Print
Email
Share

Ready for School: Choosing child care

KING5.com

Posted on August 30, 2009 at 9:00 PM

Updated Saturday, Oct 24 at 4:34 PM

The music may be wild, but the kids are under control, and that's what makes "Grace's Kiddie Korner" in North Seattle an example of good childcare, says Nina Auerbach, CEO of Thrive by Five Washington.

"You want to see happy busy children, but not over-stimulated children," she said.

Auerbach also recommends getting down on your knees when choosing childcare and you'll see toys and books at kid-eye-level.

"You know, the best providers really understand what it's like form a child point of view and I mean that literally," she said. "So yeah, if you were to get down on your knees in this program, in this room and look around, you would be able to see the things that you could play with, that you would know what your choices are."

Additional signs of good care include a clean, organized, safe environment, inside and out.

Plus, look for a caregiver who builds and nurtures positive relationships.

"It's not just a care givers relationship with the children, but what is the caregivers relationship with the parents, are they really operating as a team," said Auerbach.

Also, ask if the facility is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children .

Keep in mind, through proper play and interaction, caregivers like grandparents or neighbors can also create a healthy setting in their home.

Print
Email
Share
 

To add a comment, please register or login.

1000 characters remaining

Submit

We welcome your comments on this story's topic. Off-topic comments, personal attacks, and inappropriate language may be flagged and removed, and comment privileges blocked, per our Terms of Service. Thanks for keeping the comments space respectful.

Privacy Policy