How to Choose the Right Childcare for Your Child

There are a many decisions in life that will trial us as parents and one of the hardest of all is deciding who we trust enough to leave our precious child(ren) with all day long while we go to work. We love them more than anything in the world and only wish to protect them and keep them safe at all costs so when it comes to choosing a childcare provider we cannot take this decision too lightly.

First of all, RESEARCH!
Search online, get referrals from local schools, friends and family, your church, your paediatrician, whoever it is that you trust.  The best type of advertisement a childcare centre can have is positive personal experiences so ask around!

You will need to decide what type of setting you and your child will prefer.
Home care can be unlicensed as well as licensed. An unlicensed home care may only accept 5 children (apart from their own) and will not receive visits from the Ministry of Education to ensure certain standards are being upheld.

A licensed home care setting may have more than 5 children, while maintaining ratios according to the Day Nursery's Act, and will have regular visits from the Ministry of Education.

A licensed child care centre, whether privately run, regionaly run or a charitable organization, will also need to follow the Day Nurseries Act and will be subject to visits from the Ministry as well. These visits may be announced or not so the center will always have to be prepared and running accordingly.

The following link will outline the expectations of the Ministry of Education in Ontario:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/licensingstandards.html

Once you have narrowed down the search to the centres you would consider, it is vital to book a tour. Before you visit, write down any questions you have so that you won't forget anything on the day.
Topics to touch on include (but are not limited to); Daily schedule, classroom ratios, who the primary caregiver will be, behavior management policies, menus, program planning, will there be family grouping (when different age groups are placed together usually at the beginning and end of each day), naptime, what the parents need to supply (ie wipes, diapers etc), allergies, first aid qualifications and policies (ie in what circumstances would parents will be contacted), do they accept subsidy (if applicable).

The tour of the home/centre is as important for getting a feel of the caregivers as it is for getting answers for your questions. It is crucial that you and your child feel comfortable with the staff and their policies before any decision is made (that is not to say your child won't cry when you do eventually leave him/her there, but the transition will be much easier if you both find comfort in your caregiver!)
And get acquainted with other staff, cooks, supervisors etc because they will also be a big part of your child's day during childcare.

Once you finally decide on your caregiver, whether it be home care or centre care...allow adequate time for TRANSITION!  Whether it be a few weeks or a few days, the caregiver should be encouraging this to ease the process for yourself and especially your child. Whatever time you can manage to dedicate to transioning will benefit you both in the long run. Your child will feel much safer and at ease when you do finally leave him/her for their first full day if you have spent some time at the centre with them. Start slowly, an hour one day, maybe two the next. Work your way up to a full morning and then eventually a full day. After the first few visits you can start to leave your child alone, for a longer period each time.  And role modelling positive interactions with the caregiver and other staff/children will show your child that they are people to be trusted.

All in all, ensure you are comfortable with your decision and choose someone you trust to care for your baby. Someone who shows an enjoyment of children, a warm heart and caring manner. You really cannot take this step too seriously!

Good Luck!