Finding the Right Childcare for your Little One

As you prepare for your little one’s arrival or welcome your bundle of joy, it is important to consider how you will care for your child. Do you get maternity leave? Will you have to go back to work immediately? How much maternity leave do you have? Where will you keep your baby while you work? Family, friends or childcare?

Things to consider while looking for childcare:

Get a childcare list to help you screen out locations and availability.

Proximity to home or work. You have to look at how easy it is to get to Point B from Point A.

Appearance. Do you feel comfortable taking your child there just by looking at the appearance? Is it inviting, comfortable, cold or dirty? Do they have enough staff? You do not want two teachers taking 12 toddlers to the park with no way to properly manage the journey. Are the kids happy, smiling? How about the staff? Schedule an appointment or swing by unannounced, whichever works. It does not hurt to find out if they do safety and fire drills. Make sure you get a feel of the place before enrolling your child.

Certifications and Inspections. Speaking from experience, I have come to realize that although we complain as parents when the day care is closed due to professional developments, daycares and centers that do this are much better equipped to caring for our kids and have less incidents compared to those that do not.

Remember you are giving away your gem to strangers. You must trust in their ability to watch your child and keep you worry free. Any doubts mean you have to look elsewhere, even if your child is already enrolled. Don’t forget, their safety and your peace of mind are what’s most important.