Questions a Child-Care Provider Should Ask Parents

Today, it is more common than ever for parents to place their children in some type of a day-care situation. Whether you are a child-care provider in a licensed facility, or you are providing care in the home of the family, there are some important questions that you should have answered.

  1. General Expectations

    • It is a good idea to ask the parents up-front what they expect from you. For example, do they expect you to do any of the cooking or cleaning? Will you be responsible for bathing the children or dispensing any medications? Find out from the parents what days and hours they will require your services and for how long. This is also a good time to discuss how much and how often you will be compensated.

    Household Rules

    • You will need to ask the parents what type of household rules they have established. This will include finding out what is expected of the children, how the parents discipline the children and how the parents expect you to handle inappropriate behavior. You should also ask the parents if they have rules regarding your personal use of televisions, computers or radios, and whether personal phone calls are acceptable. It is also a good idea to ask the parents if they mind if you have visitors while providing care for their children.

    Routines

    • Most families have some kind of routine they follow on a daily basis. As a child-care provider, it will be important to follow the routines that have been established by the parents. Ask them if they have specific bedtimes for the children and what bedtime routine is followed. Should the children brush their teeth before bed? Are they allowed to have a snack prior to bedtime? If so, which snacks are allowed?

    Miscellaneous

    • To wrap things up, it is important to ask a few more questions. If the family has pets, find out if it would it be your responsibility to provide care for the pets as well. Ask the parents what the children are interested in. Do they enjoy sports or board games? Are the children allowed to watch television? Are they limited to any specific programming or length of TV-watching time? Are there any restrictions on video games? Most importantly, you will need to ask the parents if the children have any medical conditions that you need to be aware of or if there are food allergies.

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