WHAT PARENTS NEED TO LOOK FOR WHEN LOOKING AT A SCHOOL
Finding quality school-age child care that matches your child's needs and interests is an important job. Here are some standards and principles you can use to guide your search:
Space is appealing and flexible. It can be used for different kinds of activities and different sizes of groups.
Staff are resourceful, caring people who understand the important role that adults play in school-agers' lives.
Most activities and experiences are child-selected. Schedules are flexible and children are not forced to participate in activities.
Programs uses positive guidance rather than punishment to help school-agers develop self-control and learn to behave appropriately.
Program provide a wide range of activities and experiences that contribute to all aspects of a school-ager's development by:
-Fostering a positive self-image and sense of independence.
-Encouraging children to think, reason. question and experiment.
-Enhancing children's physical development, encouraging cooperation and promoting a healthy view of competition.
-Encouraging sound health, safety and nutritional practices and the creative, wise use of leisure time.
-Generating and awareness of the community at large and creating opportunities for children's involvement in ti.
Does the program encourage children to relax and to be comfortable?
Are there places for children to spend quiet time alone, time with friend and timein larger groups?
Do adults talk to children in positive terms and help children resolve conflicts?
Does the staff treat all children with respect, without showing favoritism based on gender, race, culture and other factors?
Guidance and Discipline
Are children encourage to cooperate with others, think about other children's feelings and solve problems by talking things out?
Does the caregiver recognize and encourage good behavior more often than correcting bad behavior?
Does the caregiver set limits for children that are consistent and make sense?
Are the limits simple and clearly explained to the children?
Does the caregiver redirect children by giving alternatives when behavior is unacceptable?
If time-outs are given, is the length of the time-out reasonable?
Does the program prohibit all forms of physical punishment, verbal abuse, and neglect of any kind?
INFANT AND TODDLER CARE
Do caregivers understand that very young children are not yet able to communicate their needs through language and quickly respond to children's cries?
Do caregivers talk, sing and read to infants and toddlers?
Do caregivers recognize that babies eat and sleep when they are most comfortable doing so?
Can caregivers see and hear infants and toddlers at all times?
Do caregivers treat children with kindness and respect?
Are babies always placed on their backs for sleeping? Are cribs free of pillows, comforters, bumpers pads, etc?
Are infants held while being bottle-fed?
Are diapers changed when wet?
Do caregivers support and encourage children during the potty-training process?
Is there enough space for children to explore and develop motor skills(including a soft space for infants to lay, roll and crawl)?