Common Problems Between Child Care Providers and Parents

When you are looking for child care, it is important for you to find a place that is not only a good fit for your child but also for you as the parent. Spend time getting to know the teachers or providers before making your ultimate decision. Parents and child care providers should be partners, working together with only one goal in mind: the care and development of your child.

  1. Consistency

    • A common complaint of parents with children in child care is a lack of consistency. Often, when a child care teacher is sick or needs to take a day off, another teacher is called in to take her place. This substitute teacher may not have any experience with your child or your child's age group. Also, because of the nature of the child care business, teachers may not work in one center or classroom for very long, resulting in a lack of continuity of care. To avoid this problem, ask questions when visiting the center, such as how long has the lead teacher been working at the center or in a particular classroom, as well as how long has the director been employed at the center. Other questions to ask include: what percentage of teachers have been employed by the center for more than one year, does the school have a permanent substitute list and are all teachers trained to work in all classrooms.

    Connection

    • Let's face it, there are some people in the world that you just do not get along with. Hopefully, one of these people is not your child care provider. Child care providers and parents should have a mutual respect for one another and the ability to discuss behavior issues, developmental anomalies and classroom situations in an adult manner. If you do not feel a connection with the person that will be caring for your child while you are at work, you may feel friction when having these important discussions with her. Spend some time getting to know your provider and her personal approach to child care and development before committing your child to her care. If you know that your personalities will not mesh, find a different provider.

    Communication

    • Child care providers and parents must be able to speak to each other at least once or twice each day. If one of you is unwilling or unable to communicate openly about your child, this may cause a problem in the continuity of care between home and child care. Be sure the child care provider knows your personal philosophy on child care and agrees with your approach. Discuss any changes at home or in your child's routine, and ask your provider to do the same. Whether through written communication, parent meetings or impromptu discussions, find the communication style that works best for both of you and make it a habit to connect at least once each day.

    Philosophy

    • It is no secret that different people have different philosophies in regard to raising children. When choosing a child care provider, it is important that your philosophies match or complement each other. Be sure to ask the provider's personal opinions on behavior management as well as how she may handle emergencies. If you would like to be notified of every scratch and bump, be sure the provider understands this to prevent problems later. If you do not agree with time out as a behavior management technique, discuss what does work with your child before this becomes an issue.

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