A child care program should allow children to have fun, pursue interests, improve skills, and encourage positive social interactions in a secure and supportive setting.
How do you know that the child care program you are considering is right for you and your child?
1. Stimulating Activities
First and foremost, the program should provide stimulating activities. These can include games, arts and crafts, Physical activities and games, music lessons or performances. The activities should be age-appropriate and fun for your child. Activities should also be connected to educational outcomes. Yes,education is challenging, fun and rewarding! Further, look for a supplemental emphasis on physical fitness. Stretching, yoga, organized movement, or balancing are activities that children can learn to do independently at school and at home.
2. Dedicated and Enthusiastic Staff
The staff of a child care program program should be dedicated, enthusiastic, and friendly. They should also be able to communicate with parents, children and each other. The staff must have certifications and be trained in CPR & First Aid. They should also have training to provide emotional support.
3. Lunch and Snacks
When looking for a child care program, you should be sure that the lunch and/or snacks available are healthy and nutritious. The program should promote healthy eating as part of the curriculum. Finally, the space and time for eating should be an opportunity to practice positive social interactions.
4. Homework Supervision and Support
Does the day school also have an after-school program? Homework supervision and support is critical to help children with their organization, prioritization, and cognitive study skills. Feedback will help them understand the recursive aspect to learning as they gain confidence with corrections and practice.
5. Socialization Opportunities
Social skills are important for children and will help to prevent behavioral problems as they grow into more complex settings. A child care program should offer opportunities for socialization with peers of the same age. Older children should be taught social responsibility and leadership opportunities within a school community.
6. Transportation
If transportation is available to and from the program. You should inquire about safety rules for transportation and there always should be a paired system for staff and students. You should understand how pick-up changes are communicated for the afterschool program for elementary school aged
7. Individualized Attention
Children come with varied backgrounds, interests and personalities. When it comes to a child carel program, one of the most important things you can look for is individualized attention. Children cherish when they are seen by their teachers. This can be promoted by teachers through personal feedback, communication, and questions in various settings during the school day. Students who receive individualized attention at school and at home are more likely to greater success in life.
8. Positive Behavior Management System
The positive behavior management system is an important part of a day school program. Positive behavior management systems help children to learn how to accept differences, share resources, and have empathy. In a positive behavior management system, teachers use communication as a key tool to learn about outcomes of various scenarios.
9. Family Oriented
School programs must be family oriented. Inquire about how communication is conducted daily, weekly, and monthly. Communication should be both informal such as activities and simply pictures, and it should be supplemented with more formal communication such as teacher-parent conferences and progress data. Schools need healthy collaboration with their families.
10. Safety and Security
Bottom line, nothing else listed above matters without your confidence in the safety and security of the day school program. Safety and security should be the top priority for any school program, so be sure to ask questions about how the program is trained to deal with emergencies and look for physical measures such as safety locks or electrical plug covers.
With these tips, you can feel confident in making an informed decision as you consider various child care program for your child!
