‘Day Care’ Category

What are the Indications of a Qualified Day Care Teacher?

As a parent you go off for work and drop your child at your day care center, you want to feel confident your child's day care teacher is qualified. A...

 

As a parent you go off for work and drop your child at your day care center, you want to feel confident your child’s day care teacher is qualified. As a parent you have every right to know that you are leaving your child in good and capable hands. There are different requirements for a home day care teacher compared to that of a large day care center. Here are some steps that you can take in order to determine whether or not your child’s day care teacher is qualified.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask the day care teacher directly about his of her education. Different countries, states, and regions have different requirements. But most day care teachers are required to have taken classes or units about early childhood education. If you are not comfortable asking this directly to the teacher, then you can always inquire about that with the day care administrator.

Determine whether or not the day care teacher has experience with children. A newbie teacher may have all the qualifications and requirements, but does not necessarily have the tenure of having direct experience with children. You also have to remember that good experience does not only come from employment. Good day care teachers could have come from volunteer work and most of the time these types of day care teachers are better.

Observe the day care teacher and look for indications of ease and comfort in both parties. A day care teacher should be able to relate with children with ease and the children should also show signs of being comfortable with the teacher. He or she should exhibit kindness and cool temper. It should be observed that a teacher should know how to speak with the child in a manner that is not like talking the kid down.

Many regions and countries require professionals working with children to have a background check. A professional day care teacher will not be offended if you ask them about such and it is your right to know if they have undergone such checks. Day care teachers know this is a requirement and they should not hesitate to answer if you ask them about it.

Ask if the day care teacher knows how to perform CPR or has certification in First Aid or CPR. This gives you peace of mind in case an emergency occurs.

You should also know that you may not share the same views on child care but they are still qualified to be a day care teacher. You also have to trust your instincts. The day care teacher may have all the qualifications on print, but if you feel that there is something you aren’t comfortable with about the day care teacher, then look for an alternative as much as possible.

What are the Different Types of Day Care Learning and its Benefits?

 

Day Care Centers provide care to children whose parents are out working. An good day care center does more than mere babysitting the children. A good day care center provides learning and motivating activities to the children. Day care learning takes many forms. If there is a good variety of learning opportunities in a day care center, it instils enthusiasm for learning in children.

Learning centers in a day care classroom involves a set of several activities in the different parts of the room. A healthy balance of different activities gives the children the opportunity to pick that topic they are interested in. These can include books, toy blocks, art pieces, puzzle projects, sensory tables, puppets, and many more. Most day care learning takes place on an individual level before the child interacts with other kids as they desire. Getting the children to try out all the learning centers within the classroom keeps them engaged and well-rounded.

Small group learning allows a child to work with other children to accomplish a task. This type of day care learning also allows teachers to effectively supervise a number of kids. The ideal ratio of a teacher to the children should 5 is to one. This enables children to get the teacher’s attention without having to compete for it. Small group learning utilises board games, art projects, and short skits that the kids can present to the rest of the group.

Another type of day care learning is the large group activities. This one involves the entire class in one educational activity. You have to remember though that children may experience difficulty in concentrating with a large group. But you also have to take note that they need to be exposed to large group activities. So it is recommended that you occasionally change the duration of large group activities, increasing and decreasing the length of the activities to meet the children’s needs. Activities involved in this type of day care learning are counting, alphabet activities, singing songs, reading books, or teaching the children sign language.

Physical activity is another day care learning method and it helps children develop their motor skills over time. Utilise activities such as relay race, dance, tag, and some exercise activities. Children also need to develop their hand-eye coordination so you need to utilise activitie that require them to manipulate small objects such as puzzles, building something out of building blocks, andmock laboratory or kitchen equipment will help achieve this.

Real world experiences are perhaps the most important type of day care learning. A trip to the local zoo, museum, or a local business establishment while explaining to them what purposes that establishment serves can be really helpful for children to understand the world outside the day care center.

What are the Advantages of Offering Subsidized Day Care to Corporate Employees?

 

Subsidized day care by corporations has been an on-going trend since the id 90s. This initiative addressed problems such as lack of affordable yet quality day care services parents who are employed by such corporations. This is also very helpful to employees who worked the off-hours or those who worked through graveyard shifts.

Subsidized day care for a company’s employees is one of the biggest benefits that a parent/s can get. Some of these subsidized day care centers are operated by the company’s staff, but most of the time companies hire outside contractors to get the job done. Since companies get experienced day care staff, outside providers give companies higher quality and better qualified staff with minimum costs.

