Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Day care, whether it falls under commercial or home day care, should always be thoroughly checked out before the little one is enrolled, the baby sitter hired or any form of agreement signed. This ensures the parent’s own peace of mind as well as the safety of the child.

Day care services are provided by nurseries, churches, crèches, and professional / retired child minders working from their homes and even by some business establishments for the benefit of working parents.

After a preliminary phone interview with the centre or sitter, it is obviously essential to meet the care givers in person so you can make a better judgment about their abilities. In the case of day care centers, a personal visit will enable you to see the facilities and environment your child will be moving in without having to depend on second hand information.

The term day care applies to the long term, regular and, often, daily care of a child, during the parents’ absence at specific times of the day. Like during the time when they’re at work.

While a licensed day care centre would automatically provide quality care on a daily basis, home day care providers can sometimes be extremely irregular. This inconveniences parents and also upsets the schedule of the child, who has got used to the way his day should progress.

Home day care providers would ideally be responsible, competent individuals with prior experience in the field. The child would be comfortable around them, and the sitters would be able to provide the names of at least two referees who were satisfied with their services. Be sure to call up the referees and check.

With day care centers, the task becomes a bit easier as there are always other parents with whom one can talk. However, though the service may be regular, it is always better to inquire a little deeper into the care aspect of the arrangement.

Always ask the number of children assigned to one minder. The fewer children per minder, the more attention they will get. Also ask if the minders have worked at the centre for long and whether they will be the long term minder of their group.

Ask about the standards of discipline and the center’s policies on sickness. Inquire about staff training and check out the safety aspects of both building and playground to your satisfaction. All these things are vital to the well being of your child. If you can ask for a copy of the centers policies with regard to how the institution is run, all the better.

Even after your child has been entered in a reliable day care of your choosing, it is advisable to make periodical visits, attend parent teacher meetings and above all to always know how your child feels about the centre. Keeping in touch with other parents is also a good way to track the progress of your child and any possible problems that might arise at the day care centre.

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Day care, whether it falls under commercial or home day care, should always be thoroughly checked out before the little one is enrolled, the baby sitter hired or any form of agreement signed. This ensures the parent’s own peace of mind as well as the safety of the child.

Day care services are provided by nurseries, churches, crèches, and professional / retired child minders working from their homes and even by some business establishments for the benefit of working parents.

After a preliminary phone interview with the centre or sitter, it is obviously essential to meet the care givers in person so you can make a better judgment about their abilities. In the case of day care centers, a personal visit will enable you to see the facilities and environment your child will be moving in without having to depend on second hand information.

The term day care applies to the long term, regular and, often, daily care of a child, during the parents’ absence at specific times of the day. Like during the time when they’re at work.

While a licensed day care centre would automatically provide quality care on a daily basis, home day care providers can sometimes be extremely irregular. This inconveniences parents and also upsets the schedule of the child, who has got used to the way his day should progress.

Home day care providers would ideally be responsible, competent individuals with prior experience in the field. The child would be comfortable around them, and the sitters would be able to provide the names of at least two referees who were satisfied with their services. Be sure to call up the referees and check.

With day care centers, the task becomes a bit easier as there are always other parents with whom one can talk. However, though the service may be regular, it is always better to inquire a little deeper into the care aspect of the arrangement.

Always ask the number of children assigned to one minder. The fewer children per minder, the more attention they will get. Also ask if the minders have worked at the centre for long and whether they will be the long term minder of their group.

Ask about the standards of discipline and the center’s policies on sickness. Inquire about staff training and check out the safety aspects of both building and playground to your satisfaction. All these things are vital to the well being of your child. If you can ask for a copy of the centers policies with regard to how the institution is run, all the better.

Even after your child has been entered in a reliable day care of your choosing, it is advisable to make periodical visits, attend parent teacher meetings and above all to always know how your child feels about the centre. Keeping in touch with other parents is also a good way to track the progress of your child and any possible problems that might arise at the day care centre.

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Children are very special and central to our lives. The schools we can send our children to will help build their development during those years that are important for education. To allow these children to develop and have the ability to interact socially it is necessary to send them to daycare centers or even kindergarten. At these places a child care worker will care for young children will make sure that they have all of the care and love they need until their parents some for them.

The child care worker is trained to help with the development of your child while you are not with them. The care and health of your child is also left to the training and experience that is present in the day canters. As this is a very profitable job market there are always openings for the skilled child care worker to make their mark.

These child care providers are the first people who help to shape our children’s social abilities. As this is the case it is best to see if the care and teaching methods that are used will help your child. There is a note of caution that you may want to keep in mind. At present there are no regulations in place stating the experience and training level a child care worker must possess.

