What Are Parent's Responsibilities With Quality Child Care Centers ?

There are many places a parent can look for information on quality child care establishments. The internet is filled with articles and blogs that give details on what to look for, or rather, what a daycare center should offer you. But is this information enough? Do the writers cover enough information in such a short amount of space? There are often many other items left off the list and a new parent needs to know what to expect.

You have selected a great school to help take care of your child while you are unable. They have a responsibility to ensure that your child is given proper care, the right nutritious meals and snacks, as well as to help educate your child.

You have responsibilities as well. If you want your child to attend a quality child care facility, then you must be involved. Studies have shown that parents who are actively involved in their children's lives and schooling will have children who do well in school.

There are some unspoken rules when it comes to children and daycare. They may seem like common sense issues but are often overlooked. It is the simple courtesies that many parents are too busy to be concerned with and as a result, the daycare suffers.

One area in which a quality child care establishment might see problems is from cranky children. No, not a child who is cranky because they want more attention or are feeling poorly, but children who are cranky because a parent did not get them to bed at a reasonable hour. Lack of sleep can seriously interfere with a classroom setting. Small children need at least nine hours of sleep each night in order to be rested.

Regardless of whether you are using a high dollar quality child care school or the local babysitter, you have the responsibility of ensuring that your child is healthy enough to attend. Far too many parents knowingly pack their children off to school when the child should be kept at home.

Fever, flu or even head lice can spread through a daycare center very quickly. If you must be at work, do not endanger the welfare of the other children by sending your child to school when they have a contagious condition. It is not fair to the children, staff or other parents. You should always have a back-up plan in case your child is ill.

A quality child care center has an obligation to care for your child and provide them with a safe, nurturing environment when you cannot. Make sure you return the favor. Be respectful with the staff and ensure that your child is able to attend preschool without illness, with adequate sleep and by being actively involved in the parent-teacher relationship.

Visit Mike Selvon daycare portal at http://childcare.niche-educator.com/ for more information on quality child care centers, and leave a comment at our blog at http://www.mynicheportal.com/family/. Don't forget to claim your FREE gift.

Babysitter Safety

You and your spouse finally got theater tickets to see your
favorite show. For dinner beforehand, you made reservations at a
restaurant that is usually impossibly busy. You even purchased a
new outfit to wear for your big night out on the town. The only
thing left to do is find a suitable sitter. It seems like an
easy task, but it is by far the most important part of your
evening out. The results of choosing an inappropriate babysitter
can range from mildly annoying to unthinkably tragic.

Before You Hire Babysitter:

• Use a friend or family member if possible. Try to get
recommendations from friends who have kids. Always check the
references of a new babysitter.

• Do not hire a sitter under age 12. Also, keep in mind that
the younger the children or the greater the number of children,
the older your babysitter should be.

• Make sure your babysitter knows CPR and first aid. Recommend
that young sitters take the American Red Cross babysitter class.

• Meet the babysitter in advance. Let her spend time with you
and your children in advance to observe how she interacts with
your kids. In many cases, it's a good idea to hire a potential
candidate as a "mother's or father's helper" first. That way,
she can get used to watching the kids while you are still home.

Babysitter Safety – What They Need to Know

When you leave the house, babysitter safety should be your
primary concern. Arm your sitter with the information necessary
to ensure your children's wellbeing. Make sure your babysitter
knows the following things:

• Parents' full names and cell phone or pager numbers

• Children's full names and ages

• Address of the house including the nearest intersections – in
case it's necessary to give directions to emergency workers

• Phone number of the house

• Name and phone of family doctor

• Emergency numbers including the National Poison Control
Center hotline: 1-800-222-1222

• Location of first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and flashlights

• Contact information of neighbors or relatives

• Food and drug allergies

• Where you will be and when you will be home

Babysitter Safety – Common Sense

Babysitter safety also includes the precautions your sitter
should take to protect the children from outside dangers. In
addition to knowing medical information and contact information,
your babysitter should also:

• Keep all doors and windows locked
• Turn on outside lights when it gets dark
• Check on sleeping children about every 15 minutes
• Never leave the house with your children unless you gave
permission
• Refuse to let anyone in the house unless she personally knows
the individual
• Call 911 if someone suspicious comes to the door, or if your
sitter suspects a prowler
• Never identify herself as the babysitter on the phone
• Make sure she has safe escort home at the end of the evening

Consider babysitter safety to be the key ingredient to a
relaxing night out with your spouse. After you pick a great
babysitter, listen to what your children say about the sitter
when you get home. Your kids will give you a good idea about the
level of their safety while you were gone.

