While it is often difficult to find, at least summer child care is temporary – but it serves as a stark reminder that the issue of day care is a monumental one. If you ask them, most parents will tell you about their day care dilemmas, but for the most part, the desperate scrambling is done in silence. Thus, such a big problem often gets little mention on the national stage.

Families throughout history have relied on others to watch over their children, so this child care situation is nothing new. What is new, however, is the staggering cost of day care. Although it varies widely according to region and size of city, for most families, the cost of day care is as much or more than a house payment – and it is even more expensive for babies.

In some places, it costs more to place a child in day care than it does to pay college tuition, yet we suffer in silence. No one talks about how difficult it will be to find quality, affordable care – or how gut-wrenching it is for parents to be forced to place their children in questionable places because they have no other choice.

Despite the millions of children in day care – almost 6 million of whom are under the age of 5 – the U.S. is one of only a few industrialized nations without a high-quality, comprehensive, government-supported system of child care. Like so many issues of great importance to families, what should be a community concern (what is more important for our future than the care of our children?) is viewed as an individual problem.
What it boils down to is that this needs to become a national issue. Having sponsored day care is the only solution and a solution which most countries have already adopted and successfully implemented in their systems.

There are so many February Preschool Activities that relate to groundhog day, Valentine’s Day and President’s Day. Here are some of the activites I do with my children in my in-home child care.

Theme: Sweethearts and Friendship
Letters: B, H
Number: 2
Color: Red and Pink
Shape: Heart
Activities:

For other February Preschool Activities and Craft Ideas, visit A to Z Childcare Directory or you can go directly to Valentines craft ideas.

Most young infants, up to seven months, adapt to caring adults and seldom have problems adjusting to good child care.  They may feel separation anxiety, which is a normal part of development for some children.  They will need extra time and your support to “get to know” the caregiver.

Some children show changes in behavior when they start child care.  Toddlers may cry, pout, refuse to go to child care or act angry in other ways.  Preschoolers may regress and behave like a younger child.  They may be more wakeful at night.  This behavior usually goes away after a few days or weeks in high-quality daycare.

You can help your child adjust to a new child care arrangement.  Arrange a visit with in-home caregivers while you are at home or when you need child care for a short time.  Visit the center or family daycare home that you have chosen with your child before beginning care.  Show your child that you like and trust the caregiver.

Some children like to carry a reminder of home when they go to child care.  A family photograph or small toy can be helpful.  Talking to your child about daycare and the caregiver is helpful.  Being prepared makes any new experience easier for children.  There also are storybooks about child care that you and your child can read together.  (Check with your local library.)

After a child has been in child care, a sudden change in caregivers may be upsetting.  This can happen even if the new caregiver is kind and competent.  If you are concerned about your child’s feelings, you may want to arrange a meeting with the caregiver or ask your pediatrician for advice. Parents need to help the caregivers and the child deal with any changes in the child’s routine at home or child care.

High-quality child care helps children grown in every way and promotes their physical, social, and mental development. It offers support to working parents. Your pediatrician wants your child to grow and develop with enjoyment in a setting that supports you as a parent.

This article was obtained from the American Academy of Pediatrics website.

You will need to research the options available to you locally, then choose which centers you want to visit. Before visiting the center or in-home child care provider, be sure develop a list of questions to ask the director or provider. Here is a checklist you can use: * How many staff members are there and are there enough to adequately supervise the children?
* Are the staff members CPR and First Aid certified? What other qualifications do the staff members have?
* If this is a child care home, are there any other adults or children in the home during the hours of operation?
* Is the area clean and safe with clear exits in case of emergency? Is there a clearly posted emergency exit plan or can the staff member sufficiently demonstrate the exit strategy?
* Are first aid supplies and fire extinguishers readily available?
* What kind of discipline philosophy is followed at the child care facility (verbal warnings, time-out)?
* Are there stairs? Are the stairs gated to prevent accidents and falls?
* Are precautions taken to maximize safety such as covering outlets, putting latches on drawers and cabinets where chemicals or medications are stored?
* Are toys, games, and play areas clean and how often are they cleaned? What chemicals or method of cleaning is used to clean the toys, games, and play areas?
* Are toys appropriate for the age of the child and are the toys separated by age so that younger children do not have access to small objects that can cause a choking hazard?
* Are there any weapons on the premises and where are they stored?
* If this is a child care home, are there any pets? If so, will children have contact with the pets? Are the pets current on rabies and vaccinations?
* Do children have access to clean toilets? Is there an area for handwashing with soap and individual paper towels for drying hands?
* If there is a pool, does the homeowner have a fence around the pool, a self-latching gate? What precautions are taken to ensure that a child cannot gain access to the pool?
* Playground equipment must be anchored and surrounded by a shock absorbing material.
* What types of meals and snacks are served? Are they nutritious? Does the child care center participate in the child care food program?
* What types of activities will your child be participating in? Are they educational and allow for playtime indoors and outdoors during the day? Do they go on any field trips, walks to a park, swimming and what precautions are taken to ensure safety if they do?
* Can the program adequately accommodate special needs and how so?

