Things to remember when your child is in child care
By developing a trusting, respectful working relationship, parents and caregivers can make child care a positive experience for young children. Parents and caregivers need to work together to build a bridge between home and child care setting. This helps a child feel safe and secure.
Good communication allows parents and caregivers to:
- Share observations about your child’s interests, abilities, and needs
- Ask questions and learn from each other.
- Figure out ways to help your child learn through daily routines, play, and activities in child care and at homes.
- Try to understand, then share ideas to deal with issues such as biting, hitting, and grabbing.
- Show children how people work together.
- Share the joys and challenges of helping a child grow.
You choose your provider
Quality child care is important to young children’s healthy social, emotional and intellectual development. You have the opportunity to make sure that your child will have the kind of learning experiences and nurturing that will support his/her healthy development. You should choose a caregiver who shares your beliefs about the best way to care for young children, and who is open to talking with you and working through differences.
Take time to talk with the caregiver to find out how the provider feels about:
- Being warm, caring and responsive to your child. Children who receive warm, responsive care are more likely to feel safe and secure with adults who care for them. These early relationships affect the way a child’s brain works and grows. Paying close attention to a child’s signals helps him/her feel secure with the caregiver.
- Talking, singing, and reading to your child. Making up stories, singing songs, talking about what is happening during daily routines are important for your child’s language, social, emotional, and cognitive development and give children a solid basis for later learning.
- Establishing routines and rituals. Positive routines and rituals from strong connections in the brain and help children feel secure. daily routines and rituals reassure children; they help a child learn what to expect from this environment and how to understand and feel in control of the world around him.
- Limiting TV watching. Studies show that children who learn best in school don’t spend a lot of time watching TV. Very young children are still learning what is real and what is not, and they may find many TV images frightening and confusing. If children watch TV, it’s best to have adults watch with them and talk about what they’re seeing.
- Encouraging your child’s safe exploration and play. Children learn about how the world works by playing and exploring. And the more caregivers get involved in the child’s play, the more they help a child learn. The provider encourages pretend play, which is building both language and cognitive skills and she also helps the child develop socially and emotionally by letting the child know that he is important and fun to be with.
- Disciplining children with love and understanding. Make sure that the provider does not shake infants and the provider understands that babies can’t manipulate anyone. They cry because they are trying to express what they need. Caregivers can never spoil an infant by responding to the infant’s needs.
- Toddlers spend time exploring their world, which naturally leads to confusion and frustration from time to time. They can express their feelings very intensively. Providing limits and consistent supervision helps children learn to manage their emotions and to feel safe. A caregiver should never hit a child.
- Discipline means ‘to teach,’ and the way children are taught to deal with frustration and anger are often stronger than their ability to control their feelings, so they may hit, yell or have tantrums. When caregivers respond in a supportive, consistent and firm way, and help children find other ways to express their feelings , they help children to feel safe in the world.
- Recognizing that your child is unique. Children’s ideas and feelings about themselves reflect their caregiver’s attitude towards them. Children have different temperaments and grow at different rates. They feel good about themselves when the adults in their world understand and respect who they are and delight in their accomplishments.
Parents need to stay involved. Finding and choosing the right child care situation is not always easy. And once you do, it will probably take time for you and your child to adjust. Make an unannounced visit from time to time to make sure everything is going well. Continue to talk with your caregiver.
Know your provider’s policies regarding sick child care and have alternative arrangements.
What are my responsibilities when I am admitted to the Alternative Payment Program?
- Call to set up an appointment with the case manager to establish your eligibility for the program.
- As stated before you choose a child care provider for your child. You may choose to have your child at a licensed family child care home, child care center, or you may choose to have a neighbor, friend or relative take care of your child.
- Pay family fees based on your family income. If you are below a certain income there are no family fees.
- It is important for you to sign your child’s attendance sheet on a daily basis in coordination with your child care provider.
- Keep your case manager informed of any changes to your address or phone number.
- Inform your case manager within 30 days of changes in income that exceed 85% of State Median Income.