TKW Consulting

May 2006
Quality Child Care: Recognizing and Supporting the Best for Your Children

All parents with children in child care want their children to receive the highest quality of care. One definition of quality child care reads:

“These programs or providers offer engaging, appropriate activities in settings that facilitate healthy growth and development, and prepare children for or promote their success in school.”*

How do you define quality child care? Most parents would agree with the above definition, but of course as parents the care of your children is much more personal than that. Parents want their children in a safe environment, with a “warm” caregiver, in a program that provides lots of activities and learning opportunities for their children. All of these qualities are part of an engaging and appropriate setting that many parents consider when choosing child care.

What Determines High Quality Care?
When considering a child care setting, parents naturally are looking for a warm and nurturing caregiver. But, equally important are two other types of measures that also indicate a quality environment.

The first is the process – what goes on in the program, their procedures, activities and so on and, the second is the structure – the physical environment, the number of
providers and teachers and children, the safety features. Both are equally
important.

When you are considering a child care program, whether it is center-based or a family child care home, here are some questions that you could ask the programs (and yourself) that would help determine if the program provides high quality care**

• -What kind of program is provided? Do they follow a curriculum?
• -How many children are in care? What is the ratio of staff to children? If it is a center, how are the children grouped?
• -What kind of training and certification does the child care staff have?
• -Is the program or center accredited?
• -What are the program’s policies regarding discipline? Children being sick? Late pick-up?-Does the program have policies that they give to parents?
• -Is the program environment safe for children?
• -Are the child care programs licensed (by the local jurisdiction – county, state)?
• -What kinds of activities do they do with the children?
• -Do the daily schedules have opportunities and activities that promote social interactions? Learning? Physical activity?
• -How do the child care providers relate to children? Do they listen and respond to the children? Are they warm? Attentive? Positive? Expressive?
• -Are parents welcomed at any time? Can you come by any time? Are they always accessible by phone?
• -What’s your gut feeling (parents) after visiting and talking with staff? How were your questions answered? Are you encouraged to visit again?

Quality Child Care Equals Providers and Parents Working Together
Child care is ultimately about the relationship between the provider (or teacher) and the child. Once you have chosen a child care program where the environment is safe and appropriate, it’s up to the providers to make the program come to life. It’s really all about the person providing the care. You and all parents instinctively know that. And one of the most important aspects of any quality child care program is the relationship that the providers or teachers form with parents. When parents and child care providers work together, everyone benefits. In a beneficial parent-provider partnership, both work together to develop and achieve goals that are best for the child within the program setting.

Child care programs that support positive parent and provider partnerships will have some of the following qualities:

• -Parents and providers communicate regularly, on a daily basis
• -Parents trust and feel at ease with the child care program
• -There are many opportunities for you to be involved in activities in the program
• -Providers ask parents for input and feedback into the program
• -Children in the program are happy, well adjusted and progressing

One key way to have a positive relationship with your child care provider is to have consistent, ongoing communication. Ongoing communication will foster a sense of trust and provide a way to share goals and expectations. Your good working partnership with your child care provider will support your child as he or she develops and learns. Together, you and your child care provider will make sure your child receives high quality child care.

*Child Care Aware, www.childcareaware.org.
**Adapted from A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Quality Child Care, www.childcareaware.org.