4 Things To Look For In Any Childcare Centre

4 Things To Look For In Any Childcare Centre

Putting your kid in childcare can be difficult for many parents. Getting used to not having them with you every day can be a tough transition. But even after you’ve gotten used to the idea of leaving your child with someone else for a few hours at a time. You still need to feel assured that they are getting the best possible care.

So to put your mind at ease and help you select the right childcare centre for your child, here are the four top things you should look for in any childcare centre.

1. Facilities

Childcare centres come in all sorts of shapes and sizes but the best ones offer plenty of space both indoor and outdoor. The idea behind early childcare is to develop your child’s social and cognitive skills through play and social interaction. So when you’re looking at childcare centres, check to see what kind of facilities they have and try to imagine how your child would play within these facilities.

Gardens and outdoor spaces are a fantastic way of developing your child’s sense of curiosity whilst also giving them a healthy dose of fresh air. A childcare centre with a garden area will help your child to explore different textures, colours and plants and will help develop their fine and gross motor skills through safe messy play.

Mobile toys are fantastic in order to teach children how to share and play alongside others whereas in-built features such as sensory walls help to develop cognitive and motor skills. Look for a centre with a combination of all of these things.

And finally, when looking at the actual facilities, pay close attention to cleanliness. Remember that there is a big difference between tidiness and cleanliness. Children spill things, make a mess and leave toys scattered all over the place but the facilities themselves need to be hygienic and clean at all times. Pay attention to potential hazards too. Again, children constantly create all sorts of hazards but good carers will quickly and safely eliminate these hazards as soon as (or before) they arise.

2. Security

Childcare centres have a lot of coming and going. Parents pick up and drop off their kids at different times and you may not see the same kids in the class every day. It’s therefore extremely important that the centre you choose has a secure system in place to ensure that no unauthorised people enter the facility. Whether it’s a security code at the door that is changed regularly or a unique password assigned to every child, you need to be certain that your child is safe when left in their care.

3. Qualifications

Early childhood development is a fascinating yet complex field. Scientist and researchers are constantly learning more and more about how our children absorb information and develop skills.

It’s therefore vital that the staff at the childcare centre you choose have all the relevant qualifications as well as sufficient experience in childcare.

4. Development Programs

Childcare isn’t just about having someone to watch your child from 9-5. It’s about developing their minds and teaching them vital skills that will help them right through to adulthood. It’s therefore extremely important to look for a childcare centre that offers more than just basic babysitting. Ask them about other things they teach and explore at the centre. For example, they might have childcare art programs, music programs or school readiness programs. Some centres even have foreign language classes to encourage cognitive development.

It’s not about teaching them maths times tables or making them fluent in another language but rather about laying the right foundations and preparing them for the social and educational transition into school life.

The childcare centre you choose for your child will depend on a lot of logistical things such as location and opening hours that fit around your schedule. But before you commit to any particular centre, don’t be afraid to go on multiple visits, check out the facilities and ask plenty of questions about their qualifications, security measures and development programs.

We can’t promise that it will make leaving your child for the first time completely painless, but knowing that your child is getting the best possible start in life will make that first drop off just a little bit easier!