|
|
| Try before you buy
|
| Why you should visit a service before signing up
|
|
|
|
With the end of the year fast approaching and 2016 just around the corner now is a great time to take a long hard look at your child care options for next year.
One of the best ways to make a decision about which child care service to use is to compile a short list of your top two or three services and then visit them.
Visiting your preferred child care service during normal operating hours will give you great insight in to how the staff interact with the children, how the children interact with each other, and ultimately whether the service is the right place for your child.
Most child care services are happy for parents to drop in, so don't feel awkward about visiting and make sure you ask lots of questions.
It is worth spending a little time planning your visit so you gain an accurate idea of how the service works and how well it meets the needs of your child. The following preparations will help make you make your visit worthwhile:
- Print a copy of our Child Care Centre Checklist to take with you. The checklist will be a useful reminder of things to look out for and potential questions to ask.
- Make sure you visit the service in 'non-peak hours' (i.e., avoid drop off and pick up times). Although most services allow parents to drop in at any time, for your first visit it might be worthwhile calling and making an appointment, this will ensure a staff member is available to show you around and answer any questions.
- Pay attention to the interactions between staff and children, take note of the activities the children are doing, check out the environment and the sleeping, playing and eating spaces and most importantly ask lots of questions.
Be sure to take your child with you when you visit your shortlisted services; observing your child as they move through the rooms, respond to the staff and the other children in the service and participate in any activities which are happening while you are there will offer great insight into how your child would feel if you ended up in the service.
If you have narrowed down your search to a couple of favourites, feel free to take your child to visit on a number of occasions. High quality early childhood settings welcome parent visits and will make you and your child feel welcome, and although you won't be able to leave your child alone it will still be very helpful exercise.
Remember, the right child care for your family is the service which ticks all the important boxes for your family and these boxes could very well be different to the criteria other families prioritise. There isn't a one size fits all solution and the best early childhood service is the one which you makes you feel most comfortable.
In addition, once you have made your decision, stick with it, at least for the first few weeks, and don't second guess yourself. Starting child care is a major change for families and will take some getting used, for some strategies for success you may like to to read our article on helping your child adjust to child care to ensure the first day is happy for everyone!
|
|
|
|
|
