot of research before you buy a car or a household appliance. You owe it to yourself and your child to do the same with daycare. Call a few different centers, ask lots of questions, and visit the centers that you like the look of.

The Hallmarks of a Good Center

A good daycare center has an adult to child ratio of no more than one adult for every four infants, or one adult for every ten older children. The fewer children each adult has to look after, the better. Smaller groups in a more personal environment are a better choice than bigger groups, even if there are plenty of adults to look after the children. This is especially true for younger children who are not used to dealing with lots of noise and distractions.

Another thing to consider when choosing the best daycare for your children is the staff turnover. If your children are going to be in daycare for a couple of years then it is a good idea to make sure that they are likely to have the same carer for most of that time. People do change jobs from time to time, and you cannot guarantee that your child’s carer won’t move on after a year or so, but if the center routinely has a high turnover, this is a bad sign.

Be sure to check the quality of the center itself, the toys and educational tools they have, and the safety of the play area. If most of the toys and games are worn or damaged, or children are having to fight over the one set of working pens, then they won’t have a lot of fun. A good daycare center is a safe, friendly and clean environment.

Choose an accredited daycare center with staff that you like and trust. Trust your instincts, and only use a center if you feel comfortable sending your child there. The daycare center will be an important part of your child’s life, and in a way a part of your family. Only the best will do.

Author : Laura Greening is a mom and a part time wedding planner. She is currently working as a consultant for MyKidStudio, a flower girl dress store, based in Los Angeles, CA.