The ordinary daycare will be satisfied if the child care worker is willing to work at varying hours, look after the children in the daycare, and feed them at the required mealtimes. The child care worker is also responsible for making sure that the children don’t get into trouble or fights during playtime. The education a child will receive at these daycare centers will not be the same as their peers who are in a well regulated daycare.

In these daycare centers a child care worker is also responsible for the physical condition of the children in their charge but they have other duties too. At these daycare centers the children will be taught how to play with each other. Their toys are designed to stimulate interest and curiosity. The child care worker will divide the day so that they children have a time table to work by.

This time table teaches the children that certain things will occur at allotted times. They will have time to play outside to stimulate their physical condition and so they will have fun. During the story time the children will learn to sit quietly and listen. This will allow them to develop their mental interest in learning. Once the story is finished the children will be allowed to ask questions.

The difference between a well trained child care worker and one who is that well trained is apparent . Parents who desire their child to develop this trait will look for the daycare where such child care is given.

David Faulkner asked:


The environment that a child grows up in is a very important element in his development. As longer hours are spent by children in child care facilities, it is important for administrators of these centers to be more diligent in looking into their programs for child care development.

Essential to a child’s development are the approaches that a facility takes in his learning. Aside from the physical factors crucial to his progress, the child must also be emotionally, intellectually, and socially stimulated.

What types of development should be nurtured in child care centers?

Child care development comes in various forms. One is social development, to which child care facilities may greatly contribute if well-planned activities are properly implemented. When a child is in a day care center, for instance, he is constantly around other children, with whom he plays, works, and eats.

The child also learns how to deal with s – in this case teachers, volunteers, or caregivers who need to be well-trained in child care development. When these professionals show care and concern for their wards, the children react positively and would enjoy their stay in child care facilities more.

Child care development in these facilities also comes in the form of emotional maturity. As children interact with kids of various cultural, ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds, they obtain a deeper understanding of diversity and tolerance for others.

Another form of child care development that can be nurtured are language skills. Even toddlers learn a lot by uttering seemingly nonsensical words, as these are the first steps to language development. Children also take to singing naturally, which also helps in their linguistic learning.

Physical activities, a necessary program in almost all child care facilities, contribute to child care development in a variety of ways. Motor skills, both fine and gross, are enhanced via free play, playground time, and individual work such as painting and playing with puzzles.

Moreover, child care development is at its best when the facility also offers feeding programs. Balanced diets are essential for child care development because kids need proper nutrition in order to progress optimally. When they are given nutritious food, they learn better and are less irritable or hyperactive.

There are many instances when child care development is not easily detected at first, but is manifested in the long term. When there are enough activities to stimulate children’s creativity and interactive skills, we can say that the facility satisfactorily fulfills its role in child care development.

When we speak of outdoor gates, we refer to the security of the center’s perimeter itself. Even during outdoor play, the children must not be able to open the main gates by themselves and possibly venture out into the street. Indoor gates refer to the contraptions attached to staircases and other areas of the house or establishment where access to them may pose dangers to the children.

For the child’s safety, all staircases must be blocked by a safety gate which no child should be able to open without assistance from an . In the same vein, washrooms and toilets must have all the features necessary for it to be child-friendly – that is, toilet seats must be at levels accessible for kids; there should be no bathtubs which could pose dangers to toddlers; and sinks must be within their reach.

Paul Banas asked:


Child care is more than a service that allows parents to work. It is a world that is bound to affect a child’s development in many ways – physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially.

According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, finding quality child care that is affordable can be challenging. Many parents need inexpensive or cost-free day care where they know their children are safe and are being helped to grow and develop. Parents can now contact their local social service agency (listed in the phone book) for information about government-sponsored programs such as Head Start and Early Head Start and other community programs.

The National Women’s Health Information Center (NWHIC) also recommends taking the following steps to choosing quality child care.

Steps to Choosing Quality Child Care:

• Look. Visit several child care homes or centers. Visit the home or center more than once and stay as long as possible so you can get a good feel for what the care will be like for your child. Continue to visit even after you start using the home or center.

• Listen. Make sure the place is cheerful and not too quiet, which can mean not enough activity. Happy-sounding children mean they are involved and busy.

• Count. Count the number of children in the group and the number of staff members caring for them. The fewer the number of children for each staff member, the more attention your child will get.

• Ask. Adults who care for children need knowledge and experience. Ask about the background and experience of all staff that will have contact with your child in the home or center.

• Be Informed. Find out more about efforts in your community to improve the quality of child care. Ask if the home or center is involved in these activities. Consider getting involved you.