Things to Keep in Mind When Hiring a Child Care Center or In-Home Child Care Service in Brunswick
Whether you are looking for an in-home child care service or you are looking for a child care center, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind. These things will help you make the right choice for you and your child.
Group family child care
Generally, group family child care is a home based program that takes care of a group of children. It may or may not be a licensed child care program. It may be run by a single provider, or a couple of providers. It may be in a residential building or it may be in a non-residential building.
Group family child care may not be the first choice on your list of places to drop off your kids. Some parents prefer this type of setting for infants. Some family child care providers are large enough to accommodate a group of siblings and allow them to stay together.
Nursery schools
During the late 19th and early 20th century, Nursery schools for child care provided educational and supervised care for children. Some families needed these services for educational reasons, while others sought care because they were working parents.
The nursery school model claimed to be the answer to the modern family’s childcare needs. The model highlighted the need for education for children, and the importance of providing parents with the tools to raise their children. It also suggested that a “good mother” worked hard to provide for her children.
But the nursery school model did not really address the needs of working class parents. Many nurseries were subsidized by a college or university. Despite the government’s support for nurseries, the gap between education and welfare did not seem to be bridged.
School age care
Providing quality care for school age children requires the implementation of a holistic framework. This framework creates a smooth transition from child care to school and provides continuity for families. It also benefits small businesses.
Many families have multiple children of different ages. They are often in need of care during non-traditional hours. It is important that families are provided quality care in order to ensure their child’s safety.
Children are encouraged to learn through hands-on involvement. They develop friendships and experience unique learning opportunities.
Children are also taught leadership skills. The program also incorporates Boys and Girls Clubs of America programming. The arts and health and life skills are also emphasized.
Adult-child ratios
Getting the right ratio of adults to children can be the most important decision you make when hiring a child care provider. You want to ensure that your children are receiving the best possible care and that your caregivers are appropriately rewarded for their efforts. You will also want to make sure that your caregivers are qualified to perform their jobs well.
The best ratio is one that takes into consideration the age range of the children you care for. This allows you to give each child the attention they need while still keeping the group size down. Ideally, you would have two adults caring for a group of twelve children.
Group size limits
Whether you’re an owner of a child care center, a parent or relative, or just a neophyte looking for a place to go play, you’ll want to know the group size limitations of your locale. In the grand scheme of things, however, there are only a handful of states that have enacted statewide group size limits. Fortunately, there are a few sites that will help you find and compare group size restrictions for any state in the country.
While you’re figuring out which states have the most stringent group size restrictions, don’t forget to check out the state’s quality rating system. While the QRIS isn’t perfect, it does provide a benchmark against which to measure your state’s child care quality.
If you need child care that you can trust, contact Happy Hippo.
