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Choosing a Childcare Centre with confidence – Make a decision you can feel great about with these insider tips

17/1/2017

12 Comments

 
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Meet our Early Childhood expert and mother of three Alison Uren and her family. With eleven years experience in  Childcare centres, preschools and schools you'll want to read on and find her top tips for choosing a child care centre! How gorgeous are they!
The time has come to return to the office and thus find a place for our little guy to spend his time while I’m at work. I found deciding on a childcare centre ALMOST as overwhelming as deciding on a pram! 
 
Did you know that a child’s brain develops most rapidly between birth and five years old? Research shows that quality education and care during these years leads to better health, education and employment outcomes later in life. These years are critical for establishing self-esteem, resilience, healthy growth and capacity to learn (National Quality Framework) Oh the pressure!! Knowing all this, it was so important to me that I felt confident with who I was entrusting with my child's care. 
 
I toyed with the idea of a nanny, family day care and flexible casual care alternatives but made the decision to go with a Childcare centre based on my son’s personality – a million miles an hour and best entertained by a big bunch of children, heaps of activities and needing to keep a bit of routine and structure. 
 
There are a heap of centres out there and I had no idea where to start. To combat the overwhelm I enlisted the help of an expert - working mum of three and Early Childhood Teacher Alison Uren. I am so grateful to have been able to gain direction from her eleven years of experience in childcare centres, preschools and schools. Here are her  extremely valuable insider tips for choosing a Childcare centre so that you too can find a solution that you feel great about.
 
Edit your options

  • Make a list of what you as a parent are looking for, including location, size, flexibility, operating hours and cost. I needed to make a decision on how important it was for me to have Flynn in care close to home, or would I be happy having him close to work instead?
  • What will other families you know be attending? I find knowing someone at the centre great for a bit of familiarity and comfort.
  • As scary as it is, consider where your children will be going to school? There may be opportunities for your child to make friends who might go on to attend the same preschool or school.
  • Do they run preschool on site or will your child need to move when its time to attend?
  • Consider operating hours, many centres now operate between 630am-630pm – a great option for those parents working longer days, starting early or late or needing to travel to work. 

Personally, I got stuck in procrastination mode before finally asking for help and left my decision a little late so I had some options crossed of the list for me straight away. If you’re forced to settle for a childcare spot that isn’t your first preference don’t stress - keep your eyes open for alternatives and your name on the waiting lists until something more suitable comes up.

Do your research

Check out as many childcare services as you can. Ensure that the childcare service is registered and at least meeting the minimum requirement of the National quality standard. If the centre is marked as ‘Exceeding’ in all areas that’s even better. 

Check out the services policies and procedures; ask questions about it specific to your family’s circumstances e.g. Does your child have any additional needs?

Drop in unannounced

Don’t book in and give them an opportunity to make sure they turn on their A-game!! You want to see what the everyday looks like. While there are national benchmarks for childcare centres and FAQs on centre websites, there is a lot of equally important information that you can only discover in person. Drop in unannounced, pick up enrolment forms and have a look around. 

Check out these key things
​
  • Meet the management – if the management is no good, it does filter down. Good management = happy and engaged staff.
  • Watch other little ones – are they stimulated and engaged in play based learning experiences?
  • Is the environment safe and clean? A bit of mess is normal, we all know what it's like to keep the house tidy with one child let alone 20. But there's mess and there's filth... no one wants their baby crawling around in a months worth of vomit stains. Ew.
  • Is the atmosphere busy, but organised and calm? Noise is a given, but is it the sounds of excitement about the learning activities or chaos?
  • Sleep rooms
  • Meal spaces
  • Play areas – are they well maintained? How much space is there? What are the options for outdoor play?
  • Is the basic health and safety of the children a priority? Check that staff are first aid trained and that these qualifications are kept up to date. 
  • Watch interactions between staff and children, are they warm and genuine? Do children appear to like being there?
  • Use your senses. Does the environment look inviting? Natural light? Does it smell like the kind of place you’d like to go back to? (Understanding that sometimes a bit of stink is unavoidable with babies – drop in to my house unannounced sometimes and we might fail this one…)
  • Ask questions of the staff; find out the core values of the centre. Do they align with yours?

ASK, ASK, ASK
 
It’s a big step sending your child to be cared for by complete strangers. It’s ok to ask a heap of questions! I'd rather be the annoying mum than the one leaving beside myself with nerves every day wondering if my child is safe and happy. If the staff are open to your barrage of questions and answer professionally and confidently that’s a good gauge on how you’ll feel about communicating with them in the future. Here are a few things you might want to ask about.

  • The educational and care program
  • The communication between home and care. Ask how you will be kept up to date during the day about your child’s wellbeing, routine and participation. Some centres use email communication, some tech savvy ones even have their own apps! Also ask how you will be updated on your child’s learning. This is so important to me, I don’t want to miss a thing!!
  • How are decisions made on changes within the childcare service? The best way to have a say in your child's experience is to find a centre that lets you have a say - usually through a management committee or governing council. Ask the service director how you can become involved. 
  • Is there a visible copy of the menu (it should be displayed in the centre, if it's, not get hold of it). What are the centers values and guidelines around food and nutrition? Do they email the menu and how do they cater for individual food intolerances and allergies?  This is a big one for me too; it’s hard to instill healthy habits in your child at home if they’re consistently being exposed to junk at childcare.
  • Primary care giving – this can provide a regular and consistent face for you and your child
  • What is their sleep routine? Are the staff trained in SIDS and have a sleep policy in acvordance with the SIDS guidelines? 
  • What do you feel is significant? You know your child best, ask about things that you know are important for your child to learn and thrive.
 
