Handy tips for choosing the right childcare for you and your child
Maxine roberts is the Director of Education Services at M & P Consultancy , a teacher of children with special educational needs , an early years specialist with many years of experience in both classroom and with Local Authorities in the North West
Whether you are anticipating the birth of your child or you are fast approaching your return to work choosing the right childcare can feel like a daunting task .
Not sure what to look for ? The following handy tips may help . What sort of childcare feels right for me and my child ?
There is a wide range of childcare available from child-minders , day nurseries , pre-school play groups and nursery schools . Each type of provision will have benefits for your child , but it ’ s always good to go with your instincts or “ gut feeling ”. A visit is a must so you can see for yourself . If you are comfortable with the setting or the child-minder then the chances are your child will be too . Are you made to feel welcome ? Do staff smile and greet you and your child ? Do they listen to you ? Do the other children seem happy and relaxed ? What unique service does the setting or childminder offer ? Do they access outdoor activities daily ? Think about what is important to you and your family . Music ? Dance ? Outdoor activities ? Sport ? Early learning ?
It ’ s important to ask the questions now and make sure you feel fully informed .
staff and Qualifications .
The aspiration of this current Government is to ensure that staff working with children are experienced and well qualified including teachers specially trained to degree level in working with babies and very young children . Ask about qualifications of the staff and the training they regularly undertake . Also check how many staff are trained in paediatric first aid . Regulation of the childcare sector requires specific numbers of staff to work with groups of children – again ask about the ratio of staff to children , or if a childminder , how many other children do they care for throughout the day .
flexibility .
Research has shown that most pre-school aged children access a mixture of care and support in an average week . This can range from formal care such as a day nursery or child-minder to being cared for by grand-parents or other family members or friends . It will be helpful to think through what likely scenarios you may be likely to encounter and how you might need to be able to manage emergency situations or family crisis . Will you need to work late from time to time ? Should your childcare be located near to home or your place of work ? What if another family member falls ill or needs to go to hospital . Check what flexibility the nursery or child-minder can offer .
Cost .
The Government provides a whole range of free childcare , support and benefits . Check your eligibility and entitlement at https :// www . gov . uk / search ? q = child + care . Also ask about what costs are levied if you go on holiday , take a days leave or want to take a longer break .
Quality .
Every provider of childcare is currently required to meet regulatory standards . They are inspected by Ofsted and you can access the most recent report on a nursery at http :// www . ofsted . gov . uk /. Read the reports for the providers you are considering and see what areas of improvement they are being asked to focus on . Check back with the provider and ask what progress they are making – they should be happy to have this conversation with you and to reassure you . Communication between you and your nursery or child-minder is vitally important . In what ways do they keep in contact with parents ? What methods do they use to you keep you informed on a daily basis about the activities your child has taken part in ? How do they involve parents in the life of the nursery – do they have regular open days , opportunities to volunteer , or a parent ’ s group / forum ? Do they know how to gain access to services you or your child might need such as speech and language therapy ? How do they take account of your child ’ s like and dislikes – do they listen to the children ’ s ideas and views and do they act on what they learn from this ?
Finally , visit , ask questions . Ask to meet another parent who has been involved with the nursery or child-minder and ask them for their views on the service they have received . A really honest testimonial may help you make that final decision . And whatever you do – don ’ t feel guilty ! If the provision is right then your child will learn and grow into a confident , resilient , happy learner who will be prepared for learning for the rest of their lives !
Together Magazine 11