Leaving your child in the care of others is no small matter for any parent. When selecting a childcare centre, you want to ensure your child is safe, happy, secure and stimulated. With this in mind, here are 6 things to look for when selecting a centre.
Accreditation
Accredited childcare centres have met a stringent list of conditions to gain their approval, including health and safety checks, learning frameworks, and staff to children ratios, so seek out an approved childcare centre when it comes to finding the best place for your child. Accreditation means the centre has not just met certain conditions on paper, but they have also undergone spot checks to ensure it is operating to prescribed standards.
Happy kids
Deciding on a childcare centre comes down to how you feel about the place. As of this, it’s important you pay attention to the demeanour of the children and staff. Laughter and play are some of the right sounds you should be hearing when you’re scouting for a potential centre. This means the children feel safe, secure and content, which is arguably the most important element of leaving your child in care.
Welcoming staff
Your children will be spending most of their time in supervision, so along with ensuring staff are qualified, assess how you feel about the welcomes you receive when visiting potential centres. Were you introduced to all staff members? Did they seem active with the children? How did they speak to those in their care? Good childcare centres will display the qualifications of their staff openly so you know who is who and what they offer to the service.
Cleanliness
As children easily pick up bugs, cleanliness and hygiene are hugely important in childcare centres. Be sure to inspect the toilet areas and classroom fridge to gain insight into the standards of the centre. You can also ascertain whether they are professionally cleaned. Commercial cleaning in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide is readily offered by a range of companies like AMC Commercial Cleaning , so there’s no reason why centres in these regions should be a zone for dirt, grime and litter.
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| Spud at a play zone/play centre. |
Variety of play zones
As most children have limited attention spans, it’s important to ensure their childcare environment will be educational and stimulating with a variety of play zones. This should include indoor and outdoor play, quiet areas and space for group activities and imagination. Also look at the quality of toys on offer and the general standard of equipment.
Safety and security
The safety of your child is of paramount importance, so check out what measures have been put into place. Are there gates with sufficiently high latches to stop a child running out of the centre into the car park? Are the door handles above child height for each room, and what is the pick-up procedure for who can sign your child out of the centre?
Childcare can introduce a whole new range of skills, stimulation and friends into your child's life. By doing your homework and visiting any prospective centres, you will feel more relaxed in the knowledge your child is in safe and caring hands.
Until next time,
Jada x
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