3 Tips for Choosing a Child Care Facility for Your New Baby
As an expectant parent who expects to be a working parent soon after the baby is born, arranging for quality child care is quite important and can be challenging. It is important to note that many child-care facilities that accept infants have long waiting lists and offer a variety of programs to encourage their development. In addition, the minimum standards for day cares might not be consistent with your own expectations of a facility where your young child will be spending so much time. Therefore, when you need to know that your baby will be getting the most benefit from the child care facility where he or she will be going, you should be aware of the advice shared below.
#1-Investigate Multiple Daycare Facilities And Go On More Than Waiting List
Given that there are so many daycare facilities with long waiting lists, it is often your best bet to go on the waiting lists at more than one facility. Many parents are surprised to learn that daycare facilities often give their current clients priority over new parents, even those that have been on their waiting list for months. Therefore, it is best to choose more than one facility where you expect your baby to blossom and be added to the waiting list.
By doing so, you are much more likely to be able to enroll your baby when you need to entrust his or her care to professionals. In addition, you may also have more options at that time.
#2-Know The Minimum Standards for Teacher/Infant Ratios & What the Facility Provides
It is also important for any expectant parent to know that each state has specific guidelines in place as to the number of children within any specific age range that can be cared for one provider. However, many daycare facilities have programs in place that require lower ratios of staff to children.
For instance, while states may permit up to five babies under the age of a year to be cared for by one child care professional in a licensed facility, some daycares that have extra certifications from optional governing boards will have as few as three babies in that age group to a single teacher. That gives each teacher more time to focus on the development and needs of each child in their care.
#3-Inquire About Educational Activities Provided by the Facility
Since children change and develop so much within the first year, it is important for them to access specific activities as daycare to encourage their development. Whether it is baby yoga, teaching infant sign language or even early phonics programs, the right facility for your baby is likely to provide unique services that he or she can benefit from during that crucial first year.
When you are choosing a daycare facility for your unborn baby, there are many variables that you should consider. As a result, you are likely to find the above tips to be quite useful. Lean more by visiting resources like http://www.learningtreeatoz.com.
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