Some child development experts believe that putting your child in daycare before the age of two is undesirable because the brain is growing and changing so quickly during those early years. However other experts see nothing wrong with daycare, as long as the care is of good quality with low staff-to-child ratios. Either way, it is a decision which requires thorough research and adequate preparation for your child. Here are some tips for choosing the right daycare solution for your family:
Decide which kind of daycare will best suit you and your child. Every three or four-year-old is entitled to up to 20 hours of taxpayer-funded childcare a week. Kindergartens provide half-day sessions for children aged three and four. Playcentre provides education programmes, but these are run by parents so your involvement is essential. Kohanga reo centres provide programmes from birth and involve total immersion in the Maori language, culture and values. Home-based services look after kids in their own home or that of a carer. There is also the more expensive option of a private nanny for one-on-one care in your child’s home.
If you are considering a childcare centre, kindy, playcentre or kohanga reo, arrange to visit with your child and stay for a few hours. Try to choose a time when the centre is at its busiest and see if you like what is going on. Are there raised voices? Do they seem organised? Are the children relaxed and happy? If you are ill at ease, you can guarantee that your child will feel the same. Talk to your friends who have children in daycare and see which ones they use and why.
When considering a daycare, imagine a worst-case scenario and see how they would cope. If you have to leave work to pick up your child because she is ill, is it better to have the daycare closer to work or home? Will you want to keep breastfeeding? In which case, is there a daycare near your office so you can visit during the day? Will others be collecting your child at the end of the day? If so, does it make sense to have the daycare near your home, or that of friends and family? What if you have to work late or be at work early – will there be someone there to look after your child?
Check the Education Review office report for the daycare centre you are considering. Visit www.ero.govt.nz
Check the staff-to-child ratios at your centre. The ideal group sizes are six for up to 15 months old, eight for up to two years old and 14 for three year olds.
Is your child very clingy or shy? You might want to consider a one-on-one carer to begin with, even if the cost is higher. Later on, your child might be more suited to group childcare.
Do the staff at the childcare centre, or the person you are considering hiring to look after your child, like children? Are they enthusiastic about them? Do they interact with your child and talk to them on their level? And, most importantly, does your child like them and respond to them? Watch out for a centre where there are raised voices, negative responses to children and a general feeling of control instead of a happy, well-organised atmosphere your child will feel safe in.
oany children just don’t want to go to childcare. They want you to look after them – and only you. Realise that any change in your child’s environment will take some adjusting to for them and for you. So there will be tears, but if you’ve chosen a good daycare, the staff will be used to helping children adjust and will usually tell you that five minutes after you have left the child is fine. And, eventually, five minutes after you’ve dropped them off at the gate, you will be too.
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