Choosing Quality Child Care for your baby
As a parent, you are your child’s champion, protector, cheerleader and advocate. Today, more and more infants and toddlers are spending time in some type of child care setting. Young children need a nurturing setting where they will flourish with a knowledgeable caregiver who understands how to promote their healthy growth and development.
Babies and toddlers need nurturing, secure relationships with their caregivers in order to feel safe and learn. They also need not only love and attention, but stimulating language and play interactions as well. In addition, young children need a schedule that is responsive to their needs, with appropriate stimulation and time to rest.
As a parent it is particularly important for you to be aware of the following when choosing a caregiver:
- Is the child care program licensed by the state or local government?
- Is the child care program accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children or the National Association of Family Child Care?
- The first three years of life are crucial to a child’s healthy development and they deserve a knowledgeable caregiver that has received specialized training on best practices for infants and toddlers. Are the caregivers certified by the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition with a Child Development Associates degree credential for infant-toddler caregivers? If not, do they have an equivalent credential that addresses comparable competencies (such as an Associate's or Bachelor's degree)?
- Is there a primary caregiver for my child?
- Are the ratios and group size appropriate for my child’s age?
So what are the hallmarks of quality child care? And how do you select a caregiver? ZERO TO THREE has established some basic principles—discussed below—which define quality care for infants and toddlers.