Keyword: research on daycare
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Why You Must Do Research on Your Child's Daycare
When your baby is old enough for daycare and you're ready to return to work, where do you start the process of choosing a daycare provider? Making an informed choice is essential, and you'll find some quick tips here on how to do research on daycare providers and make the right choice for your child.
Finding the right daycare provider is a difficult task, and you should start your research on daycare providers early - as soon as you know you're pregnant, if possible. In any event, don't wait until the last minute, when you are about to return to work, to start conducting research on daycare providers.
Onsite Daycare.
If you're lucky enough to have a job where your employer offers onsite daycare, contact your benefits department to find out how to enroll your child at the facility. Onsite daycare is such a great solution because you can spend your entire commute to and from work with your child, and many onsite daycares offer opportunities for parents to visit during the day, for lunch breaks or play periods.
In-home Daycare.
A more common daycare option is to use the services of a daycare provider who cares for children in your home. For obvious reasons, you should conduct extensive research on any daycare provider whom you invite into your home. Insist on references, and check them with diligence. Ask any potential candidates to sit with your child for a trial period of a few hours, and use a video camera to record their interactions when no one is around.
Daycare Centers
Perhaps the most common daycare provider is an out-of-home daycare center, where children attend a non-residential facility devoted to providing professional daycare. Just because a business is already established doesn't mean you should not do research on the daycare business.
Again, ask for references -- call parents and ask if the daycare provides a creative, inspirational environment and if their children look forward to going to daycare or if they dread it. Children should enjoy interacting with other children in a positive environment, and if a child doesn't want to go to daycare, that could be a warning sign.
Some daycares are sponsored by churches or are located in church facilities. A church-daycare combination is a good match because many church buildings are empty during the workweek when parents need daycare.
Moreover, churches are built to accommodate large groups of people of all ages, so they are likely to be child-friendly. When it's time for you to go back to work, doing diligent research on daycare providers will help ensure that your children thrive while they are in daycare.
