{"id":17302,"date":"2018-08-29T13:58:29","date_gmt":"2018-08-29T18:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.helplinecenter.org\/?page_id=17302"},"modified":"2020-08-13T13:10:46","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T18:10:46","slug":"child-care-part-2-selecting-the-best-provider","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/2-1-1-community-resources\/helpsheets\/child-care-part-2-selecting-the-best-provider\/","title":{"rendered":"Child Care, Part 2: Selecting the Best Provider"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">This HelpSheet has some helpful tips on deciding what is important for your family in evaluating and choosing a child care provider. Quality child care can provide a great environment for little ones to learn and grow; as parents it is your responsibility to find the best care for your budget and needs as a family. For more detailed information, check out our <a href=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/HLCCC-Childcare-Guide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Child Care Guide.<\/a><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The National Association for The Education of Young Children suggests that a quality child care provider is one that \u201cprovides a safe, nurturing environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children while responding to the needs of families.\u201d When choosing a provider, the most important things to consider are:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Supervision &amp; Learning Environment<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Health &amp; Safety<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Training and Qualifications<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">A quality child care provider is one that:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Shows love and respect toward children<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Exhibits genuine enjoyment in interacting with young children<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Provides children with learning experiences that match their ages and interests<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Talks with and reads to children daily<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Positively acknowledges children\u2019s accomplishments<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Positively encourages children<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Provides a safe environment in which children can freely explore<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Evaluating a Child Care Provider:<\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">It is always a good idea to schedule an interview with a potential provider, whether in an in-home setting or in a daycare center. While there, a good rule of thumb to follow is \u201cLook, Listen, Count\u201d:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Look:<\/strong> Is the environment clean and safe? Are there plenty of activities, books and toys to keep little minds and hands busy, and are they well-organized? Is there an outdoor space to run and play? Are emergency numbers clearly visible?<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Listen:<\/strong> Are the children happy and engaged? Are the teachers engaged and actively promoting learning and positive reinforcement?<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Count:<\/strong> Count the number of children compared to the number of caregivers\u2014the ratio varies by age group and type of care; you can find out more information on this by contacting the City of Sioux Falls Health Department&nbsp; or the South Dakota Department of Social Services.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The Helpline Center has provided a useful Provider Questionnaire that can help you with this step. Go to <a href=\"\/es\/childcare\/\">www.helplinecenter.org\/childcare<\/a> and click on \u201cInterview Form.\u201d You should also ask for references. Even though providers are likely to give you their \u201cbiggest fans,\u201d you can gain a lot of useful information about what each provider\u2019s strengths are and how they do things on a day-to-day basis.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>Building a Relationship with Your Provider:<\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">So, you\u2019ve looked at your budget, evaluated your options, gone through the interview process and selected a provider that fits with your needs. Well done! But the process doesn\u2019t stop there. Now you need to build a relationship of trust with your provider. S\/he will be the home away from home for your little one(s), so you need to keep communication lines open and work together with your provider as a team to make sure your child(ren) is getting the best care. Here are some tips for maintaining a positive relationship with your provider:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Honor the contract you agreed to follow<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Pay your provider on time<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Provide requested items<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Hand in paperwork on time<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Speak to your provider for a few minutes every day<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Set monthly or quarterly meetings to discuss your child<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Let the provider know if there are any family or life changes or evens that could affect your child<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Let the provider know of any changes in routine, or if someone else will be picking up your child<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Get involved! Ask your provider how you can get involved with the program<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Note: If something doesn\u2019t seem right (mood changes in your child(ren), lack of communication from your provider, betrayal of trust, concerns from other parents), listen to your intuition and investigate. And if any sign of abuse is occurring, call the Department of Social Services at (877) 244-0864 to report the incident.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">For more information, <strong>call 211 and ask to speak with our Child Care Specialist<\/strong> or visit <a href=\"\/es\/childcare\/\">www.helplinecenter.org\/childcare<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><strong>Sources: <\/strong><\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\">National Association for the Education of Young Children <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naeyc.org\/\">https:\/\/www.naeyc.org\/<\/a><\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><strong>Disclaimer<\/strong>: This HelpSheet is developed by the Helpline Center. HelpSheets provide a brief overview of the designated topic. For more information, call 211 or text your zip code to 898211.&nbsp; <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\">Updated August 2020<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This HelpSheet has some helpful tips on deciding what is important for your family in evaluating and choosing a child care provider. Quality child care can provide a great environment for little ones to learn and grow; as parents it is your responsibility to find the best care for your budget and needs as a &nbsp;[ <a title=\"click to read more\" href=\"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/2-1-1-community-resources\/helpsheets\/child-care-part-2-selecting-the-best-provider\/\">more<\/a> ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"parent":16750,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-17302","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17302"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":379259,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17302\/revisions\/379259"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hlc.thinkcaliber.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}