Safety Issues With Child Daycare
Licensed daycare facilities are very highly regulated. They are inspected on a regular basis and staff members must complete a certain number of training hours each year. In some states, lead teachers must meet specific educational requirements in early childhood education or a similar field. Though a few daycares here and there might not have stellar reputations for safety, most are typically safe places to leave your child. Still, it is a good idea to be aware of safety issues when you look for the right one.
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Ratio
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Each state licensing department sets the allowed ratio of care providers to children of a certain age. For example, in Colorado, the provider-to-infant ratio for center-based child care is one to five, according to DayCare.com. However, in Texas, the ratio is one to four. Daycares are sometimes understaffed and too many children are in the care of one provider. When you walk into a child care center and it looks like there are too many kids per care provider, look elsewhere. The daycare you choose should have a substitute list and a solid staff schedule in place.
Health
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Daycares are notorious as places where illnesses are spread easily from child to child. Having so many children in one building for several hours every day is a recipe for a Germ Fest every time the weather changes. Staff can reduce the incidence of illness by separating the diaper changing area from the play area, cleaning the toys regularly and sanitizing surfaces like table tops. If your child has a nut allergy, you might want to find a nut-free school to help ensure the safety of your child.
Playgrounds
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Child care center playgrounds should be regularly inspected for safety. Glass on the play surface, metal corrosion, broken pieces of wood and other playground problems pose a serious safety risk to children. Ask each daycare you visit what plan it has in place for ensuring playground safety.
Pick-Up Procedures
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Child care center staff should check the identification of every unknown adult who comes to pick up a child. Daycares usually ask parents on enrollment paperwork to list who is allowed to pick up the child. If the person is not on that list, he or she is not allowed to pick up the child. One way to check if this procedure is followed at the daycare is to ask a staff member for a list of references and ask the parents on the list if they know of any incidents in which identification was not checked before a child was released. You might also check with the Better Business Bureau and your state's daycare licensing department to see if parents have lodged complaints or reported incidents concerning the daycare.
Other Issues
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Other safety issues daycares often have involve a lack of security measures to prevent accidents in the daycare building. For example, cleaning supplies and medicine may not be stored in either a locked cabinet or an out-of-reach location. Stairs may not have gates to prevent falls. Foods that can spoil easily may not be refrigerated right away and toys may be old and have sharp edges. Look carefully around each center you visit to spot any potential safety hazards.
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