What You like Most About Your Childcare Provider

My sons child care is excellent, but I must tell you I visited SEVERAL before I decided upon the place he goes now! You honestly can tell the minute you walk in whether or not that particular place will work for you and your child. When I walked in the staff was welcoming and very helpful/understanding of my situation in being a new mom looking for daycare. They took me around and I didn't need an appointment which some places require....those places I immediatly crossed off my list because if they have to "prepare" for my visit that is not acceptable in my opinion! The environment was nurturing, staff is all relatively older and either have children of their own or are degreed in early childhood/education. The number one aspect for me is the comfortable, nurturing environment. It is hard to describe but some daycare providers/centers feel so cold immediately when you walk in the door and personally those places were not for me. I also HATED the infant rooms where there were cribs lining the walls so the room basically looked like a PRISON! There were some places where there was very little floor space for the babies to play. Anyways....I could go on and on forever. I have worked in several daycares and obviously have a strong opinion regarding this..so if you want more info feel free to send me a message! Hope this helps! Where are you looking to open your daycare?

I love my in home daycare because they work around my kids needs. If they need to take a nap at 9:00am and no one else is, they still put them down for a nap. I think this is great because the children are less crabby for everyone then. They also work around their nutrition needs. I have a son who is allergic to milk, and as most kids, is sometimes just picky on what he eats. They try to give the kids what they know they will eat. I feel like they are going to grandma's house everyday, because they treat them like that. Actually they treat us like we are their kids too. They also discipline when necessary, but hug them after they are in trouble. It is a nice balance.
There is always 2 people there and that just gives me peace of mind that my child will not be left crying too long because another child needs something right then too. Although, that happens to me at home sometimes! ha ha!
I really love that I get a "report card" everyday too. It tells me what time they napped and what time they ate and what they ate and bowel movements. This is so helpful because then I know if they didn't nap or are constipated or something, why they are crabby and if I should put them to bed earlier. It also helps me develop a schedule for my 5 month old and helps me to not give my 16 month old the same thing for dinner that he had for lunch. A girlfriend of mine gets a little more detail on her "report card". They tell her what kind of activities they did with the children that day and send little notes that might say something like "he did great matching shapes today". I think that is really nice too.
What I wouldn't like is if my child was stuck in a swing or bouncer or activity center all day. I realize this probably has to happen a little more at a daycare, but I would like to at least know that there are special efforts made to interact with my child even when they are so young, that it might not be much. I would like for a daycare to be educated in the stages of children so they know when they should be giving a child more tummy time, or starting to help them use a fork, or starting to say certain words. This education doesn't have to be formal, it can come from experience, reading magazines and talking with the parents. I try to tell my daycare what things I am trying to work on and hope that they try at least a little to support me on that.
Another thing I thought might be nice would be to have something like parent-teacher conferences every so often, it doesn't have to be often, but maybe every few months just for a 1/2 hour or something. We are always in such a rush in the morning to get to work and to get home at night and there are other kids and parents around, so it is sometimes hard to have a focused conversation. It would be nice to touch base just to discuss if everything really seems to be going well and if either sides have any ideas of how things should change or what things should be focused on.
And one other thing I saw on the internet was one daycare that had a website where she posted pictures of the kids, a daily menu and list of activites, and other information. That wouldn't make or break my decision to go somewhere but just thought it was neat.
I could probably go on and on. If you have any specific ideas or questions you want to throw, please feel free to send me a note.
Good luck! It is nice to see that you care so much to even put this topic out there.
Of course, now we would all love to know when and where you are opening! Hope you have a big space!

Hi M.,

What a great topic to put out there! J
In the past couple of years I have had some amazing experiences, and some down right terrible ones.

Here are my top 3 concerns:

1- is my child safe? Are there secure locking doors (or doors that are not just left open so anyone can wander in). Is the outdoor play area secure? High enough fences, away from cars and traffic, and is the outdoor equipment safe and not too old? Are the indoor toys safe, in fair condition and age appropriate? Is the center kept clean? A PLUS would be for the children to use hand sanitizer. Also, if a child has food allergies, are the providers willing to be properly trained (epi-pens, etc) and/or are they willing to execute a parent’s emergency plan in case of a life-threatening situation? Web-cams are also a major plus!

2- Are the caregivers providing tender care? When children are away from home, they do need love and affection to feel safe. They need gratification and encouragement when they excel. I think it is essential for children to be around kind and genuine leaders, who are not afraid to get down and be involved with what the children are doing. Perhaps working on projects with them, coloring with them, singing with them, etc.

3- Are they learning anything? Is a daily curriculum created and posted, so that parents know what the children are working on? If a child is moving ahead of the rest of the class, are they given more difficult work so they are equally as stimulated?

My son also had some difficulty with potty training because his past caregivers would not let him get up during naptime to use the restroom. Big negative. He was constantly wetting himself and thought he couldn’t do it.

Anyway, I hope this helps you. Good luck to you!

The things I love about my child card provider are that they are always excited to see me and my son. Whenever we walk in, they always have a smile on their face, and always seem to have the time if I need to chat. They also understand my concerns most times well before I have to address them.

Recently I was unemployed for 5 weeks. Today was my 3rd day back to work and my son being back in the daycare. The 1st 2 days he was in the young todd's room and it was awful! I didn't like that the teacher there said to me "I don't have time to force your son to take a nap!" and "Everyone in this room is on 1 nap a day, that's what we do" or my favorite "She has a crib because she's little, everyone else is in a cot!" More information on that - My son is just now 12 months old. He started walking 2 weeks ago. How DARE she say that to me? I pay them to care for my child, and when they ask "What is his schedule?" and I say "a morning & afternoon nap", where is the disconnect?

I have been going to this center for 8 months now, and I have loved it (despite the 2 months that he was disenrolled because of unemployment). I hate the drive to get there, but I have always said it was worth it, and since I was driving so far for work, why not? Now, I have a position that is super close to home, and driving to the daycare is upsetting me. My son will be moving to an inhome daycare in a few weeks. I hope this one will be just as good, or better. I love & trust the ladies that care for my son. It seems as though each and every one of them loves him as if he was their own child. I think that helped me feel comfortable right off the bat. Also, they talk to me when I call at lunch time. They don't just say "He's fine" and then try to get off the phone. They take the moment to speak with me, even if it's about my bad day at work, my boyfriend, or my car. They listen to me, and that helps me to trust them. hey also confide in me some of their personal things.

I am a person who THRIVES on personal connection between people. I take a lot of pride in being upfront and truthful to everyone around me and when those I deal with are also upfront and personal, it makes it better. At this center, I get that, and then some.

Where are you opening your daycare at??? hehhe

OH, and if I had to change something about the in home care I'm about to switch to, I'd ask for a weekly pay schedule instead of a monthly or semi-monthly pay schedule. It's easier to manage the bills (for me at least) with the current pay schedule of weekly, instead of owing Rent + daycare at the 1st of every month.