Daycare Mommas.....

kscwgirl

kscwgirl

New member
Due to a bunch of issues at my current daycare... I'm hunting again. :( Abby is almost 5 and JJ is 2 1/2. What kinds of things should I be looking for? Basically, if your kids are in daycare... how much tv do they/should they watch? Do they do preschool activities? How many days a week?

Any advice will be great, I'm really stressed out.

Thanks.
 
My dd just started in a daycare, but they call it educare. She is 4 so they put her in a class with all 4 yr. olds and they have a schedule for the whole day. She goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-3:30 pm and that was just our choice (they let you pick the times which is nice). It is a Christian based school/program so she has a Bible lesson each time which I really like. Her day usally consists of outside/gym play, snacks, learning activities, lunch, naptime, storytime, snack time and then crafts. She really loves it! They don't have a t.v. there which is good because I think my dd watches way to much t.v. at home LOL!! Hope this helps!
 
Kaydan attends a Primrose school..

He doesn't watch any tv at all. The entire day is structured like school. He is 3 and in the preschool class. He gets dropped off at around 7:00, has a hot breakfast and some play time. At 8:00 their day starts.. there are lessons planned around a weekly or monthly theme. Around 11ish, they are served a hot lunch and then have 'quiet/nap time for about 2 hours. They have 2 outside recess times.

I look for cleanliness, security, quality of staff, curriculum and how his day would be structured, etc. I am a teacher so there were a lot of educational questions I asked. I always ask if each member of the staff has a current background check.. you have the right to know that. Kaydan will start going daily this week. Prior, he was only going MWF and with my mom and MIL on T/TH. His school is not cheap, but for us, the quality of education and the quality of staff make it worth it considering the amount of time he is there in a day.

Sara, i wish you luck in your hunt for new care. It's very stressful trying to find quality care for our babies.
 
I would ask how much tv they play. If it's maybe a movie during wind down time, that is fine. But if kids are plopped in front of tv al day...no no no. This is harder to regulate if your kids are in a home based daycare...because they dont have a director watching over them. Ask about a curriculum. Ask if you can pop in at any time unannounced. Ask about what kind of discipline they use.

Also I dont know about where you live, but here we have a child care resource and referral that is free. They provide you with all the providers in your area, if they have ever had any issues such as health violations or safety/CPS issues.

I would also look at what the other kids are doing when you go in for an interview. When you find the right place you will just know it in your gut.

Good luck!
 
We have to do in home care.. the centers around here are far too expensive for me to afford. :( Thanks girls. :)
 
I was a home daycare provider for 15 years and we had fairly structured time. Some days I allowed either a movie or sesame street, but never both. We had storytimes, coloring/drawing time and we did crafts (depending on the ages). I helped raise many many children and my own grandchildren, from 5 weeks old until they went off to school. We even had sleep overs for the older little ones, and they all attended each others birthday partys, etc.
So even though we didn't have any kind of curriculum per say, we had lots of learning experiences and most of all lots and lots of love going on :)
 
If you're doing in home care, you definitely want to see how much they're allowing the children to watch TV. The very first sitter we took Libby to kept all the kids she watched in the front room (which wasn't very big) and they stayed there all day to play and the TV was always on. The only kids not in there all the time were the babies who were moved to the dining room to a pack and play. Needless to say we didn't stay there long at all (maybe 5 months)...Definitely find a place that is structured - kids benefit from that so much more!! The daycare that Libby currently goes to is amazing. The girl who runs it (with her sister and mom) is so on top of everything. She's very clean and organized. We get a sheet everyday that tells us exactly what she ate and how much. For babies, she'll put how many dirty diapers, how much they took in bottles. She's licensed with the state, so I know that does make a difference. The only time she really lets them watch TV is before breakfast. She serves breakfast at 7:00 and then the TV goes off. They have the occasional movie day if it's rainy or snowy, but it's definitely not everyday. They work with the kids on different skills and their alphabet (the majority of the kids there are 3 years old) and numbers. They're always sending projects and crafts home too, so that always makes me happy!! Good luck!! I know how frustrating this whole process can be. This is our 3rd provider for Libby in 3.5 years and we've been there for over 2. When it's right, it's right and you'll just know it!!
 
Both of my boys are in DC (they are 2 & 4). Here is what I would ask. Our daycare does not use a TV except for some Fridays (movie day). Good luck!

Do they provide meals?
What hours do they operate?
Do they provide vacation days?
What is the teacher/student ratio?
What is the curriculum?
Do they assist with potty training (not sure if your 2 1/2 year old is PT yet)?
 
sara...pm jenny. she used to be an in-home daycare provider. i'm sure she can give you lots of advice! :)

good luck with all this...i know how stressful it can be! you'll find the perfect person for your two wee ones! HUGS!!
 
I am thrilled with our child care situation. I work on a college campus, and the boys go to the on-campus daycare center 5 half days a week. It is a Christian program, which is important to me, and the student-teacher ratios are excellent because in addition to the professional staff, they have student teachers.

They watch little to no TV. The only TV that they watch is to learn the songs for their Christmas program.

I actually used to work at this daycare center when I was a student here, 15 years ago, and I worked with some of the teachers who are STILL there. They are wonderful, and their longevity says a lot to me about the program. Staff turnover in general is a big issue in childcare. It's important to me that my kids have consistency in who their caregivers are, and that I can get to know them as well.
 
lizzyfizzy said:
sara...pm jenny. she used to be an in-home daycare provider. i'm sure she can give you lots of advice! :)

good luck with all this...i know how stressful it can be! you'll find the perfect person for your two wee ones! HUGS!!
Click to expand...

Thanks Lizzy. I'll do that. :)

(Did you get your yahoo offline, btw?)
 
Woot! I think I just found a daycare. One of our customers does an in home.. same price as what I'm paying now. Going to see her Wednesday night. :)
 
Having owned a home day care - these are the things I would ask/look for -

- How much TV a day - Should be no more than an hour -
References - And CALL THEM
They should be licensed by the state -
Who is their insurance company and what is the amount of liability do they hold
Do they participate in the USDA program ~ They should
What is their discipline policy
What is their sick child policy
What is their termination policy
They children should bring home at least 2 projects a week
Do they use any curriculum programs - if they do - bring the name home and look it up on the internet - I used High Reach Learning
What is the vacation policy -
and meet them - look over the contract CAREFULLY -

Hope this helps - :)
 
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