As a parent, leaving your child in someone's care could be a bit challenging. However, as you might soon realise, you need to trust experienced caregivers with your child when working or handling your daily errands. This article details the various childcare options and when to consider each of them.
Home-Based Care
Home-based care is when a nanny, trained childcare provider or family member takes care of your child inside your house. Usually, this can be a short-term or long-term arrangement. Parents who wish to homeschool their children in their formative years prefer this option. Homeschooling is ideal for parents who want to closely monitor their kids' progress. Besides, it might be appropriate if you have a neurodivergent child who cannot enrol in the mainstream education system. When looking for a caregiver, assess their credentials to ensure they have the training and experience required to offer childcare services. For example, they should develop appropriate training and assessment criteria that ensure your child is at par with kids in formal schools.
Centre-Based Care
Centre-based care is offered in conventional child care centres. It could be preschool, kindergarten, or a three-year daycare. These tips should help you choose a childcare centre:
- Consider conveniently located childcare centres. It ensures you pick or drop off your child on time.
- Inspect the childcare centre to assess its facilities. For example, do kids have enough toys? Are the playing areas safe? Are the kitchen and washroom hygienic? Does the building meet the required safety standards? The rule is that the centre should be safe for the kids.
- Assess the teacher's accreditations. For example, what is their training and experience? Do they have any specialities? For instance, you may want a special needs teacher if your kid has a childhood disorder.
- Determine the programs the childcare centre uses. The program must be tested and approved by independent and government agencies.
Family Daycare
In a family daycare setting, your child receives care and training at the caregiver's premises. Its primary advantage is that your child learns in a home-like environment. Usually, family daycares are a great way to build your child's confidence and socialisation skills before joining a formal childcare centre. Your child spends time with other kids and gets introduced to class activities. Therefore, they have an easy time integrating into the childcare centre environment. When choosing a family daycare, conduct background checks on the childcare provider and visit their home to ensure it is safe for the kids.
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