Congregations Caring for Children

number of trained staff members present. When looking at a child care center

ask:

How many trained staff members care for infants and preschoolers?

Find out the number of trained staff that supervise school age children.

Contact your local resource and referral agency and licensing office to double 

check the staff to child ratio. Call 1 800 KIDS 793 for the agencies in your area.

Staff qualifications

Qualified teachers for centers that care for infants or preschoolers must have

completed at least twelve units of early childhood education. For teachers in

centers with a license for school age children, the units may be in multiple educa 

tion subjects or recreation related fields appropriate for the care of older children.

Additionally, employees of centers may be a part of several professional organi 

zations and/or may attend continuing professional education courses.

Points to consider in choosing a child care center

Environment: How many caregivers will be with your child in a day or

week? Are there plenty of interesting toys and materials for your child to play

with? Is the center organized so your child can find things easily? Are the chil 

dren smiling and happy?

Values: What are the provider's philosophy and values? How does the pro 

vider discipline children? How does the provider individualize learning activi 

ties, nap, mealtime, and toilet training?

Communication: How does the center staff share information about your

child's progress and daily activities? Can you visit at any time? How is discipline

handled?

Staff: How long have the caregivers worked at the center? What is the staff

turnover? Are the management's and caregivers' values the same? Does the staff

seem relaxed and responsive to the children's needs?

Parent Involvement: Are you welcome to participate in the child care pro 

gram? Are you required to volunteer? Does staff encourage your input on how

well your child is doing? How is your child's progress shared with you?

Education: What type of experience, education, and credentials do the

caregivers have? Is the center a member of the NAEYC?

Licensing: What type of license does the center have? Can your child attend

from infancy to school age? Did you contact Community Care Licensing to check

on any previous complaints?

Location: How convenient is it for you from your work, home, bus route,

and/or health care provider?

Cost: Can you afford the monthly tuition? Is there an additional registration

fee? Is there a family discount? Does the center charge a fee for late pickup? Are

there any other costs for materials, field trips, or books?

Evaluation: Does the program staff have a process of determining what they

are doing well and what needs to be worked on?

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