Choosing Quality Child Care

High-quality child care is crucial because it directly supports a child's emotional, social, physical, intellectual, and creative growth. Since young children spend so much time in child care, the quality of that environment can have a significant and lasting impact on their daily lives and future success. Research consistently shows that a positive and nurturing child care experience helps set a strong foundation for a child's development and achievements.

A quality child care program is a safe, loving, and supportive environment that helps children learn, grow, and get ready for kindergarten. When you're looking for a program, consider these key factors:

• A Healthy and Safe Environment: The program should prioritize safety, from healthy snacks and regular handwashing to safe playground equipment and plenty of active play.
• Opportunities for Exploration: A good program supports a child's natural curiosity with stimulating and engaging activities.
• Developmentally Appropriate Practices: The activities and routines should be tailored to each child's age, interests, abilities, and family background.
• Strong Relationships: Providers should build positive, nurturing relationships with both the children and their families.
• Predictable Routines: A consistent daily rhythm for meals, naps, and other activities helps children feel secure.
• Qualified Staff: The child care providers should be well-trained and have the necessary qualifications.
• Appropriate Ratios: There should be a safe number of children for each provider and a small group size to ensure every child gets the attention they need.

You have a few different options when it comes to child care:

• Licensed Family Child Care Home: A small business that operates out of a private home, apartment, or condo.
• Licensed Child Care Center: A larger facility with fixed hours that can care for more children.
• License-Exempt Child Care: This includes care provided by a friend, family member, neighbor, or a nanny/au pair.
• School-Age Child Care: Programs that provide care for children before and after school.

• Every state has a licensing agency for child care programs. A licensed program means the provider has met state standards for health and safety. In California, for example, this includes strict requirements for staff qualifications, background checks, safe sleep practices for infants, emergency plans, and appropriate ratios and group sizes. You can learn more about California's specific standards on the official website.member, neighbor, or a nanny/au pair.
• School-Age Child Care: Programs that provide care for children before and after school.

The "best fit" depends on your family's unique needs, including factors like cost, location, hours, and availability. However, the most important thing is to choose a program that aligns with what your child and family need. Consider what kind of environment would be most supportive and nurturing for your child's specific personality and developmental stage.

Child care programs maintain a healthy and safe environment through a variety of policies and practices. These typically cover:

• Emergency preparedness and planning.
• Medical services, including how medication is administered.
• Safety of indoor and outdoor facilities and equipment.
• Child-to-staff ratios.
• Appropriate physical activity and nutrition.
• Personal hygiene, like regular handwashing.
• Food safety procedures.
• Environmental health, including cleaning products and building safety.
• Specific care for infants and toddlers, such as diapering, injury prevention, and safe sleep practices.

Finding the right child care can take time, so here are a few steps to help you get started:

1. Ask for recommendations from friends and family who have children.
2. Contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency. They can help you find available openings in your area.
3. Schedule virtual or in-person tours to visit potential programs. Talk to the director and staff to get a feel for the environment.
4. Use a checklist to help you review program policies and ask important questions during your interviews.