Use your resources
There are so many great resources available to you in addition to your own detective work. 
  • Ask for advice on local online mums groups (keep in mind that everyone’s values are different and the opinions of others may not reflect your own, take it on board but don’t let this be your only method of research). I've had five different lots of feedback about just one centre. This really added to my confusion and I quickly worked out that I needed to go and get a feel for it myself.
  • Ask friends and acquaintances about their experiences. (see above on opinions)
  • Department for Education and Child Development website for more things to look for when assessing your childcare options
     https://www.decd.sa.gov.au/childcare
  • Early Years Learning Framework – learn what you should be expecting from a childcare provider https://www.education.gov.au/early-years-learning-framework 

I know that leaving Flynn is going to be tough for me regardless, the thought of missing out on any of his experiences and firsts is heart-wrenching... but I feel so much more comfortable with my decision after following Alison’s advice and I hope you find it helpful too. If you have anything else to add to the list, please comment below!

12 Comments
Kim Stone link
22/1/2017 06:44:23 pm

Such a thorough list Tamsin! What a great resource for new working mums. The only thing I would add is to find out the sickness policy for each of your options and understand how and when it will affect you and your family. I have clients who used Family Day Care and had to take personal leave when she was sick, her child was sick, the educator was sick AND when the educator's child was sick. Needless to say she had to take A LOT of personal leave.

Reply
Tamsin link
23/1/2017 08:51:59 am

Such great advice thanks Kim! I didn't consider that when I decided on my child care options, thankfully I have now checked and the policy is quite reasonable... phew! A significant downside of family day care for sure.

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Ashley Turns link
25/10/2017 08:53:55 am

I really like your tip to see when the child care centre is operating so that you can know if it fits in with your schedule. Since I'm going back to work soon, I've realized that it is the time I find a great program for my daughter to go into and was wondering what I should look for. Since we both have to go to work fairly early, we will definitely be looking for a child care centre that has early hours.

Reply
Tamsin link
30/10/2017 12:59:44 pm

Hi Ashley

Thanks for your comment, it's hard enough making the decision to go back to work following maternity leave, let alone making the decision of who to put your precious little one in the care of. Flexible hours have been crucial to our family too. All the best with your return to work! That feeling is fresh in my memory, feel free to reach out if you need some support with your return to work.

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best rated baby strollers link
26/10/2017 07:15:05 pm

I?d have to check with you here. Which is not something I usually do! I enjoy reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!

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Darrel Pontejo link
4/6/2018 09:01:20 pm

We must always make it to the point to carefully do a background check of the school where our child will attend to. The numerous tips listed above is very useful for first time moms to have a kid send to school to read this article to ensure the safety of their kids and for them to be comfortable to study and mingle with other kids.

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Ella Rossi link
26/6/2018 09:52:14 pm

Parents also play a major role in honing the kids. Together with the school, they must be the first example to help the kids at Child Care Centers.

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Scarlett Abbott link
27/6/2018 05:44:25 pm

In choosing the right childcare, i really go to different school myself to have a tour around the vicinity. It makes me more confident to trust my little kiddos if you feel that the school you choose is safe also. As for this website, they also make other mommies, not just me but other as well on how we could determine as well by ourselves how to choose the right childcare for our kids.

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Agnes Electra Chlebinska link
17/7/2018 06:20:02 pm

Look and see if the staff is responsive and caring. Do they seem interested and enthusiastic or bored? Do staff interact with children on a one-to-one level or as a group? Are they friendly towards you? The children should be under control and attentive.

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Jarden Williams link
12/2/2020 05:38:46 pm

Yes! I too connected to the point the child has rapid power during the age up to 5 years of age. This is the time every parent needs to teach the child every ethical point to grow as a responsible child. And also to the point Ask, Ask and Ask.. of course, it is our duty to ask all our doubts, if all our doubts clarified then go for the further procedure.

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resume services online link
16/2/2020 01:04:47 pm

Choosing a childcare centre for your children is a bug decision that you should do. There are so many things that you need to put into consideration since there are so many choices. I know that all of them are offering good services, but they differ on their programs. You need to find the program that suits the capacity and personality of your child! It's kind of full of process, but you need to take the risk if you really want to do it!

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Child Care Berwick link
16/7/2020 11:58:15 am

We provide the highest quality childcare Berwick residents like. We are located close to work so you will spend less rush in the evenings and mornings. If you want to have more time with your baby or you are just returning o work after leave, the Birches Early Centre is your best option. We aspire to be the first child care Narre Warren south residents mention when they want someone to remain with their baby. Call us today for more information.

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    Tamsin 

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