About The Author: Ralph Winn with 35 years in the Security
industry. http://www.homesecuritystore.com

An Overview Of Child Care Providers

It is not always easy for parents to relinquish the care of their child to strangers. Parents hear horror stories of daycare facilities that ignore or otherwise cause harm to innocent children. Quality child care providers are always in high demand and it is no mystery as to why.

Parents want to be reassured that their children are safe. Safety is not the only issue either. Parents also want to be sure that their children are actually learning something and not spending all day parked in front of a television.

Caring for children is not an easy task. As they grow and learn new skills, child care providers must be experienced in order to handle the transitions. It is important that parents know what to look for when it comes to the child care services that preschools offers.

Parents have an obligation to their children to provide the best care possible, even if it means not always being nice. There are certain key elements a preschool should operate under and it is the parent's job to ensure that the school and staff are truly professionals.

A parent should always have a healthy dose of caution when checking into any child care providers' credentials. It is absolutely essential not be fooled by the school's outwardly appearance. It may look clean and prestigious but appearances can be deceiving.

Go inside the school and check all the classrooms. The floors should be clean and the air should not smell of soiled diapers. Go into the office and look for framed diplomas or certifications. The staff should have a presentable appearance as well and the teachers should be organized and in control.

Each daycare center should be able to show background checks on all their employees. If the administration balks at showing or providing the parent with relevant information or acts evasively when questioned, immediately leave and check other facilities. Some preschools do not require criminal background checks and as a result, there have been cases where convicted sex offenders or individuals with violent pasts have been discovered working with small children.

Child care providers should always be aware of what parents look for in a good daycare or preschool. There is never a reason for the establishment to be dirty or lax on paperwork designed to protect a child's safety.

Parents must always be perceptive as to the quality of care their child receives. They should take an active role in their child's preschool and always be aware of who is around them each and every day.

Visit Mike Selvon daycare portal at http://childcare.niche-educator.com/ for more information on child care providers, and leave a comment at our blog at http://www.mynicheportal.com/family/. Don't forget to claim your FREE gift.

An Analysis On Child Care Facilities Costs

There is a little doubt that a great percentage of working parent's wages goes toward child care facilities. Parents need someone to take care of their children while they are working but sometimes wonder how they can ever afford to pay out such high fees.

The differences in charges vary from city to city, but no matter where the family is located, it sometimes causes doubt as to whether or not the second parent is simply working to pay for childcare. There are many things that can affect the cost, so before you begin looking, you need to be aware of the basics.

Take a good look at your community when pricing child care facilities. Areas in New York City and Boston will have prestigious private preschools where the tuition is closer to thousands of dollars versus hundreds.

Lower income areas will have facilities within their pricing range. Both may offer quality child care but the more expensive school may be able to offer extras such as computer and foreign language instructors.

Infants are charged a higher fee than toddlers. The reason being infants require more care and more staff to oversee than older children. Child care centers must pay close attention to the staff-to-infant ratio to ensure that the infants are receiving the highest possible care they can give. Changing diapers and feeding bottles is much more time consuming than working with a potty trained toddler who can feed him or her self.

Other factors that can change pricing between the differing child care facilities is how many services are being offered. A babysitter in your home will usually not provide the extended hours most working parents require. If you have hours that extend from the typical 9-5 work day or have a long commute, you will need a daycare center that has extended hours of pick-up and drop-off.

Also, the more added benefits, such as providing meals and snacks will affect the price of too. Many centers now offer activities based on the child's age such as computers, foreign language and even martial arts or gymnastics. Many centers allow the parent to elect these options for an additional fee but some are building them into the curriculum and daily activity list.

Typically, parents can expect to pay on average from $100-$400 per week at a daycare center. There are some child care facilities that charge much, much more and may even have a long waiting list for admission.

When looking at a child care facility, make sure and ask about any extra fees or what activities are included. Many centers are well worth the money and can provide your child with a superb educational foundation.

Visit Mike Selvon daycare portal at http://childcare.niche-educator.com/ for more information on child care facilities, and leave a comment at our blog at http://www.mynicheportal.com/family/. Don't forget to claim your FREE gift.