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We live in a two-paycheck economy, with rising costs of utilities and health care making it necessary for mom to return to work quickly after having a child. In many cases, mothers take a break during an active and profitable career and desire to return to their jobs, but also wish to reap the benefits of motherhood.
When it is time to return to work, where will you leave your children? When your children finish their schoolday, where will they go to ensure a safe and wholesome environment until you pick them up?
Thorough investigation of the potential daycare environment is not only recommended but critical to a parent's decision. Once you have located and researched the available daycare facilities in your neighborhood, it is time to do your homework.
Check to make sure the daycare has a valid license, appropriate to your region/state. The license should be prominently displayed without you having to search for it. Can they offer you valid and conclusive references?
Does the daycare have safety and health signs posted for choking, similar to those seen in restaurants and eating establishments?
On a personal level, interview and talk with the people who are running the center, but more specifically with those that will be interacting with your children throughout the day or afternoon.
Drop in on your potential daycare choice two or three times and random intervals before making your decision. Take special notice of your surroundings.
Is the person mature, responsive and attentive to your questions?
How does this person interact with the children?
Do they have an agenda planned for the day? Are they smiling and interacting with the children?
How many people are in charge of attending the children? A rule of thumb would be to have at least one adult for every 3 to 4 children, particularly in the lower age levels of 2 to 5, when little explorers need much more supervision!
Is the play area very disorganized? On the other hand, is it overly neat? Is there just the amount of disarray you would expect from a normal play day, or are toys being withheld from the children in order to avoid clutter? Any extreme is a warning sign to watch out for.
Use your gut instinct, and most importantly, watch and observe your child. Does he seem happy and content and willing to return to the Day care center. A certain amount of grumbling is to be expected from a child who doesn't want to be separated from a parent. However, excessive complaining means that your child is trying to communicate to you that he or she does not wish to return to this place. Don't turn a deaf ear-find out why and avoid an uncomfortable or traumatic situation.
It is up to the adults to ensure that the atmosphere your child is being raised in while away from home is similar or identical to the safe and nourishing environment you provide at home!
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