When a company offers a subsidized day care plan or center, it helps create employee loyalty similar to a health insurance. Subsidized day care does not only make an employer more desirable to potential employees, it keeps them from thinking of leaving the company.

At the same time, a company with a subsidized day care benefit offers potential employees comfort and security that other companies may not have. If you are thinking of getting the best talent and you are offering a benefit such as subsidized day care plans, you put your company ahead of the competition for being family-oriented.

Most of the subsidized day care centers operate during the business hours of a company. Some businesses require a lot of off-hours or graveyard shifts or even extended shifts like a 12-hour shift. Subsidized day care options make companies more attractive employers in the eyes of the workforce and potential employees. Often times companies need to change shifts among their workforce, hence a subsidized day care being offered by a company comes in handy as it can be as flexible as an employee’s needs require it to be.

Offering subsidized day care to employees also lessens absenteeism among the workforce. Employees feel more confident and relaxed that they can check on their children every once in a while during work hours. This allows them to focus on work, reducing stress caused by constantly worrying about their kids at home or at out-of-site day care centers.

All these results of higher productivity, increased retention, and attractive benefits to potential new employees can mean only one thing: cutting overhead costs of the company. The savings that companies get from the benefits of subsidized day care plan more than pay for the plan itself, they can use these savings in order to give further incentives to employees and even expand their business.

Starting a Home Day Care

 

Do you know a fun movie about fathers starting their own home day care? Daddy Day Care was a blast of a movie for anyone who watched them. It showed the experience of free-wheeling but loving parents who know nothing about starting a home day care, but eventually succeeded to cap a good ending. Of course a lot went wrong in the story, showing us how inept people can fall flat when running a day car center. This just shows that starting a home day care takes a lot of hard work, patience, and a lot good breaks.

Starting a home day care can be a very fruitful experience, and with the right amount of planning and foresight, you can earn a worthy income. Starting a home day care also allows you to work from home doing what you do best. You are pretty much your own boss, and your time is only limited to the schedule that you set.

However, there is also a lot to consider in starting your own home day care. First, you need to ask yourself if you really love to be with kids. There is a difference between having the natural instinct to take care of your own child compared to being responsible for somebody else’s child. You have to learn from each and every kid that comes through your day care. You have to know what they like to do, what they hate to do, what food they eat, what kind of kids they play with, and even the things that will prevent them from crying. Thus, there is a great deal of emotional investment not only to the business, but also to the kids that you are bringing in.
Another thing that you should consider is your home and family. The home dynamics can be altered once you have other children running around the house. Your own children may or may not be able to handle having to share their personal space, toys, and even your attention with other children.

In addition, your home may not also be that large to accommodate a large number of children. Make sure you have sufficient garden space and living room space to be able to conduct games and activities. Child-proofing measures such as removing sharp objects, keeping them away from electrical sockets and large furniture, and carpeting the floor is important in maintaining a child-friendly day care center.

There is little risk in starting a home day care center. As long as you have a good house, you do not need much money to start one. However, what you need to have is the right approach and a positive outlook. It should be all about taking care of the goods, and making money should only be secondary to it. It requires hard-work, patience, and a lot of emotional investment. Once you realize that, you will surely be successful.

Some Tips on How to Open a Day Care Service

 

Opening a day care service is a rewarding and profitable venture since it is a booming industry. This will continue for many years to come as the financial demands make parents work extra hours or off-hours. If you are planning in venturing this growing industry, how to open a day care service that is of high quality will be your aim.

Research what are your local government’s regulations with regards to opening a day care center. Most of the time the basic regulations involve getting the business registered and getting you and staff (if you have any) registered as well. Other regulations also involve what the appropriate child-to-staff ratio is. Most regions allow 6 children to one teacher, while others base it upon the age of the children. Check with your local regulations what the ratio for the teacher-to-children is.

Think carefully if you want to open a home-based day care center or if you will purchase or rent a facility. Operating a home-based day care service keeps your overhead costs low, however there will be space limitations.

Take CPR and first aid certification classes so that you can handle any emergencies that might occur within the day care center. Always keep a first aid kit within thee premises and regularly check medicines and ointments if they are expired or not.

Make sure that before you open a day care center, the premises, be it home-based or an outside facility, that you have the proper fire hazard equipment. Make sure there is a concealed place for cleaning and other harmful chemicals so children won’t find them.

Protect your personal so that if ever your business is sued, you won’t have to worry about your personal assets being affected by the case. Also make sure to purchase insurance3 for your business in cases that your business will suffer damages or if a child is injured under your care.

If you ever decide on operating the business yourself, you will need to handle the accounting, the billing, and advertising responsibilities. You need to set up a good accounting system and you need to devise a good advertising scheme to get your business known.

