For many parents, sending their child off to a childcare centre is both a proud and scary moment. But before they head off for their first day in Kindy you need to establish which is the right one for them to go to.
This is not a decision to be taken lightly and there are several boxes that need ticking before you can settle on a place. For instance, how safe is the centre for your little one and how will they make your child grow, develop and be happy.
When sounding out a childcare centre, you’ll no doubt have lots of questions. However, the law of averages suggests there will be something you forget to ask, which is why we have put together this list of the eight pertinent questions you should have answered before committing to enrolling your child.
1. What is the Staff-to-Child Ratio?
When choosing a childcare facility, you will want to know that your child will be well looked after and not left to their own devices. The best way for this to happen is if the childcare provider has a low staff-to-child ratio because this metric directly affects the quality of care that a child will receive.
Typically, the lower the ratio, the more likely it is that each caregiver will be responsible for fewer children. As a result, they should receive more personalised interaction and attention, which is particularly important in early childhood development where it is crucial to nurturing a child’s emotional, social and cognitive growth.
Most reputable childcare centres, like Raising Stars, are required to follow specific staff-to-child ratios that have been set by local or state regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of all children. For this reason, it is in the interests of parents to make themselves aware of these regulations and find out if the childcare facility is complying with them.
Lower staff-to-child ratios also means children are more closely supervised, which tends to result in less accidents or incidents and enables careers to help your child reach developmental milestones, address their emotional concerns and provide comfort more effectively when needed.
2. What Qualifications and Experience Do the Staff Members Have?
The success of any childcare centre is reliant on the staff that work within them. So, for your own peace of mind, it is a good idea to inquire about the qualifications of the staff.
You should gain a lot of confidence in a childcare facility if the majority of staff hold relevant educational qualifications such as degrees in early childhood education, child development, or a related field. In addition, certifications in aspects like CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and First Aid are a good indication that staff can handle any emergencies that might arise.
If other staff members hold certifications in specialised areas such as child psychology or behaviour management it will demonstrate the facility has a diverse workforce with varied educational
backgrounds that should provide a well-rounded and stimulating environment for your child.
While educational qualifications and certifications are admirable, you can’t beat good old experience. Staff members who possess several years of hands-on experience dealing with children are often better equipped to understand their unique needs at various stages of their development.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask about staff turnover levels as low rates usually point to happy and motivated staff and a well-run and stable team.
3. Have you done background checks on your staff?
When you leave your child with a childcare facility, you place a huge amount of trust and confidence in the organisation. Therefore, you have every right to ask whether and to what degree they do background checks on their employees.
The purpose of these checks, of course, is to verify the trustworthiness, reliability, and suitability of individuals who will be responsible for the well-being and development of children. They may include several components, such as criminal background checks, sex offender registry checks, educational and professional verification, reference checks, child abuse registry checks and even driving record checks if the individual would be required to drive the children on excursions.
Criminal background checks are a standard practice in the childcare industry, and they aim to identify any criminal history, including convictions or pending charges. Essentially, the purpose of this check is to assess potential risks and ensure that individuals with a history of offences that could pose a threat to children are not employed in childcare roles.
Background checks should not be a one-time process, so look favourably on any organisation that runs them regularly, as this practice should reflect their commitment to maintaining a safe and secure environment for children.
4. What Safety Measures are in Place?
Every morning when you drop your child at daycare you will want to know they are safe. Therefore, it is worth gaining a thorough understanding of the steps a facility takes to maintain a safe and nurturing atmosphere for all children.
One of the things you should ask about include how easy it is for outsiders to enter the centre, for instance, do they have key cards or a coded entry system?
You should also find out what emergency protocols they have in place for situations like lockdowns, fire drills and natural disasters and take it as a good sign if the centre has a well-defined emergency, practises regular drills and commits to regular staff training.
Another aspect to ask about include specific childproofing and safety features they might have, which may include covering electrical outlets, installing safety equipment and securing cabinets and furniture. In addition, be sure to ask about what first aid supplies they have on hand and what health and hygiene practices they implement, such as handwashing, sanitation and illness prevention.
You may also want to find out more about their surveillance systems, outdoor safety measures and allergy management procedures before deciding if the centre is the right fit for your child.
5. What is the Centre’s Approach to Discipline?
Discipline can be a thorny subject as everyone has a different opinion on how children should be raised (especially other people’s kids!). However, it is worth enquiring about the childcare centre’s approach.
The act of disciplining a child is not just about correcting behaviour. It also plays a significant role in shaping a child’s social and emotional development. So, it is just as important to ask about the centre’s use of positive reinforcement to encourage good behaviour as it is to establish how they reprimand children for rudeness, selfishness or fighting, or indeed manage conflict resolution.
You should ascertain how consistent the centre is with its discipline measures. At the same time, make sure that your view of expectations of age-appropriate behaviour aligns with theirs. Younger children do not have the same understanding of social norms as older children. So, the strategies for disciplining them should be modified accordingly.
6. What is the Procedure for Handling Allergies and Dietary Restrictions?
If you have a child who suffers from allergies or dietary restrictions, you will want to know they will be well looked after at the centre. A good childcare centre will have procedures in place to identify and document specific allergies, communicate the information to all relevant staff members and implement necessary precautions to prevent allergen exposure.
You should seek assurance that caregivers are trained to recognise the signs of allergic reactions and know what to do when administering any required medications, such as epinephrine. In addition, you will need to establish what meals and snacks are given to children and how this could potentially affect someone with, for instance, a gluten or nut allergy.
7. What is the Daily Routine and Activities Schedule?
During your childcare visit, make sure you ask about what kind of activities the centre runs for children. What you should want to see is a nice balance between free play and structured activities. Additionally, ask about outdoor time, nap time and what kind of physical exercise is done.
All activities should be age-appropriate and provide a mix that stimulates cognitive, social and physical development. Centres that regularly incorporate story time, water play, arts and crafts and group games into their daily or weekly activities are likely to be very much enjoyed by the children.
8. How do you Communicate with Parents?
The questions you will want to ask don’t just stop at your first visit. If you enrol your child into the centre, you will no doubt want to know how their day was, how their development is progressing and what activities and events are planned.
For this reason, it would be good to establish how the childcare centre communicates with parents.
Do they use emails, have a social media page, run a newsletter or have their own mobile app? If so, how often is correspondence sent out? Do they have regular carer/parent meetings?
At the end of the day, you should be looking for a childcare centre that provides clear and consistent correspondence, which in turn should build trust and a two-way vehicle to communication.
Conclusion
Before enrolling your little one into a daycare or childcare facility, it is worth doing your due diligence. For this reason, it is good to ask a lot of questions to enable you to get a proper feel for whether or not the place you are visiting will be a good fit for your child.
At the end of the day the childcare centre is providing a service, to which you are the customer. So you should not have any qualms about asking the questions highlighted in this article, or anything else you want an answer to.
Ultimately, it is all about establishing trust in the centre. So, don’t be afraid to ask all the questions you need to fashion it.
