Child Care?
If you are a provider: What makes your childcare stand out and apart from the competition? If you are a parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, etc.: What are some things you wish your child care offered? Please only list things besides what should be offered (ie. clean facility, quality care, well trained staff, friendly...) Things that would be a luxury or a plus if they offered to you and your family. Thank you!
Public Comments
- it would be great if there was a day care/preschool in my area that offered weekend childcare or stayed open later...
i would like to have more time to meet the staff/providers who would be caring for my child, maybe ask me to sit in for a few hours to see the daily routine, etc.
i worked for a day care/preschool and some of the staff lacked empathy and professionalism.
- I have heard of some daycares having a secure webcam so parents can "check in" whenever they want to.
Our daycare has a "parent/teacher" conference every once in a while, the teachers meet with the parents and go over what they have been doing. Also they have a quarterly newsletter to tell us what the kids are focusing on each month.
- One of the nice things that a local daycare offers is a "meal delivery". Once to twice a week they have a service where you can order "meals" to be picked up at the end of the day when you pick up your child. A local restaurant service provides this service. It's great for working Moms!
Another nice thing that I've seen offered is haircuts (believe it or not). They have someone come in to do kids cuts for you once a month if you sign up.
As a working mom, these things are just wonderful luxuries that go above & beyond the "norm" for parents!
- I could probably go on for days about this. I worked in a day care (we started enrolling at age 3 months - until 5 years old) for 5 years. I think we absolutely had well trained staff (we attended CPR and epi pen meetings every few months).
Working with just the kids was great. There were, of course, many that were difficult, but so many that were a joy to be around. However, what isn't great is working with parents who speak to their day care provider like they are beneath them. I would have to say that parents are the biggest problem. Beginning a relationship with your child's teacher where it is quite obvious that they believe they are above you only leads to inadequent care for you child. Parents have this idea that in day cares where rooms can, at times, hold up to 20 children, that two teachers should know what each child is doing at each time of the day. It's unrealistic, and parents should know that if they are dropping their children off to a room full of children each day.
I had parents come in and ask that "Susie" not get dirty in the SAND playground today because she was going to see nana and papa later. Oh, I'm sorry, should I sit Susie on the bench during the 30 minute play time and listen to her cry and try to explain to her that it's not the teacher's fault and she is not being punished, but that her mother won't let her. Or should I walk next to Susie while trying to watch 19 other kids and make sure she doesn't sit down in the sand??
Parents can just really be ridiculous (and by all means, not all!!!!!)and I think their requests and their attitude towards the teachers really effect how their child behaves and is treated in day care.
- I worked in a daycare for many years and the best thing is cameras, especially those that stream over the internet and you can log on anytime and view your child. Just make sure the cameras have sound, because a teacher will learn to control her actions because the camera is on BUT what you don't know is what she is saying. Don't rely on newsletters and confrences because they will lie to you to keep your child enrolled - seen it for many years! Best of luck to you!
- Webcam to dial in and check on my child from the office and see what they were up to.
Also, I think that each person should have no more than 3 children to look after if they are under the age of 4. That would be a luxury, I know, but I would pay more for a provider that did that.
