Choosing the right day care center is a huge decision to make. Not just for your child, but also for the parents or guardians! A day care center is where your child will spend the early beginnings of his or her educational career and they are at a very impressionable age and time in their lives. It is imperative that the day care center your child will be attending teaches core values that will mold their value systems. Enhancing their knowledge, while offering exciting recreational activities and social activities for your child to participate in!
Children will spend two to five years of their lives in a day care center, it is so incredibly important that your day care center of choice teaches foundation aspects that will enhance their overall learning experience and prepare these children for their bright futures! So where does one find an amazing day care center like this? It is time to do some research, it is imperative to construct a list of qualities you would like to see in your preferred day care center!
- Location
By participating in a little investigative research on various day care centers in your local area. It will become clear to you what day care centers are at the top of your list and other centers you should disregard. When searching for a day care for your children, always pay a visit to the location in question. Get to know the facilitators and teachers who run the center. Try to get an understanding of how the center is run and if there are any red flags that appear during the visit or conversation. A few things to consider are, is the daycare center close to home? Is the center close to work? Does the center have an accessible pick-up and drop-off area? Keep these questions in mind when visiting a potential daycare.
- What features are included?
The right day care center for your child will offer a plethora of opportunities to learn and grow from! There are many centers that have an emphasis on teaching children important aspects of STEM technology and proficiency with technology such as standard desktops, tablets and other mobile devices that will help improve their skill sets at a very early age. Outdoor recreation should be encouraged for children to continue their socialization skills while learning to love the outdoors.
- Educational Aspects
After you have visited the day care center of choice, asked a few questions and considered the proximity of the center to your home or work. There is more work to be done, before enrolling your child in a new center. Ask for a copy of the provided curriculum or educational plan program that your child will be learning. Is it a well-rounded program? What topics are they learning? Are they learning foundational aspects of Judaism? An ideal educational program for a day care center will include the arts, music, social sciences, mathematics and religious history. If your daycare center of choice does offer the elementary basics of a cohesive curriculum it is time to move on.
- Affordability
In some cases, day care centers can be very expensive and sadly, extremely overpriced. It can be a very discouraging when searching for a daycare to find the perfect center only to be countered with overpriced tuition and extra fees for just about everything included with the service. While it is imperative to find a daycare center the meets all of the needs that you and child have, finding a center that meets your budget criteria is essential. When you find right the right day care center, all of the financial information will be provided upfront, with no hidden fees or financial surprises in store for you throughout the year. There are daycare centers that have enrollment rates as low as one thousand dollars per child! A credible center will provide you with all of the necessary information for you to make your final decision.
- Red Flags to watch out for!
One of the first red flags to keep an eye out for is quality assurance and accreditation. Your day care center of choice should have the appropriate accreditation and supporting documents to provide to all interested parties. Some of the credentials a day care center should have are: Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS), Florida Kindergarten Council (FKC), Association of Independent Schools of Florida (AISF), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and finally accreditation supported by a religious institution such as Progressive Association of Reform Day Schools (PARDeS).
Other warning signs to be aware of are: How do the day care providers interact with the children at the center? Do the children at the center seem happy and educationally stimulated? Is the social atmosphere engaging?
Choosing the right day care center for your child (or children) is a huge task to undertake. A day care is a place that will have a huge impact in molding their personality, their values and the very beginning of their educational career. As a great parent or guardian, this it not a responsibility to be taken lightly. By participating in a little investigative research on various day care centers in your local area will be able to find the right provider that offers all the right resources and tools to make an impact in your child’s life.
Here is a quick review on the important elements to keep in mind when searching for a new day care for your child! Is the day care center in convenient area that is close to your home or place of work. What additional features are included in the daycare package? Are there other educational recreational activities provided outside of the classroom? Is the educational curriculum well-rounded with an emphasis on all integral aspects of learning. Is the tuition affordable and fit within your specific budget, is there a payment plan that is available? And for the last few important aspects, ensure that the daycare center is fully accredited by both the state educational institution and by the center’s religious affiliation of choice. Once you have ensured that your selected day care has meet of all of your criteria and meets your set standards, you have found the perfect day care center! See more visit: Temple Beth Am Day School.
