Choosing the Right Daycare: What to Look For
Choosing the right daycare service for your child can be one of the most stressful and time consuming ventures you have ever undertaken. Your child is precious to you and for your own sanity, you need to have a daycare service on which you can rely. The sheer number of daycares and the diverse curriculums can make choosing the right one very difficult for a new parent. There are some steps you can use to guide your decision in choosing a daycare service that will help you narrow your choices and provide some peace of mind.
Identify what is Most Important to You
Before you begin looking for a daycare you need to consider what attributes or defining factors are important to you and your child. Make a list of factors and rank them from most important to least important. If the proximity of the daycare to your place of employment is a major factor for you, then writing that down near the top will help determine your choice. If your religious background demands certain requirements, a church daycare would probably serve you and your child better than a secular one.
Once you have made your list, you are now going to need to do some research. Ask other parents what daycares they use and why. Using friends and family to help you choose the right daycare for your child is just sensible. Use the internet and visit expert websites that accredit certain daycares such as: the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) or the National Association of Family Child Care (NAFCC).
Visit and Interview
Once you have may your priorities list, done some research, and narrowed your choices down to a few daycares that meet your needs, you now need to visit these daycares and meet the staff and director. Before going, you should write down some key questions you have about the service provided. Questions about food, sleeping, and discipline should be on your list. Also ask about fees and payment schedules, as well as, any daycare policy statements they have for newcomers. It also will not hurt to ask for a tour of the facilities and get a feel for the environment your child is going to be in day after day.
Ultimately, the choice will be yours to make, but having the most information possible will make the choice easier and give you more peace of mind. Remember that your priorities list will help you find the best daycare for your child. For those parents looking for a bible-based childcare service in the Tomball area, God’s Grace Learning Center offers daycare services to children ages six weeks to twelve years old. Based on a Christian based curriculum, God’s Grace Learning Center seeks to help guide your child to a knowledge of God's love.