Research the nutritional needs of the children so you can have a daily meal plan that you can offer the children. Usually the meal selection is handled by your local government’s nutritional department. You can ask for their help with regards to this so you can carefully lay out what meals to offer to kids daily.

Perhaps one of the most important tips that you will get on how to open a day care service is the purchase of toys, educational books, games and puzzles. You need to keep in mind that children need to practice harnessing their fine and gross motor skills. Perhaps the best part of owning a day care center is having fun with the children.

Setting up a Drop-in Day Care Business

 

In most instances, parents do not need a full-time day care service for their children. Some parents require day care every once in a while, once a week, every other day, or if they are simply going out to get groceries and some other stuff. Parents are looking for more affordable alternatives to a full-time day care services. That is when a drop-in day care service comes in very handy for them. If you want to capitalize on this then learn how to set up a drop-in day care business with these steps.

Choose carefully whether you want to open your drop-in day care business right at your own home or through another space or facility. Operating a home-based drop-in day care is much more affordable however it limits the number of children you can allow to enrol into your center. Running a drop-in day care center from another space of facility gives you a chance to cater to more children, but the overhead costs will be more expensive.

Make sure to check the requirements for operating a day car business in your region; apply for them all. You do not want to be facing any legal problems in the future. Most of the time drop-in day care facilities are required to meet the same standards as that of full-time day care services.

You will have to undergo criminal background checks. Most countries and regions all over the world require some sort of background check before they allow you to operate a drop-in day care service.

Get all the units and trainings necessary to open a day care service. Even though the business you are planning to open is just a drop-in day care service, you will still be required to takes a number of early childhood education units for you to operate a day care business. It is also essential that you get certified with CPR and First Aid training.

Make sure that your drop-in day care center’s ambiance is set up in way that will make children comfortable. You need to make sure that the children will enjoy staying in your facility. You also have to make sure that you have all the necessary tools and equipment in order to accommodate the learning needs of the children under your care. Equipments such as books, table and chairs for children, and a variety of indoor and outdoor toys is a must.

Advertise your drop-in day care business so people will know that your business exists. Advertise by passing on fliers or placing ads in your local newspaper. You can also advertise online to reach more and more people. Once you have established your name and reputation, you just need to maintain a good and trustworthy image so that you can grow your drop-in day care business.

Is a 24 Hour Day Care Service Really Necessary?

 

For parents who are always on the go, especially those who have to work double shifts or graveyard shifts, 24 hour day care centers are heaven sent for them. It is now a common trend and we all know for a fact that most parents work beyond the 9am to 5pm shifts. This is where they need the services of 24 hour day care centers.

24 Hour Day Care Services have been around for some time now and is currently growing in number. Some traditional day care centers who only offer their services during regular hours now extend their services for longer periods of time, while some others choose to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you are in a constant state of business, worrying about your child’s welfare is normal. You would want to know where your child is or what he or she is doing currently. A 24 Hour day care service operates round the clock to meet you and your child’s needs. 24 hour day care centers not only cater to those who are working on late shifts or double shifts, they also cater to parents who have to attend to an emergency or if you have to go out of town to take care of other matters.

There are many benefits that you will find with a 24 hour day care center. One of them is knowing exactly where your child is and knowing that they are safe and secure so that you can get to do whatever it is that you need to do during that time. Another benefit that you can get from a 25 hour day care service is peace of mind. At least you know your child is in capable hands..

Of course this is a great service, however there are some things that you need to know before committing your child to a 24 hour day care service. First off, you need to make sure that the day care center is qualified and licensed to operate for a full 24 hours. Not all day care centers have the same facilities and staff that can handle a round the clock service. There are a lot of aspect in caring and looking after a child, but there are certainly more aspects involved if the child is required to stay in the facility the entire night. This means you have to research day care centers that offer a full 24 hour service and compare them with one another to see which one will suit your need and of course the needs of your child.

How to Choose a Good Day Care Service?

 

One the most important decisions that you as a parent has to make is selecting the right day care service for your child. It is a tough decision to make but not something that you should fret about. Leaving children in the care others is often necessary. Taking the time to choose a good day care service will help ease any of your worries about leaving your child in the care of someone else.

Know what your priorities are. Do you want your day care service to be close to your job or home? Are there other things that you are looking for in a day care service? Make a list of your child’s needs so you can compare it with the available day care services around your area.

Research the credentials of your choice of day care services. Check out if they are accredited by the local government and the regional educational board. Different countries and regions have different sets of rules and regulations. Make sure that your choice of day care service is following them. You may also want to check if the employees and staff of the day care service are certified in CPR or first aid qualified.

