Every parent needs child-care at sometime during the childs early growing years. This guide provides a list of standard questions that every parent should ask in order to evaluate a child-care center for their child.

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO A CHILD-CARE CENTER WITHOUT LOOKING AT THIS LIST FIRST!

1. LICENSING

Does the center have a license or registration?

This is important to ensure that the center has complied with all local ordinances and has the proper facilities available to care for multiple children. There are two types of licenses that a center can have to operate properly within local ordinances.

A Provisional License may be issued for a period up to one year when the center does not meet all standards imposed by law or the minimum requirements. A provisional license shall be renewable when written plans to bring the center up to standards, giving specific dates for completion of work, are submitted to and approved by the Department.

A Full License shall be issued when an applicant has shown full compliance with center licensing laws and the minimum requirements.

2. CENTER ACCESS

Is there 24/7 access to the center or are there limited hours of operation?
Very important for working parents who have odd work hours or schedules.

Does the facility have a drop-in and/or pick-up policy?
It is wise to find out upfront if you have to pay when you drop the child off or when you pick the child up. Most centers have a strict time limit for picking up children and charge a fee for every minute a parent is late picking up the child.

Is there pressure to avoid certain periods of the day?
More precautions should be in place if you are dropping off or picking up a child in the evening or night than in the daytime when there are possibly less people around to help if a dangerous situation should arise.

Does the center have protection from unauthorized public access?
Children should always be protected from possible kidnapping or non-custodial parent access at all times. The center should have a method to monitor access to the facilities by the general public and any delivery persons.

3. COMMUNICATION

How do parents and teachers contact each other?
Pagers or cell phones? Are back-up numbers established in the event of a busy number or emergency? The center should provide the full name of the teacher and the director in the event of an emergency even if it is after the normal hours of operation (for 24-hour centers).

Are there regular parent meetings or training efforts?
The center should provide an opportunity for the parent to discuss any issues at any time (not just when it comes time to pay the bill).

Is there a center newsletter to alert the parent to upcoming events or activities?
If the center provides field trips, movie presentations, or special events, the newsletter should be issued to the parent for possible child participation.

4. METHODS OF DISCIPLINE

How are children disciplined?
Some parents prefer to discipline their child using only the "Time-Out method. Some parents prefer corporal punishment for discipline. Also, some parents prefer that the center staff inform the parent of the child's behavior and will apply the discipline themshelves. All parents should ask for the center's policy for discipline.
Under what circumstances (if any) is corporal punishment used?
These issues should be clearly communicated by the center (in writing) to the parent before the child is left in the centers care to avoid any misunderstandings or possible legal action. Also, when there are problems, the parent should be promptly notified of any discipline action that needs to be applied.

5. HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES

Are the bathroom facilities clean, visible, and carefully monitored by two or more adults for children?
This issue speaks clearly of the cleanliness of the center overall. If the center doesnt keep the bathroom clean, then it is not very likely to keep the rest of the center clean either. The bathroom should be clearly marked and visible so that a child can find it quickly when the need arises. Also, for very young children going though the toilet-training stage, the bathroom should by monitored by at least two adults so that if a child needs to be held while using the bathroom, another adult can get any other needed items to assist the adult helping the child and the child will not be left alone at any time in the bathroom.

Are there policies for the care of ill children?
Some diseases are transferable and sick children should not be allowed to mix with other children during those times. All centers should have a pediatrician contact number available at all times in case of an emergency. All accidents should be reported in writing to the parents and a back up copy should be kept in the centers records.

6. STAFF AND STAFF-CHILD RATIOS

Is the staff certified and are there ongoing training opportunities for staff in early childhood development?
The center should have staff that is trained in handling young children. There should also be training opportunities for the staff to improve their skills if needed. In addition, the children should be grouped with appropriately qualified staff to handle children according to their individual needs and personalities.

Is there sufficient staff to provide interactive relationships with the children?
This issue is not only important to meet state standards, but it is also important to teach the children how to interact with the teacher as well as other children.

What is the staff-child ratio?
A center that has a low staff to child ratio will not be able to give your child the attention that may be needed for individual learning issues or other concerns.

What is the policy for substitutes?
Some children will bond better to some teachers than they will to others. It is important for the parent to know weather or not a substitute will be replacing a childs regular teacher for a time and for exactly how long of a period of time. The same thing goes for any changes in the centers normal staff.

Have there been criminal background checks on all staff, including kitchen and custodial?
With all the horror stories going around every day about child predators, this is one issue that no parent can afford to overlook or take for granted. Enough said.

7. NUTRITION

Who provides the food?
The center should have a clear written policy about who will provide the food for the child. If it is the centers responsibility, then it should provide a written menu of what food will be fed to the child and when it will be provided. If it is the parents responsibility, then the parent should provide all the food that will be fed to the child during the duration of the childs stay at the center. The parent should also provide written instructions as to what foods should be provided during a particular meal and when they should be provided. In this case, the center will probably have spare food available in case the parent does not provide enough food to cover the childs stay and should expect to be billed for the extra food that is provided in addition to any other financial obligations that are required for the childs stay.

How many adults are available to assist with feeding the infants?
There should always be enough adults to assist with feeding infants so that the staff member does not get interrupted during the feeding or the infant feeding does not get cut short due to other immediate concerns.

If the child has feeding difficulties, are their adults trained in specialized feeding techniques?
This issue is important in order to make sure that the child is eating not only the right amount of food, but also making sure that the child is getting the proper combination of the proper foods for their diet. In other words, making sure that the child is not getting full on just candy or junk food.

Is food consumption reported to the parent, particularly for infants?
Since the infant wont be able to tell you if or when he or she ate, the center should provide a written note of what the infant ate, how much the infant ate, and at what times did the infant eat their food. For older children, such as toddlers, a written note should be provided to verify what the child has said that they have eaten.

8. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Is there a safe outdoor play area?
This area should provide plenty of playthings to keep the child occupied and entertained. It should also be fenced in so that the children cant wander off to unauthorized areas and also that no unauthorized people can get easy access to any child without the centers staff knowledge.

Is there always supervision during outdoor activities?
Children should always be supervised outdoors to settle any possible disputes, avoid any unsafe activities, and attend to any possible accidents such as cuts or bruises immediately.

What activities are available during inclement weather?
The center should always have available activities planned in the event of rain or other bad weather. The parent should be notified of what the plans are in case bad weather interrupts the outdoor playtime.

9. DAILY ACTIVITIES/CURRICULM

Is there a daily plan of developmentally appropriate activities?
The center should provide a list of planned activities for all children and should be grouped according to the development of the children to participate in the activity.

Can parents obtain copies of the daily plan of activities?
The center should be able to provide a list of planned activities upon parental request.

10. NAPTIME -

Is there a regular period for napping and how long is the period?
The center should provide a time and place for children to take naps during the day. The period should allow all children some time to rest and relax during their stay at the center.

Can the parent observe the child during naptime and are there electronic room monitors?
The parent should be allowed to quietly observe the children sleeping, but the center will probably have a limit as to how many parents can be among the children at one time in order to not disturb the other children napping. For some centers, they may have electronic room monitors, in order to better supervise young children while they are sleeping. This is a judgment call that a parent will have to decide base upon the age of the child, the size of the center, and the available supervision of the center staff. It can be an advantage, but it is not a requirement.

Robert L. Newkirk Jr. is the host for articles on Babies and Toddlers

For More Articles on Babies and Toddlers, Visit My Website at starr-child.com.