Security, Safety and Health

Security, safety and health are common concerns when evaluating a daycare center. Many centers are designed with just one entrance that is situated away from the classrooms. La Petite Academy is one such center that has a separate lobby entrance. Classrooms can only be accessed by those with the combination to the coded keypad security system. Each child at La Petite is checked in and out via electronic key pad every day. Only parents and other persons authorized to pick up and drop off a child are given a pin number. All visitors are required to state the purpose of their visit, sign a visitors log and show proper identification. Anyone picking up a child at the La Petite Academy that is not familiar with the staff is required to show proper identification. Staff members also keep on file an updated list of all persons allowed to pick up and drop off each individual child. Tutor Time, another national daycare center boasts a Safe’n’Sound system which stores and gives staff instant access to important medical and authorization information. Tutor Time also utilizes security cameras and observation windows so that all children can be closely monitored. These security and tracking measures are what a parent should look for in a quality daycare center. A daycare center with lax security policies should be a red flag for any parent.

Safety within the daycare center is just as important as security. Child-friendly furniture, covered electrical outlets are just a few of the things that parents should look for. Quality outside playground equipment with well-maintained paint and ground cover is also important to a child’s safety. An evacuation plan should be in place for emergency situations and parents should ask about each center’s emergency policies. Staff members should be trained in CPR and other lifesaving procedures. Policies regarding the prevention of any staff member abusing a child should be in place with backup staff checking on daycare providers throughout the day. A time-out or other non-abusive discipline policy should be in place for preschool and older children should they exhibit disruptive behavior. Babies, infants and toddlers should be well supervised and not be allowed to wonder off into dangerous situations.

Transportation and Field Trips

If a daycare center provides transportation, be sure that the center has adequate insurance. All field trips should be closely supervised by the daycare center staff and parents should fill out a permission slip which tells where their child is going and when they will return. During field trips, some centers provide an additional measure of security by providing name tags which state the child’s name and the daycare center’s address. Daycare center drivers should be of mature age and have a good driving record. If a daycare center is to pick up your child after school, a designated pick up time and meeting place is important and the staff driver needs to have a proven record of dependability.

Nutrition and meals

Food safety is also something to consider. Infants and babies should be held when fed. Propping a bottle up to a wall or other object to feed an infant or baby is dangerous and should not be allowed in a daycare setting. Proper sized eating utensils and furniture should be provided for all children and eating time should be closely monitored by the center’s staff. The temperature of beverages should be monitored and drinks such as hot chocolate should not be served unless preventive measures are taken to prevent accidental spillage. Food preparation staff should be trained in the nutritional requirements for small children and trained and certified in food handling procedures. Menus should be prepared in advance for parents to review and ensure that their child is receiving wholesome, nutritional meals.

Staff and Children Health

A quality day care center will have a strict health policy designed to prevent sickness and to promote good personal hygiene among children and staff. Strict hand washing procedures should be followed with staff members making sure that the children wash their hands after activities and before eating. Staff members need to be alert and wash a child’s hands if they come into contact with anything dirty or contaminated. Health histories with medical information for each child should be kept on file. Staff members who are ill should stay home and children with runny noses, coughs, sore throats, or any other ailments should be kept home or sent home should symptoms develop during the day. Vomiting, bleeding, diarrhea, and constipation are also good reasons a child should stay home. Staff members should wash hands frequently and disinfectant wipes should be readily available for little messes that need to be handled quickly.

Quality daycare is essential to the development and success of your child. Make a list of daycare centers in your area and then ask questions, meet the staff and take a general tour. Never be afraid to question anything or anyone that your child will come into contact with during the day. Daycare centers across the country have a very good track record but parents need to be interested and stay well informed of the daycare environment for their child.

We suggest the following links:

Information on the Le Petite Academy.

Information on Tutor Time daycare center.

Enter your zip code to find the average cost of average daycare in your area.

Finding quality day care for your child is important. In today’s society, the stay-at-home Mom is fast becoming obsolete. Rising housing and food costs are forcing many middle-income families to rely on two incomes instead of one. Women are also more at the forefront of the work force, wanting both a career and children. Working parents often face many crucial decisions regarding their child’s care. Working parents need to ask questions and be informed on what to look for at a child day care center. Your child deserves quality care.

