, ,

Group & Individual Childcare – Overview

Reading to Children: Tips for Making Storytime MemorableChild care is short-term care by someone other than a parent. There are two basic types of child care: individual and group.

Premier Academy has defined these services, allowing you to select the best childcare.

Finding good child care can seem overwhelming and a bit scary. It is an important decision. But if you take your time and do some research, you can find a place where your child can play, learn, and be well taken care of.

How can you find good childcare?

When choosing childcare, make sure that it is:

  • Safe.
    Check that it is licensed with your state and county (also called registration or certification). Licensing guidelines vary by state. So make sure that all childcare providers know how to handle emergencies and are trained in first aid and CPR. Also, ask for references. Get the names of people and agencies you can talk to about the care center’s safety record.
  • Right for your child’s age, skill level, and natural outlook.
    Ask what ages of children go to the childcare center. Think about whether your child would do best at home, in a family home setting, or in a group center. For example, a child who makes friends easily may do well in a group center. A shy child may do better in a small, home-based center.
  • Right for your family’s values.
    Ask what kind of learning programs the childcare center has. Think about whether these fit with your family’s beliefs and values.
  • Well staffed.
    Make sure there are enough staff members to care for the number of children at the center. Ask if caregivers are able to give each child one-on-one attention as needed. Check that the main caregivers and program directors are trained in child development and have a college degree or are otherwise highly experienced. Also, find out how long staff members have worked there. It can be upsetting for a child if the staff changes often.
  • Caring.
    Watch how the staff works with the children and if they are kind and caring with them. A good childcare center helps your child learn, interact, and solve problems while protecting him or her from making choices that could be harmful.
  • Affordable.
    In the United States you can deduct part of child care costs from your state and federal income taxes. Your employer also may offer benefits or help with child care. Or you may qualify for a reduced rate at some child care centers.
  • Reliable and consistent.
    You’ll want to know that your provider will be available when needed. Have written agreements outlining specific hours, holidays, and other breaks.
  • Convenient.
    Think about the location of the childcare center and whether the hours work well with your schedule.

How can you help your child get the right start?

Children need time to adjust to child care. It is common for a child to cling or cry when a parent leaves. But you can take steps to help your child do well in child care.

  • Prepare yourself and your child. It may help if you both get used to spending time apart. Hire a babysitter or ask a friend or relative to help watch your child for short periods, and gradually make the sessions longer.
  • Tell your child what will happen. If your child is an older toddler or a preschooler, talk about meeting new friends and doing new things. Remind your child that you will come back to pick him or her up.
  • Work into the new routine slowly. You may keep the first visit short and stay with your child. Stay away a little longer each day. Follow your child’s lead. He or she may be more ready to join the group than you thought.
  • Spend extra time saying good-bye for the first few days. Some children will be ready and eager for the new routine. An extra minute or two to get your child involved in a new project or with a group of children may be all that is needed.
  • Let your child bring something from home, if the childcare center allows it. Having a special blanket or toy can be a comfort.

If you spend time with your child and are calm and loving, he or she will be more likely to adjust to and enjoy child care.  Premier offers the best childcare in Omaha, Nebraska.  We have more than 40 years of experience in the childcare industry. Because of that, we are dedicated to providing your children with a safe, fun, stimulating and structured environment. Our infant child care, toddler child care, preschool child care, and pre-K child care programs are designed to promote the all-important growth and development that is so critical during your child’s formative years. And best of all, we know how to have fun all the while! Because what’s the point of being a child if you can’t have a little fun?

/by
, ,

Choosing a Daycare Center – Part 2

Understanding Quality ChildcareTo assist you in finding the appropriate quality childcare, Premier has listed steps below that will guide you through finding a good daycare center and recognizing the signs of a good daycare center (See Part 1).

Signs of a good daycare center

  1. Reputation:
    The references you talk to should be very happy with the daycare center. If they are unsure or have doubt, you probably will too.
  2. Caring and qualified staff:
    The staff should be enthusiastic and interact with the children in a positive way that shows they really care. The staff should have a philosophy about discipline, feeding and sleeping that follows your philosophy. The employees should be educated with at least two years of college, a background in child development, along with first aid training and knowledge of CPR.
  3. Safe, clean facility:
    A good daycare center has floors, walls, bathrooms, kitchen and changing stations that are clean, well lit, and ventilated. There should be established policies on how to keep things clean, when and how often hands are washed, and how to keep toys and equipment in safe working order. The daycare center should have an emergency plan, with first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and childproof storage areas. All general child safety issues should be followed.
  4. Established rules and policies:
    A good daycare center will be flexible but it should follow set hours, have enforced rules on sick children, and will require checkups and immunizations to prevent the spread of illness. The center should have an open door policy that allows you to stop for a visit unannounced. If they don’t have this policy, they might be hiding something.
  5. A complete schedule of activities:
    Good centers will have a schedule that allows for play time, quiet time, individual activities, meals, snacks, and group activities. One thing that should not be included in a good schedule is TV and videos. A good center teaches a wide variety of topics, while at the same time, teaching things appropriate for the age group. Also look for toys that are appropriate for the age of your child. These toys should be fun, while letting the child be imaginative and creative.
  6. A current license:
    While a license doesn’t guarantee the center will work for you, the center should be licensed by your local city services department. Also look and see if the center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Licensing laws vary from state to state.

