What Makes Child Care Good?
Parents want what is best for their children. If you are looking for child care for your child, you want it to be good. What does it take for child care to be good? It takes good caregivers. The best caregivers share the following qualities:
- They have positive attitudes and get along well with others.
- Good child care providers are eager to learn more about children and child development. They do more than the minimum required for training each year.
- The best caregivers know the regulations and implement them in their child care programs. They are trained in first aid and infant/child CPR.
- They are registered or licensed by the state.
- Good providers enjoy caring for children and are dedicated to doing what is right for each child. This shows up in the activities they plan and how they treat the children.
- They take time to meet with other caregivers from time to time, to share information about things they have learned about child development and child care.
The Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Better Kid Care Program
has information on children's issues for early childhood educators, child
care providers, and parents on the Better Kid Care Web site at: www.betterkidcare.psu.edu.
What is Your Child Doing All Day at Child Care?
You drop your child off at child care in the morning. You greet the caregiver and say goodbye to your child. Then what happens? What does your child do all day while you are at work? Routines and schedules vary, but here are some basics that should happen at child care:
- If your child arrives before breakfast in the morning, there is probably time for some quiet play activities, such as doing puzzles or looking at books.
- At meal times your child will learn to be independent by doing things such as washing her hands, wiping the table top, setting and clearing the table, serving food, and cleaning up afterwards.
- There should be a posted daily schedule for parents to see.
- There will be some planned activities, free play where children choose what they want to do, and times for quiet play. Meal times and nap times will be listed.
- Your child will benefit from daily outdoor play with chances to explore and to run and play freely outdoors.
- The indoor and outdoor areas should be set up to allow your child to have both active and quiet play.
- During free playtime your child can build with blocks, look at books, play store, draw a picture, play with puppets, or many other things.
- Your child will learn to take turns, share, follow directions, solve problems, and get along with others.
- Your child is observing and learning all day long. Good child care should offer a safe place for that to happen.
The Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Better Kid Care Program has information on children's issues for early childhood educators, child care providers, and parents on the Better Kid Care Web site at: www.betterkidcare.psu.edu.
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Nancy Wilson, Better Kid Care Program Specialist
Penn State Better Kid Care Program
253 Easterly Parkway
State College, PA 16801
e-mail: naw6@psu.edu
Phone: 814-863-5880
Fax: 814-865-7893
