A number of infant day care options exist in a dedicated facility or in house.
When you inspect, touring the facilities, external premises, observing the routines, then intervening the staff and even sitting with your infant for “test run†will make you comfortable and safe with your decision.
Infant day care options: A variety options exists for infant day care. Among them three are most common:
Child minders:
These are professional carers that look after children and infants in their own home. The child minders should look after only three children under the age of five at any one time according to the Government rule.
They can also complete basic first-aid courses. The reputed child minders register the office for standards in Education.
Nurseries:
They take care of children from the age of six weeks up until the end of primary education in an established facility. Nurseries establish the infant areas and staff hold the qualification in child care.
Make sure that the nursery is registered with the office for Standards in Education.
Nannies:
These need not be registered with any government office or they may not hold any qualification. Nannies look after the infant in your house.
Most of the nannies are natural and the children and infants will enjoy. They may be the members of the local community.
House caring for infants:
If you want the child minders and nannies to take care of your infants, intervening prospective carers is imperative. You can also have a chat with potential carers to determine:
- About their qualifications
- If they have child care history and experience
- Whether they are registered with the government agency
- Why they decided to become nannies or child minders
- How they are engaged with the infants
- How can they deal with the infants who cry persistently
- Whether they take infants on field crops or outdoors
- If they are experienced in lifesaving and first-aid
- Whether they have experience with infant having allergy or medical condition.
Day care by considering external facilities:
There will be no burden if your infant is cared in your home. But it is not the same with external facilities. Touring each site under consideration is vital during your visit:
- Consider you and your infant welcome
- If staff is speaking soothingly to the infants
- Ask yourself whether the environment is bright, clean and suitable for many people inside
- Consider the ratio of staff to the infant is adequate or not
- Ask whether the older children are allowed into the infant’s area
- See whether infants are left in cribs or other equipment for long period
- Are crying infants kept in the same room as napping infants or taken to other rooms.
- Observe all the safety and healthy practices are being followed or not
- Observe your infants while on the premises. Bring your infant for a short test run or visit
- Ask the information on staff’s qualification and background
- Check whether there are enough changing tables,cribs,rockers, etc., to go around
Hence it is a nerve wracking to choose infant day care but it is important to choose the right place for their better life.