A State License is Not a Guarantee of Quality Care!

Most states require that a center that cares for more than twelve children should be licensed. State rules on how day care centers are licensed vary from state to state and a license is not generally a guarantee of quality care. A licensed day care center usually means that the center has met the state’s minimum requirements of health, safety and teaching training. Some states have lower standards while others are more stringent. For example, Alabama has two documents regulating health and safety in child care, while Utah has ten. The National Resources Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education (NRC) has listed all fifty states licensing requirements online. You can click on the link below to review your state’s requirements. Although licensing is not an indicator of quality care, it’s still important for you to ask to see the license and check that it is up to date.

Accreditation is a better indicator of quality care. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has a high set of standards that only 6,000 national day care centers have met. This accreditation revolves around four areas: children, teaching staff, administration, and partnerships. These areas are broken down into subareas that make up the NAEYC’s stringent standard requirements. The NAEYC accreditation process takes 18 months for a child care or baby care center to receive approval. You can find a center near you with the NAEYC accreditation by clicking on their link below.

Organization and Cleanliness are Key to Quality

Organization and cleanliness are key factors in finding quality child care. Children are generally grouped by age, babies, toddlers, preschool, etc. into different classrooms so that each group can be supervised with age appropriate activities. The classroom should be organized to support a wide-range of activities throughout a typical day. Playtime, nap-time, learning, and eating should all be scheduled in an organized fashion and the room should be set up so that children can easily transition from one activity to another. Bright, colorful decor and age appropriate toys can provide children with a fun, stimulating environment.

Cleanliness is important to each child’s health. A day care center should be clean and have a cleaning schedule in place that parents can review and be aware of. Staff members should have daily cleaning measures in place and should follow through with all cleaning rules and regulations. A high quality day care center should be cleaned and vacuumed daily with bathrooms disinfected daily or every other day. Infant toys that might occasionally be found in a baby’s mouth should be disinfected daily. Other toys should be wiped down or disinfected if not weekly then at least twice a month. Staff members should be observant and make sure that infants are not sharing toys that have come in contact with the mouth. Any counter tops or surfaces that the children come into regular contact with should be wiped down and disinfected daily. A clean, organized day care center will help ensure that your child has a happy, healthy day.

Small Classrooms and Caring Providers

A small class size or group setting is also a mark of quality day care. Only so many children should be assigned to one teacher. This is called, in day care terms, the child to teacher ratio. For example, the NAEYC has a high standard with a ratio of one adult to every three babies with a group of six or one adult to every four babies with a group of eight. Day care centers have different child/teacher ratios, many based on state laws and requirements. Parents should determine what they are comfortable with. Fewer children in a group, or a low child to teacher ratio, means more personal time and attention for each child.

A day care provider’s attitude and personality can greatly affect your child’s individual development. A day care provider will be with your child for many days out of the year, playing with them, feeding them, and supervising their learning activities. Evaluate individual day care providers on staff to determine individual quality and your own personal comfort level in leaving your child in the provider’s care. Many day care centers make back ground checks and strive to hire personable staff with child-rearing/development experience. Some day care centers provide child care training and it is important to ask about hiring procedures as well as the day care provider’s background and training.

A day care provider should exhibit a positive, personable, caring attitude and be able to cope well with meeting the demands of three or more children in a group setting. The day care center should also be supportive of the staff, providing regular fifteen minute breaks, lunch breaks, and emergency breaks with backup support if a provider is being overwhelmed by a disruptive or fussy child. Effective communication between day care providers and parents is important. Day care providers and parents should communicate regularly regarding feeding schedules, learning patterns and the general well-being of the child. Inquire about communication procedures and how the provider will notify you if your child becomes ill or has a behavioral problem. Knowing that the day care provider will contact you quickly if something is amiss can give greater peace of mind. Having good communication, a well-functioning staff and a patient, pleasant day care provider will ensure that your child is being well-cared for.

We recommend the following links.

State Requirements For child day care licensing requirements by state

The NAEYC official website Find information on a child day care center with NAEYC accreditation near you.

For information on Lapetite Academy