Leaving your baby in the care of others is a big decision and one that you should make with caution. There are things you should consider while leaving your infant at a childcare centre, whether you need to return to work or only need care for a day. Daycare evaluation is, in fact, just as important as choosing the right place to enrol your child in.
If you haven’t done so already, now is an excellent time to review your kid’s daycare environment and caregiver to confirm that your decision is still the best for your child’s wellbeing. Here’s a list of things your family should be mindful of when it comes to daycare evaluation.
Check the Centre for Yourself
While recommendations from other parents or reliable resources are valuable, inspecting the facility for yourself to determine whether it meets your standards or not is an important part of any daycare evaluation. Try to visit the same facilities at different times of the day if you can to see how the facility’s staff interact with your children and how their program is.You can book a tour of the facility any time to evaluate the daycare centre and make sure it meets all your needs. After you’ve enrolled your child, you might want to drop in unannounced a few times to see how things are going. Your visits can sometimes confirm that the place is perfect for you, and other times they will be a true eye-opener.
Look into the Details
All daycare centres in Canada have standard tidying and clean-up routines. And this is because all children, no matter what age they’re at, deserve to flourish in sanitary environments. So, most childcare centres also adhere to age-related regulations and have appropriateprograms for each age group.And, it goes without saying that any childcare facility should be regularly sanitized, childproofed, and well-stocked with age-appropriate books and toys. Of course, quality daycares pay attention to the small details.
Proper daycare evaluation begins when you pay attention to details as well. For example, some of the key things you should look for are:
- Toy boxes shouldn’t be overflowing with broken, useless bits.
- Little ones need easy access to books, so bookshelves should ideally be within their reach.
- Tactile play tables should be unmixed and organized.
- Coatrooms should be tidy and labelled.
Daycare teachers should also keep toys with small parts (choking hazards) away from younger babies when they’re sharing the room with older children.
Nutritious Meals: A Must
It’s common knowledge that a well-balanced, whole-food diet is critical for your child’s growth and overall health. And that’s exactly why it’s so important to consider it in childcare evaluation.To evaluate your child’s daycare centre, you should definitely check their food and nutrition program to see whether they care about your child’s eating and allergies. A quality daycare is dedicated to your child’s overall wellbeing, not just parts of it!
Remember that the facility is directly helping youngsters develop lifelong healthy eating habits if the meals are delicious and freshly cooked. A good childcare program is comprehensive, and the centre must understand the value of nutrition to having happy, healthy children.
Daycares can assist children in developing healthy eating habits by providing nutritious and enjoyable cuisine. At the same time, a poor meal plan can ruin a healthy baby’s eating habits and even alienate them from nutritious food!
Clever Knows How Important Healthy Eating Is
Check Our Meal Plan
Childcare Evaluation Checklist
Write down all criteria of a quality daycare centre to make childcare evaluation easier for yourself. That way, you will have a checklist at your ready disposal to help you figure out whether your baby is in the right place or not. We have already prepared some of the most important questions you should be asking yourself, or the centre’s staff, to determine their quality down below.- Is the environment bright and pleasant?
- Are indoor and outdoor play areas big enough?
- Are there enough neat and well-maintained toys and dolls?
- Do activities and resting periods follow a set timetable, or are they flexible?
- Are children’s activities innovative and fun?
- Is there a policy allowing parents to drop in?
- Will your child receive individual attention from the teachers and the establishment?
- Are the employees welcoming and helpful?
- Are you confident in the employees’ abilities?
- Do the caregivers treat children as individuals?
- Do teachers interact with children, or do they only provide for the children’s fundamental needs?
- Do staff members treat the kids with patience?
- Do staff members seem warm and friendly and have a sense of humour?
- Are caregivers in good physical shape and capable of playing with the kids?
- Do you agree with caregivers’ toilet-training practices and other self-help training programs?
- Are caregivers willing to communicate with you?
- Is there a system in place in the event of an emergency?
- Is the facility secure? (Think of hidden electrical outlets, covered sharp corners, cleaners out of reach, and so on.)
- Do employees and children wash their hands frequently, especially after diaper changes or before preparing food?
- Do they have smoke detectors installed and have they recently had their fire extinguishers inspected?
- Is there any kind of liability insurance in place?
Final Word: Invest in a Good Daycare
You should know that the parent’s job is not finished after choosing a daycare. Every parent should do a thorough childcare evaluation to ensure it’s the right place for their beloved babies.
Visiting the centre once in a while, checking the nutrition plan, and paying attention to the facility’s details can help you evaluate your baby’s care provider. Skip daycare evaluation, and you will be putting your little one at risk!
Clever aims to be the first choice for parents seeking a secure, nurturing, and cutting-edge daycare for their children to grow and thrive in. We aspire to be known as an industry leader, influencing childcare standards across the country.
We take great delight in delivering high-quality, convenient daycare and knowing that parents leave the facility with their minds at ease, confident that their babies are in good hands. Put your faith in our professional team; enter the waiting list to enrol your child or book a tour to get started.
