Finding and Choosing a Quality Family Home Daycare

My wife and I own and run a family home daycare called Building Blocks Home Daycare. The information below is an article taken from one of the pages from within our Daycare website. Please note that the information on this page and all the content located at Building Blocks Home Daycare are copyrighted, and therefore, cannot be duplicated for commercial purposes without first gaining our permission.

So after carefully reviewing your childcare options, you have decided that a home daycare setting meets the needs of your child and your family the best. You probably already have a good idea of what you want; a place that is safe, caring, and loving, where your child will be happy, learn and have fun. At the same time, child care must also meet the needs of your family. Child care should be convenient, affordable, and reliable. Finding quality child care can be a challenging and emotional experience. You are looking for an arrangement that will work best for your family and one in which you will be confident that your child will receive the love, care, and attention that he or she deserves. Choosing the best child care arrangement for your child takes time, but is well worth the effort.

Choosing child care is one of the most important decisions that parents will make. Child care plays a major role in your child's emotional, intellectual and physical growth, not to mention your peace of mind. The quality, philosophy, style, and routine of a childcare program vary greatly from home to home. Parents should seek a childcare provider who is self-confident, affectionate, and comfortable with the children. The provider should be able to encourage social skills and positive behavior, and set limits on negative ones. The environment should be stimulating, with a balance between active and quiet play. Quality childcare can be a positive and rewarding experience for both parent and child. By making a thoughtful decision now, you will be helping your child to develop a foundation for success.

When it comes to deciding what is best for you and your child, you are the expert. Trust your instincts to help you decide what you value and what child care situation will best meet your child's needs. The provider you choose will play an important role in the growth and development of your child. As you weigh your choices, remember that the most important considerations revolve around trust. You should be able to trust that the provider you choose will attend to your child's individual needs. It is essential that your child feels comfortable and safe in the setting you choose. To choose child care wisely you need an awareness of what quality child care is, how to recognize it, and how to find it. Use the following steps to help guide you in your search to find and choose a quality home daycare.

Seven Steps to Selecting a Quality Family Home Daycare

1) Identify Your Priorities

First, decide what you want and are looking for in a home daycare. You might find it helpful to write down your expectations and your child's needs according to what is most important to you and your family. You will then be better able to assess whether the child care program's goals meet your family’s needs. Some things to consider are:

2) Get Organized and Do Your Research

Approach your daycare search as you would a job hunt; be thorough, and do your homework. If you're returning to work, start thinking about child care soon after your baby is born. If you live in a big city, or anyplace where good child care is scarce or in high demand, start looking as early as your second trimester. It takes time to find the right child care situation for your child, and any vacancies in the best programs fill quickly.

3) Conduct a Telephone Interview

Once you have made a list of potential childcare providers, save time and energy by using the phone to narrow your search. Any provider worth your time will be willing to answer your questions with care and courtesy. Phone several different home daycares and ask general questions to determine if the setting, location, hours of operation, and etc. meet your family’s basic requirements. This will also give you a good basis for comparison, which will help you to better determine what quality child care is, and is not.

4) Make an Onsite Visit

Visit as many home daycares as your time will allow. Be prepared to spend some time at each location, in order to observe the children's activities and their interactions with the provider and with each other. Choosing quality child care for your child involves being observant and asking plenty of questions. The more you know, the easier your decision and the more comfortable you will feel making it. Find out how the provider feels about things that are important to you. In evaluating the responses to your questions, carefully consider how his or her philosophy of child rearing, discipline, and nurturing meshes with your personal vision of how your child should be guided and cared for each day. Pay attention to your gut feeling and how the provider handles your questions. You should bring your child with you to meet the potential provider. You'll want to see how your child interacts with the provider and the other children, and if he or she seems comfortable in the environment. Beware of the provider who does not acknowledge your child during the interview.

5) Check References

References can be a helpful tool in helping you make your final decision about a childcare provider. Positive word-of-mouth is a powerful endorsement. If a certain daycare has a buzz, ask other parents why they're raving about it. While you may run into a bit of a bias (childcare providers aren't likely to refer you to people who weren't happy with them), nothing is more convincing than hearing how other parents rate their care. When calling, don’t be shy; remember that these are also parents you are calling. They’ve walked in your shoes, understand your plight, and will empathize with your position. By checking references thoroughly, you will be better suited to make an informed and educated decision, all in an effort to help you screen out the not so good early childcare programs from the best ones.

6) Make a Decision

Remember that it is okay to be choosy. Review the information you have gathered and call back if you have any unanswered questions. Trust your instincts. If you are not comfortable with what you have found thus far, keep looking. Think about what you saw at each visit, and make the best choice for your child and family. If the Home daycare you like is full, don't despair. Put your name on their waiting list. This almost guarantees that you and your child will get in at some point; even if it isn't precisely when you wanted it. If you must use another childcare program temporarily, you will have this as an option. Notify the childcare provider that you would like to enroll with, as soon as you make your decision. As a courtesy, notify the other childcare providers that you will not be using their program. From what you heard and saw, ask yourself the following questions.

7) Review Your Decision

As you become familiar with your child’s home daycare program, you will get a sense of how well it meets the needs of your child.

You can generally feel secure if
Your child