Why Is High Quality Childcare Important?
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on November 12, 2019
High quality childcare is vital as research has shown over 90% of brain growth occurs during 0–5 years of age. Making sure your child receives great childcare will positively impact their growth and allow them to more easily face different challenges as they grow up.
Looking for a high quality childcare provider can be a challenging and stressful experience. When choosing a good childcare provider, you need to ask the right questions in order to make sure that you are making the best decision. This guide will tell you about the questions you need to ask before choosing a childcare facility.
Is the facility licensed?
Making sure that a childcare center is licensed before considering choosing it is important. Even though a childcare center being licensed doesn’t guarantee that it will provide high quality care, it is still a good indicator of them following the regulations and meeting the necessary requirements to give adequate care to your child.
Different states have different regulations when it comes to licensing childcare providers. Make sure you find out what your state requires. You will likely be able to review the providers licensing records and check to see if everything meets your approval.
What qualifications do you have?
Ensuring that the childcare provider you choose has the necessary qualifications will definitely be reassuring. The staff should have first-aid training and the certificates to prove it. You want to be confident that your child is as safe as possible at all times and can be cared for whenever the need arises. When it comes to your child, a childcare facility with many experienced employees is a desirable choice.
What is the daily routine?
Typically childcare facilities follow certain routines throughout the day. The routine will likely vary depending on the age of your child. If you have an infant, there may be a sleep, wake and feed routine. If you have a toddler, you’ll likely learn about a daily routine that includes various activities, rest times, snack and meal times, and more. Make sure to ask for specifics in terms of what you can expect during the day for your child in terms of a routine. Find a childcare provider that has a routine that fits your needs and your child’s needs too.
Will my child leave the facility for any reason?
Finding out if your child will leave the childcare center at any point during the day to go on a stroll or a walk, visit a nearby park or playground, or go on field trips is very important. If the childcare center does this and you don’t feel comfortable with it, then you will know to look elsewhere.
However, if the types of outings the childcare center facilitates meet your approval, knowing what to expect in advance will help put your mind at ease and better enable you to ensure your child’s safety.
What happens in the case of an emergency?
How will the childcare facility keep you updated if there is an emergency situation? Will they contact you several times to keep you informed of the current situation? Will they ask you for emergency contacts they can reach out to in the event that you are not available? Getting answers to these questions will help you better understand whether the childcare facility has a plan in place for unexpected emergencies. While no one wants to anticipate these types of events, you want to feel confident that your child is in capable hands if an emergency situation does occur.
While many childcare facilities operate smoothly and place high priority on child safety, unfortunately this is not always the case. If your child, or the child of a loved one, has been injured at a childcare facility, it is important that you contact a child injury lawyer who understands how to handle child injury cases. The experienced attorneys at the Cooper & Friedman law firm understand child injury cases. For more information or a free case consultation call 502-459-7555.