Check out the top day care services that you have in your area. You can arrange to meet the administrators of the day care facility and its staff. Do not be afraid to ask questions about the day care service’s curriculum and educational goals. More importantly, don’t be afraid to ask about the qualifications of the day care teachers. Check out the student to teacher ratio to see if they have a sufficient number of teachers in response to the number of children enrolled under them..

There are day care services that allow a certain period of time for parents to check whether or not their child will be comfortable with their new surroundings. Take advantage of that. Observe how your child interacts with the staff and other children. It is also important to ask your child what they think about the day care service as it will allow you to make better a better decision.

What better way to know about day care services than to ask other parents about their recommendations. Ask your co-workers or neighbors about a a day care service that they know of or have their child registered under. Ask friends and relatives for their honest opinion about day care services. Make a master list of day care services so you can compare them with one another.

Don’t forget to trust your instincts. A day care service may have the necessary credentials and requirements but you aren’t comfortable with them, then by all means there are still a slew of other day care services out there to choose from. Go and find the one that will fit your child’s needs.

Finding a Special Needs Daycare

 

Daycare centers are all over the place. Every neighborhood or town seems to have its own daycare center. Many parents can find one near their home or somewhere very accessible. However, if you need a daycare center that accepts children with special needs then you might have a hard time. Finding a daycare fit for a child is hard enough but finding a special needs daycare will be quite a feat because of the limited options available.

A lot of daycare centers do not open up their doors to children with special needs. Daycare providers usually do not have teachers that are trained to handle and deal with children with special needs. These daycare centers also do not have the proper resources and tools needed for the care of children with special needs. Daycare owners and providers prefer to stay away from the added costs that are incurred when dealing with children with special needs.

Finding a special needs daycare will entail looking for a place that specializes in children with special needs. This means that the people handling the children or the teachers in the center have proper training in special education. There is a special set of skills and tools that need to be used when dealing with children with special need and daycares should be able to provide this. A special needs daycare should also be able to provide medical assistance if needed. The teachers should be trained in healthcare. There should be an occupational, physical and speech therapist present in a special needs daycare. This will ensure that the child with special needs is in good hands and will be trained properly. This will also ensure improvements in the child’s speech among other things.

A daycare for children with special needs will mean that they will be able to interact with children just like them. No one will pick on someone who is different. This will encourage a child to come out of his shell and mingle with people. Playing with other children is important to every child and a daycare center will be able to provide a safe environment for this.

When looking for a special needs daycare, be sure to get to know the owners and teachers well. Full disclosure of the child’s needs will be required in order to make a program suitable for the child. If you still have problems looking for or selecting a daycare for children with special needs then you can either consult doctors or friends to ask for recommendations. Find a daycare that you are comfortable with and that you feel will be suitable to the needs of your child.

Day Care Regulations that You Need to Know

 

Day care regulations differ from every region and country. However there are some standards for day care regulations which needs to be considered if you are looking for a day cay center for your child or if you want to open your own day care center. You have to make sure and check what are the updated rules and regulations from your area. The most important regulations that you need to check out are the safety and medical regulations as these are the ones that get updated regularly.

It is the universal rule that a day care center be registered. The day care center should be registered as a business complete with the corresponding business tax identification and employee identification numbers. In conjunction with this, the day care facility must meet certain standards. An inspector will be involved with this and will check the location of the day care center, the qualifications of the employees, and the capability of the owner. All of this will be counter checked against a set of day care regulations by the inspector.

Depending on how many children are enrolled under the day care center, specific regulations are needed to be followed. Every country or region have different rules and regulations for it butthe standard rule is that the adult-child ratio should be a match, for example 5 or 6 kids is to one teacher.

Many regions require administrators and employees of day care centers to have knowledge of first aid or certified with CPR training. Special day care regulations also apply for children who are disabled. Day care regulations also require employees and administrators of day care centers to have continuous training on safety, health, and even nutrition for the kids.

There are two ways of operating a day care, one could be a home based day care, or an establishment-type day care center. Day care regulations require establishment-type day care centers to consider the number of children they will allow to register versus the size of the room or the establishment.

Some day care centers offer transportation for the children registered in the day care center. Certain day care regulations require day care center drivers to have the necessary qualifications and should have undergone background checks. Some other day care regulations specify where the drop off point is for the children and where they can pick them up.

Day care regulations for safety require that specific items are not allowed from the day care facility. Items that are banned are toxic house cleaners, poisonous substances, guns, and other equally harmful things. There are also some day care regulations regarding what kinds of toys are allowed within the facility and what food to serve to the children.