Important Questions To Ask Before Enrolling Your Child In A Child Care Center

Are you the parent of a young child or several young children? Are you thinking about going back to work or taking a second job so that you can bring in more money? When you have children, the decision to get a new job can be a difficult one. It often means that you'll have to pay for someone at a child care center to look after your child or children while you're at work. While the decision to have someone look after your children can be difficult, actually picking your child care provider doesn't have to be a challenge. Here are some questions to ask that can make your choice easier:

What qualifications do the members of your staff have? Some states are very strict on who is allowed to look after children while other states are more lax. No matter what sort of state you currently live in, you should only take your child or children to a child care center where all of the staff have had background checks and at least most of the staff has taken a first aid course. While you hope that nothing bad will happen to your child while someone else is looking after him or her, accidents can happen. If and when they do, you'll want someone who is able to bandage your child or to perform CPR, depending on the need at the time of the accident.

What sort of curriculum, if any, is followed?  This doesn't apply strictly to schoolwork, though it can. You should also find out what sort of field trips the child care center might take the children on and the sort of projects that your child or children might be expected to do. Things like "macaroni art" can be fun for many children, but you probably don't want to choose a center where the only form of entertainment is macaroni art. 

What punishments are there for children who misbehave? Depending on the child care center and the nature of the infraction, your child may only have to sit in time-out for a few minutes. However, there are other punishments possible if your child does eventually misbehave. They may be given cleaning chores or not be allowed on the next field trip. It's also possible that spankings may be administered, as corporal punishment is still allowed in some states. Before signing any registration papers, make sure that you get and read their list of possible disciplinary actions and that you approve of these measures.

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