Child care helps you balance family life with work, study or family needs. Selecting the right type of child care for your family is an important decision. Child care
There are many things to consider when choosing child care such as adult-to-child ratios and group sizes. What is child care?
The term child care covers a diverse range of informal and formal providers of care for children from birth to 12 years of age: Family day care, in which your child goes to the home of an approved provider. Benefits include smaller groups and flexible hours Centre-based care offers child care for pre-school aged children or care outside of school hours. You can get short or long-day care, and occasional and holiday care.
Informal child care by family members or people who aren’t related, such as a family friend. Many families use a combination of formal and informal care. This approach can help families when work hours and care hours don’t match or during those unexpected times, like illness. What should I look for in a child care provider?
When choosing a provider some of the things to think about are: accessibility - is it close to home or to work or school?
affordability - what does it cost? Are there any extra expenses?
learning activities and educational outcomes
adult-to-child ratios and group sizes - more adults and smaller groups should mean your child gets more attention
flexible hours
accessibility for children with disabilities. It’s a good idea to start looking for child care early, as many facilities have waiting lists. You can go to check them out. Some providers are accredited.
How do I prepare my child for child care?
Starting child care can be an emotional experience for parents and children. With some preparation, and support from child care providers, it can be a positive experience. Points to consider: start slowly with fewer hours or days in care
share a brief activity with your child before leaving them
let care providers know how your child likes to be comforted
clearly tell your child you will return, and say goodbye in a positive manner.
Arushi Arora
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28 Dec 2017