Child care checklist for potential services

Starting the search for care for your child can be a daunting task.

Not only may you have mixed emotions about placing your child in care you may have many questions and decisions in relation to sourcing the right care for your child.

Being proactive is the best approach.

Allowing more time for the search and to ensure you are able to secure the service or type of care you require is key.

Often you may find there are wait lists and other hurdles you may need to overcome before you actually have that first day in care.

Choosing the right care can feel overwhelming.

It can be difficult. The first challenge is knowing where to start. What to look for.

With so many different types of care it can be a little intimidating starting the search for the best child care option and choosing the centre.

One thing that is important when you are choosing child care is to decide what you need and want from care, and then decide the best care option for your family.

Outlining your needs and wants early on will assist you in defining your best options and assist in deciding on the right choice for your family.

You may be spoilt for choice or you may have limited options depending on your needs, geographical location, finances, etc.

Your choices can range from Preschool/Kindy, Family Day Care, Nanny, Long Day Care, Occasional Care and so on.

Once the type of care option is decided upon it is important to have a flexible approach.

Your priority, of course, is the best care available for your child.

You may find that there is a perfectly brilliant carer that fits your needs better rather than childcare centre in the next road to you.

Be open to change your search for quality care that best suits your needs and is the best option for your child.

Of course, what is ‘the best’ depends on many factors and is specific to your circumstances and needs.

You may have strong views, thoughts or ideas of what you expect or what is important to you.

So thinking about and making a list of what is most important to you is a good idea and you can use it as a checklist when first starting your search.

Finding care that is quality is important, not only for your piece of mind, but most importantly for the child, their development and happiness.

We suggest firstly to do a search and find all the relevant services that fall into your area or need. Then from there it is important to make contact and visit the service.

There is nothing better than the initial gut feeling of a place. It doesn’t matter how many bells and whistles it has if you had an uneasy or just not quite right feeling about the service.

• What are the hours of operation?
• What is the service Rating?
• What are you first impressions? Does it seem clean, organised, relaxed, etc?
• How are you and your child welcomed?
• Were you offered a tour of the service?
• Has the service been assessed under the National Quality Framework? What is their rating?
• Does the service have a Quality Improvement Plan? Can you readily view the plan?
• What are their policies and philosophy? Are they available to view? Were you run through the main ones such as the sun safe policy, medication policy?
• Did the service seem safe and secure? How did you enter the service? Was there a sign in, intercom, etc? How do they stop any unauthorised people entering the building? And how do they ensure that the right person collects the children?
• Were the staff easily identified?
• What is the ratio of staff to child? Are these ratios are maintained during lunch hours and breaks? Do they have additional past the regulated number of staff?
• How are the staff supported? Is there in-house training? What are their qualifications and how long have they been at the service?
• Is there consistency with staff? What is the staff turnover like? (This helps to see whether staff are happy, and stay for lengthy periods. It is not ideal to send your child to a service that has a high turnover of staff, with frequently changing faces)
• How many members of staff are qualified in first aid? How many accidents have there been in the past year? What happens in the event of an accident?
• How are parents involved? Are there parent’s evenings or a parent committee? Are parents encouraged to visit? Is there an open door policy?
• What is the policy on sickness? Or if your child is away? Or if they have an illness?
• How/where do the babies/children sleep? Do they accommodate for individual needs and routines?
• How are the children settled in? (i.e. do they do trial sessions or inductions. Are you called if they don’t settle?).
• What does the service want to know from you about the child, your parenting and the family life? It’s really important that they ask you about your child, their habits, likes and dislikes, and they try to incorporate them as much as possible into the daily routine.
• How do they communicate to you about your child’s day? How do they communicate happenings at the centre? Is it via a newsletter, emails, etc?
• Do the children look happy and occupied? Are they interacting well with others and the staff?
• Do the staff look happy job or do they appear discontented and lacking energy? Are they interacting freely and happily?
• If the service offers food do they cater for individual children? What time is the food offered? Is food available outside these times if a child is hungry? What do they do if a child refuses to eat? Is the weekly menu on display? How does the service accommodate allergies?
• Are the walls decorated with the children’s own work? (Beware the centre that has lots of posters and drawings  but not the original work of the children)
• What is the overall feel? What is the condition of the toys and does there seem to be enough and a variety? What is the noise level? Do the children seem to be interacting in activities and are the staff at their level and interacting?
• What is the outdoor playground like? Is there plenty of shade?
• What do they do if your child is unhappy? Would they accommodate your wishes?

Be prepared to be at a centre for a while on your first visit.

Look around and take in the general atmosphere. Observe during this time the children and the staff.

A good service will understand that you want to be sure that your child will be well cared for and safe. They will want you to ask questions until you are satisfied. They will welcome you with open arms and be empathetic to you leaving your child in a new service.

Take your child with you, and pay attention to their reaction. Ask for their opinion after you leave. They will let you know which one they feel more comfortable with.