| Day care, whether it falls under commercial or | | | | comfortable around them, and the sitters would |
| home day care, should always be thoroughly | | | | be able to provide the names of at least two |
| checked out before the little one is enrolled, the | | | | referees who were satisfied with their services. |
| baby sitter hired or any form of agreement | | | | Be sure to call up the referees and check. |
| signed. This ensures the parent's own peace of | | | | With day care centers, the task becomes a bit |
| mind as well as the safety of the child. | | | | easier as there are always other parents with |
| Day care services are provided by nurseries, | | | | whom one can talk. However, though the service |
| churches, craches, and professional / retired child | | | | may be regular, it is always better to inquire a |
| minders working from their homes and even by | | | | little deeper into the care aspect of the |
| some business establishments for the benefit of | | | | arrangement. |
| working parents. | | | | Always ask the number of children assigned to |
| After a preliminary phone interview with the | | | | one minder. The fewer children per minder, the |
| centre or sitter, it is obviously essential to meet | | | | more attention they will get. Also ask if the |
| the care givers in person so you can make a | | | | minders have worked at the centre for long and |
| better judgment about their abilities. In the case | | | | whether they will be the long term minder of their |
| of day care centers, a personal visit will enable | | | | group. |
| you to see the facilities and environment your | | | | Ask about the standards of discipline and the |
| child will be moving in without having to depend on | | | | center's policies on sickness. Inquire about staff |
| second hand information. | | | | training and check out the safety aspects of both |
| The term day care applies to the long term, | | | | building and playground to your satisfaction. All |
| regular and, often, daily care of a child, during the | | | | these things are vital to the well being of your |
| parent's absence at specific times of the day. Like | | | | child. If you can ask for a copy of the centers |
| during the time when they're at work. | | | | policies with regard to how the institution is run, all |
| While a licensed day care centre would | | | | the better. |
| automatically provide quality care on a daily basis, | | | | Even after your child has been entered in a |
| home day care providers can sometimes be | | | | reliable day care of your choosing, it is advisable |
| extremely irregular. This inconveniences parents | | | | to make periodical visits, attend parent teacher |
| and also upsets the schedule of the child, who has | | | | meetings and above all to always know how your |
| got used to the way his day should progress. | | | | child feels about the centre. Keeping in touch with |
| Home day care providers would ideally be | | | | other parents is also a good way to track the |
| responsible, competent individuals with prior | | | | progress of your child and any possible problems |
| experience in the field. The child would be | | | | that might arise at the day care centre. |