When you are turning to an after school child care program, you are placing a lot of trust in those who are running the program. While most daycare programs are very safe, if you are not sure, there are several positive signs you can look for that can indicate that a daycare program is safe.
Licensed
When an after school child care program is licensed, it will have safety standards that it will need to abide by. By having safety measures in place, your child will be much less likely to get hurt. Look for accreditation from the National Association of Family Child Care or the National Association of Education of Young Children.
Great Child-Caregiver Ratio
Look for an after school program that doesn't have too many children. If the program has under 14 children, the daycare is following laws and regulations. Also, the more children, the more likely that a rambunctious child might hurt yours and it will also be harder for the daycare to keep an eye on each child.
Curriculum is Changing Regularly
Learn about the curriculum at the daycare. It should be changing everyday and should not be static. If the daycare has a curriculum, you can know what type of activities your child will be engaged in and will feel more confidence in how safe he or she will be.
Low Turnover
Talk to employees and ask how long they have worked there. If there are employees who have worked there for years, this is a sign that the daycare is a very professional one. Also, if the employees are very experienced, they are more likely to know what dangers to look out for.
Kidproof
Visit the daycare and look at the safety precautions that they are taking. For example, if the daycare is run out of someone's home, has the home been thoroughly kid-proofed. Stringes used to pull blinds should be out of reach and stairs should be blocked off. The best daycare facilities are those that are a separate building built specifically for this purpose. If the daycare looks very clean, this is another sign that it's safe.
If you have any questions or concerns, make sure to ask the daycare. Those daycare facilities that are the most safe will be available to answer any questions you may have and will have a representative who is always available if you need to call.
Share30 December 2019
Hi there, I am Kristy Pithe. I am a mom of two wonderful children. I also work outside of the home for 40 to 60 hours a week. Juggling those two responsibilities put our family in a tailspin until I started using a nanny share. I was unaware this childcare option existed until one of my friends brought it up. The nanny share does not work for everyone, however. Luckily, there are tons of other childcare options available in each area. I hope to use my website to help others identify and find a childcare option that works best for their needs. I will explore all of the different facilities and caregivers available while discussing the benefits of each one. Families can use my site as their main resource on this difficult subject. Thank you.