Parents seek child care for a multitude of reasons. You may be going back to work, wanting your child to engage and socialise with other children, preparing them for school, or perhaps you are in need of a break, or all of the above. Remember the old adage: “It takes a village to raise a child”.
In my experience, common issues that parents face when looking for child care include:
- Lack of care or quality care available in your local area or at highly sought-after centres.
- You feel anxious or worried about leaving your child with “strangers”.
- Finding care whose values are aligned with yours.
I feel that quality child care is as much of an art as it is a science. I think back to when I was searching for child care for my children. I wanted them to be loved and have fun in a safe environment- but foremost, I wanted them to socialise and have fun. When you are ready to make this tough decision, go ahead and ask for a tour of your shortlisted establishments and bring with you all your 5 senses as you will unconsciously need them to help you in the decision making process.
I feel that there are many benefits to having your child attend a child care service. Some of these benefits include:
1) Identity development – He or she can find his or her own identity away from you – eg. Forming bonds with people outside your family & therefore experiencing new personalities;
2) Social development – human beings learn from other human beings, so being around other children of similar ages, but from different backgrounds, can expose your child to valuable social interaction. This is where they learn to negotiate, show empathy, make friends and ultimately leads to further development of their own personality;
3) Independence for parents – Having your child settled into a loving, nurturing & stimulating service, means that you can return to work, maintain the home, or look after your own physical and mental health.
The quality that each different establishment is able to offer greatly varies from meeting the minimum requirements to services that offer teaching and experiences well beyond the minimum.
Some important points that could help you decide on an establishment are:
- What is the maximum number of children in the centre
- Consider if your child needs one-on-one care or care in a small group
- Opening hours
- How well they communicate with you;
- How organised the business is
- General cleanliness and tidiness
- General quality of resources and playground
- Meal and food offerings
- How warm the staff are towards you and your child
- The quality of its curriculum and activities
After using both your head and your heart in this process, you are then ready to decide on the type of care and which service you feel is best for you and your child. Best of luck!
Stephanie is a Speech Pathologist by profession, passionate owner of Amare Child Care in Bassendean, owner of soon-to-be-open Wool and Thimble School of Early Learning in Melville, mother to two fun-loving children, and wife to an understanding husband. During the week (and most weekends too), you’ll find Steph at Amare Child Care, ensuring all of our parents, children & staff are happy, healthy and well-looked after. Steph has also been meeting parents in the Melville area, dropping off enrolment packs for her new centre, due to open in late August/early September 2020. On the weekends, Steph and her family enjoy family hikes, camping and adventure sports – just generally being outdoors. Steph and her staff are passionate about providing a space where children are loved and nurtured, to give them a magical start to their lives. They look forward to continuing this dream at Wool and Thimble School of Early Learning. Stay up to date with all things Wool and Thimble via their Facebook and Instagram pages.
