com-brparents-2017-61.html
0517 MAY
62 / 96
1 i f you?ll be returning to work after your baby is born, you probably know that open
child
care spots can go faster than ice cream melts on a hot day. still, for your
child
?s wellbeing and your own peace of mind, it pays to get picky and there?s a lot to take into account before making your decision. 10 questions by sandra gordon as you begin your search, check our
child
care and preschool listing and the louisiana believes website to select a few
centers
you are interested in touring. the lists include pertinent information about the
centers
such as star rating, license type, ages, and location. once you have chosen a few
centers
, be sure to check the center?s health and safety record. jenna conway, assistant superintendent of early
child
hood for the louisiana department of education and a mother of two who has gone through this process before, suggests, ?the department of education licenses all
child
care
centers
, and the history of inspections is available online. you will want to look for repeated violations of
important
regulations like supervision. it?s critically
important
that
centers
ensure
child
ren are always supervised.? your next step is to visit the
centers
of your choice. ?every center should be willing to have you visit and walk-through the facility to see what?s happening in classrooms. you should pay attention to the setup of the classrooms, making sure that they look safe, clean, and age- appropriate for your
child
ren,? conway adds. as you tour the facility, be sure to bring along these
important
questions to ask because the answers will help you determine if you?ve found the right place for your
child
?or if you need to keep looking. what activities will my
child
do? ?e code word to listen for is ?curriculum.? with emerging research about early brain development, top
child
care programs aren?t glorified babysitters. ?ey?re full-featured learning environments, even at the infant level because learning starts from birth. ??ere are all sorts of age-appropriate curriculums available now, from baby sign language in an infant room to early reading, nature, science, art, technology, and drama programs for toddlers,? says kris murray, author of ?e ultimate
child
care marketing guide and a consultant to the
child
care industry. conway adds that the state encourages
centers
to use a quality curriculum to ask before choosing a
child
care center 2016-17 cover kids layla c. and jacob o. 62 brparents.com | may 2017
child-teachers-year-63.html