by Jerrie Lynn South-DeRose

Created on: January 22, 2009

Choosing a child care center is one of the most important decisions that a working parent will make to help ensure the health, safety, and overall wellbeing of their child while they must be away from them. Thousands of children are treated in emergency rooms for injuries sustained at child care centers or childcare homes each year in addition to those instances of abuse or neglect.

There are precautions that can be taken t help ensure that a child will be properly cared for while a parent is at. The first question a parent should ask is whether the childcare center or childcare home has an open door policy. If the answer is no, that provider should not be selected. Next, a parent should ask the potential provider whether they have been licensed by the state's childcare licensing department to operate a childcare center or home and whether the certification is current.

Check to see that staff has been trained on blood borne pathogens. With diseases like AIDS, Hepatitis B, etc., and anti-biotic resistant strains of various infections, make sure the childcare staff always wear plastic gloves when changing diapers and administering first aid, and that gloves and diapers are disposed of in a separate trash container labeled bodily fluids'. All trash cans should have plastic bags inside and locking lids.

Parents should not be afraid to ask to see the license and most current inspection. Find out how many infants, toddlers, and older children they are licensed for and how many children are currently being cared for. Make sure staff has had a background check by the local police department and the state investigative agency. A parent should ask the provider to see a copy of the background check for employees. Health and Human Agencies and local police will usually submit a request for a background check on a parent's behalf for a nominal fee.

Another aspect of selecting a good childcare center or home is to find out what kind of training staff have had on abuse and neglect and that doors are kept locked to keep anyone out who may want to take or harm a child. With so many incidents of domestic violence and kidnapping by non-custodial parents childcare providers should take proper precautions. Ask the provider if they have a form that can be signed designating who can and cannot pick up a child?

Other training staff should have had is on positive discipline, nutrition, child development, how to prepare and store food, food allergies and food borne illnesses and the proper

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>