More information about researching and locating in-home child care providers can be found at A to Z Childcare Directory. After you read more tips, you can search our database of providers to find a provider in your state. It is a completely free service, so login and search for the right provider.

If you are looking for a babysitter, Sittercity provides a great service that will help you screen and locate babysitters. My sister-in-law even used this service when she had to travel out of town for a wedding. She was very impressed with the service and the babysitter that she entrusted her son to. Find great sitters in your area on Sittercity.com. Try Sittercity for free today!

Browse Pre-Screened Nanny Profiles
at Care.com. You will find a large selection of care providers using their services, especially if you are looking for a nanny or au pair.

Whether you are looking for a daycare center, in-home child care provider, nanny, or babysitter, make sure you are 100% satisfied with the service you are receiving. After all, you are leaving your child in their hands.

Although most states require all child care homes and centers to be inspected and monitored, there are some states that allow child care homes to operate without a license and without any inspections if they only keep a couple of children. Be sure to keep all eyes and ears open. Even though these homes are not monitored, they are still expected to follow the rules and regulations. It is ultimately your responsibility to monitor your child’s welfare while he is in the care of someone else. Please help keep the children safe by reporting unsafe practices in child care homes and centers.

For more information about child care or to search the childcare directory, visit www.atoz-childcare-directory.com.

There are several factors to take into consideration when looking at different child care programs and comparing different facilities and there will be many questions that you will want to ask. First and foremost, you will want to know if a program is licensed, as most states require. Click on your state below to find out if the facility you are interested in is licensed. You will be given a website that has a searchable database of all licensed child care programs or a phone number to contact a representative. If you find out that the program is not licensed, find out why? Some programs, such as church programs, are exempt from the licensing requirements in certain states. Also, some states allow programs to be exempt from licensing if they keep a low number of children.

Once you determine the licensure status, you will want to more closely examine the program itself, the facility, and the staff member(s). Parents Resources offers a checklist for parents to use:

• How many staff members are there and are there enough to adequately supervise the children?
• Are the staff members CPR and First Aid certified? What other qualifications do the staff members have?
• If this is a child care home, are there any other adults or children in the home during the hours of operation?
• Is the area clean and safe with clear exits in case of emergency? Is there a clearly posted emergency exit plan or can the staff member sufficiently demonstrate the exit strategy?
• Are first aid supplies and fire extinguishers readily available?
• What kind of discipline philosophy is followed at the child care facility (verbal warnings, time-out)?
• Are there stairs? Are the stairs gated to prevent accidents and falls?
• Are precautions taken to maximize safety such as covering outlets, putting latches on drawers and cabinets where chemicals or medications are stored?
• Are toys, games, and play areas clean and how often are they cleaned? What chemicals or method of cleaning is used to clean the toys, games, and play areas?
• Are toys appropriate for the age of the child and are the toys separated by age so that younger children do not have access to small objects that can cause a choking hazard?
• Are there any weapons on the premises and where are they stored?
• If this is a child care home, are there any pets? If so, will children have contact with the pets? Are the pets current on rabies and vaccinations?
• Do children have access to clean toilets? Is there an area for handwashing with soap and individual paper towels for drying hands?
• If there is a pool, does the homeowner have a fence around the pool, a self-latching gate? What precautions are taken to ensure that a child cannot gain access to the pool?
• Playground equipment must be anchored and surrounded by a shock absorbing material.
• What types of meals and snacks are served? Are they nutritious? Does the child care center participate in the child care food program?
• What types of activities will your child be participating in? Are they educational and allow for playtime indoors and outdoors during the day? Do they go on any field trips, walks to a park, swimming and what precautions are taken to ensure safety if they do?
• Can the program adequately accommodate special needs and how so?

After these questions have been answered, it is time to observe the program in action. Find out if you can bring your child for a trial day to see how he or she does at this facility. Then, ask to observe your child to see how staff treats your child, how they treat other children, see what activities they do, and most importantly, to see how well your child fits in to the environment. Does the staff seem genuinely happy to be there with the children and are they actively engage in activities with them? How does your child act at the end of the day? See if you can ascertain any feedback from your child if they are old enough. Did your child have a good time? If you decide that his is the place for you and your child, continue with the enrollment process. If not, move on to the next program and start the process over again. Remember, even if you decide to enroll your child, you should periodically drop in to observe the program and your child to make sure it is still the right fit and meeting your child’s needs.

For more information about child care or to search the childcare directory, visit www.atoz-childcare-directory.com.