Choosing your child’s daycare provider is one of the most important choices you’ll make as a parent. Your childcare provider is responsible for ensuring that your child is well taken care of and stimulated. Here are some things you should look for in a childcare provider.
- Licensing. Choose a provider that is licensed by the state to ensure they comply with all local and state regulations regarding cleanliness, etc.
- Teacher to student ratio. In general, the lower the teacher to student ratio, the better, because your child will get more individual attention.
- Recommendations. Talk with friends and family about who they use to provide childcare. Knowing that someone else has had a good or bad experience with a particular provider is valuable information.
- Your personal feeling. Visit the daycare and observe the interactions between teachers and students. If you feel that something is a little “off”, then trust your instinct.
- Cameras – Some childcare providers offer cameras in their classrooms that allow parents to watch the classroom online. Ask your provider if they offer this service, if you believe it would make you feel more secure.
- Programs. When your child is a baby, you are mostly concerned with them receiving loving care and attention. As your child gets older, however, having additional programs available, like dance, music and foreign language become important too. Choosing such a facility while your child is available is good planning, and means you won’t need to move your child to a different facility later.
- Food. Ask to see the menus for the week when you visit potential childcare facilities. It’s important that menus meet nutritional guidelines and that the food is fresh and unprocessed.
Keep these tips in mind as you evaluate or select childcare in Minneapolis to ensure you choose the perfect place for your child to be when he cannot be with you.
