Finding Child Care: What to Look For in Home Day Care

You've decided to send your kid to a home day care, otherwise known as a family day care or in home day care. But you haven't yet decided on which home day care. By doing your research on finding child care, you can feel more confident that you are making the right decision. Here are some things to look for in an in a home day-care situation.

Accreditation: Make sure that the home day care is certified or licensed—even if it's not legally required by the state you live in. You can rest assured that if it has received National Association for Family Childcare accreditation, it has met certain standards.

Safety: Is the family day care clean and does it seem safe? There shouldn't be any obvious dangers (such as small pieces that could be choking hazards) and there should be appropriate gates on stairways and window guards.

Check It Out: Spend time at the home day care to get a feeling for it. Do the kids' needs seem well met? Is the caregiver attentive and caring? Does she interact with the children?

Activities: Are there a mix of activities—ones that don't involve watching television?! Make sure there are age-appropriate toys and some time devoted to outdoor play.

Get References: Call for references to get the real scoop from parents whose kids have gone to that family daycare.

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