Signs of a bad daycare center

  1. Reputation:
    If you have heard bad word of mouth or the references make you question something, the daycare center is not for you.
  2. An unqualified staff:
    A staff that has no formal child training, no college education and no emergency training is not a staff you want around you child. If there are more than three or four children to each teacher, one might suspect the teachers could be overworked, underpaid, and potential not happy with their jobs. This situation could lead to high employee turnover that would not give your child the best daycare available.
  3. Unsafe, dirty facility:
    Do not use a daycare center whose facility is rundown, has bad lighting, dirty play or food preparation areas, toys and equipment in need of repair, or have dangerous items in reach of children. If the center has no emergency plan, is without first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and child proof storage areas, this are no place for your children.
  4. No set rules:
    A daycare center that has no policy with set rules is not the center for you. This will lead to confusion, misunderstandings, spread of illness, and a generally unsafe environment.
  5. No daily schedule:
    If the daycare center has no daily program of activities for your child, your child will not have a chance to learn and grow. Your child needs to be educated with stimulating, imaginative, and creative activities. If the center just lets the children play and watch TV, don’t use them.
  6. Expired licenses:
    If the center has an expired license or no license at all, don’t use them. This means they are either conducting business illegally or could not meet your local city services requirements to operate as a safe, quality center.

Premier offers quality childcare in Omaha, Nebraska.  Our staff is here to help and will assist in making the right choices for the growth of your child!

/1 Comment/by
, ,

Choosing a Daycare Center – Part 1

How To Get Children To Try New FoodsChoosing the proper daycare center for your child should be a carefully thought out and researched process. With some daycare centers being exceptional and some being just plain bad, it is important to pick a center that helps your child grow and develop his skills while also having fun.  Premier Academy has made a great list helping assist in finding the best childcare.

There are several advantages to having your child in a daycare center. Good centers have a mix of activities that will teach different skills. Projects that lead to creativity, storytelling, dancing, and singing all help the child learn instead of just playing all day. Children also get to socialize with other children, which they wouldn’t get to do as often if they were at home with a nanny. Finally, the daycares are more stable and consistent than nannies because the center will watch your child even if a teacher is sick.

To assist you in finding the appropriate daycare center, Premier has listed steps below that will guide you through finding a good daycare, as well as recognizing the signs of a bad daycare center (Part 2).

  1. Make a list of what’s important to you.
    Do you want a center close to home? Close to work? Do you want your children to be with several children or prefer smaller groups?
  2. Research all your possibilities.
    Ask your friends, family, doctors, and referral agencies for a daycare center they would recommend. Look on the Internet and in the phone book for other possible centers. When doing your research, be sure to think about your list of important topics. Is the center accredited by the National Association for the Education for Young Children or the National Association of Family Child Care? Has the center received any local award or recognition?
  3. Once you have a list of possible centers, call them on the phone and ask some preliminary questions.
    This is a very important step. Make sure you remember your initial feeling of the conversation and write down if you had a good or bad feeling, including what made you feel that way. You should ask about their policies, hours, fees, activities, and philosophies on teaching children. Are they flexible to help you with your schedule? Will they accommodate your special requests? What is their teacher to child ratio? Do they change activities frequently? Do they have experienced teachers?
  4. Narrow down your list by crossing off the centers you had a bad feeling about.
    Next, visit and interview the daycare center you had a good feeling about. Get a list of the activities and look around at the facility. Is the center a warm, clean, safe environment in which you think your child would learn and have fun? Be sure to pay close attention to the actual teacher to child ratio during your visit to verify what they told you it was over the phone. Also, ask any more questions you may have and make sure the director is allowing you free access to look at everything you want to see or know about. Again, your gut feeling is most important.
  5. Narrow down your list again then start checking references.
    Call parents of children who are currently at the center or have had children at the center in the past. Ask their opinion of the center and if they would recommend it to you. If their child is no longer at the center, ask why.
  6. Take you child to the daycare center for a visit.
    Observe how your child acts in the environment and around the teachers. Does your child seem comfortable? Do you think your child would be happy at the center?

Once you find a daycare that meets your qualifications and one that you feel your child would like, enroll your child. If there is a waiting list, get your name on the list and find a temporary caregiver until a spot becomes open.

Contact Premier Academy today to make your appointment!  We offer the best childcare in Omaha, Nebraska.

/1 Comment/by