A Guilt-Free Guide to Child Care:Finding the Best PreschoolsPublished in the June 2006 issue of Austin Monthly magazineBecoming a parent is an isolating experience. Your pre-baby buddies will roll their eyes if you ask them to ride the kiddie train at the park, but your child will make new friends at preschool. Their parents will gleefully plan play-dates to the zoo and anywhere else your toddlers might enjoy, getting you out of the house and talking to other adults. Preschool is good for the whole family. Yet, child care is like the little girl with the little curl—when it's good it's very, very good, and when it's bad, it's horrid. According to the Early Childhood Research and Policy Report published in September 2005 by the National Conference of State Legislatures, "From the time of conception to the first day of kindergarten, development proceeds at the pace exceeding that of any subsequent stage of life. It is during that time that children acquire the ability to think, speak, learn and reason. Early experiences can and do influence the physical architecture of the brain, literally shaping the neural connections in an infant's developing brain." Because excellent care is critical to long-term development, parents should spend as much effort searching for a good preschool as they would spend on finding the right college for their child. So how do you know a good preschool when you see one? Follow the LeaderAccording toe Ron Hubbard, early childhood coordinator at Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, "The director of the center really sets the tone, so it's important to have highly qualified directors. They need to be well educated in the field and have a passion for their work. Because it's a leadership position they inspire, model and encourage care workers to pursue professional development." Two to WatchDr. Aletha C. Huston, Pricilla Pond Flawn regents professor of child development at the University of Texas at Austin and co-author of The Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development says, "The two really big things that can be regulated are ratios and the formal training of caregivers in child development. Those both cost money. Child care facilities don't have any profit margin to work with, so they have to charge more for tuition or get government funding. We pay child-care givers less than we pay car attendants, when what we know from the research is that the quality of care that children get affects their language, cognitive development and school readiness. And that is true for children of all economic levels. If children spend many hours in child care, what goes on there is very important." Well-educated caregivers with manageable group sizes have enough time to make children feel loved and stimulate them with activities that expand their growing minds. Parents on the Fast TrackIf neither you nor your partner plan to put your career on hold when the kids come along, you will most likely need full-time care. While your first inclination may be to get a preschool fast, cheap and close to home, the longer children stay at a facility, the more important quality becomes to their intellectual and social development. You may want to limit your search to preschools that offer full-time care and adhere to National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards. Expect to pay more for these establishments, but it's worth the price to know that your child will be happy and in good hands. Raising the BarAccording to child development experts, state licensing requirements do not meet adequate standards. Child-care centers wanting to raise the bar look to the NAEYC. Becoming an NAEYC-accredited center is a rigorous process that takes years of work. Directors must hire well-educated staff and maintain low student-to-teacher ratios. Lead teachers in every classroom create a portfolio for each child, with photographs, charts that track development and notes about that particular child's personality. Lead teachers must have a bachelor's or associate's degree in child development, and assistant teachers must prove that they are working toward an associate's degree. School goals are clearly stated in a written philosophy and carried out in documented curricula. When you walk into the classroom, you see a clipboard chart of what the teachers are working on that day with your child. NAEYC guidelines sound strict, but when you visit an NAYC-accredited center, the positive effects of these practices are immediately apparent. According to Dr. Aletha Huston, "The problem with NAEYC is that [the association is] way behind. You can apply, and it will take you two years to get accredited. And it is expensive. So you can get those basic standards without actually being accredited. One of the things a parent can do is compare the adult-child ratios and education levels of lead teachers with NAEYC standards. You want the head teacher to have some college training in child development. You want to look at whether or not the teachers pay attention to the children. Are teachers responsive when the children ask questions or have needs? Do they talk a little bit more about what a leaf is and take advantage of those opportunities to have a conversation and stretch children's minds? Looking at the human interactions is often more important than the physical materials." NAEYC Minimum Recommended Teacher-Child RatiosBirth to 15 months 1:3-1:412-28 months 1:3-1:4 21 to 36 months 1:4-1:6 30-48 months 1:6-1:9 4-year-olds 1:8-1:10 5-year-olds 1:8-1:10 Kindergarten 1:10-1:12 Close to HomeWhile a nanny comes to your abode to watch your brood, an in-home caregiver keeps your munchkins over at his or her own manor. Both of these options provide more flexibility if you have to stay late at the office but offer less supervision. More people watch what is going on at a child-care center, reducing the risk of child abuse. Center care also offers more opportunities for your kids to play with peers, thereby developing friendships and social skills. Parents with demanding careers requiring long hours or frequent travel may want to consider hiring a nanny. In some households, parents send offspring to school so that they can interact with other children and ask the nanny to pick the kids up and care for them at end of day. Just be sure to do your homework during the interviewing process and background check. One referral service in Austin makes the match a cinch. Mommy Mixer (www.mommymixer.com) is a babysitter broker that throws a party where you can meet and interview between 25 and 40 candidates in a couple of hours. For a fee of $100, you get a notebook filled with resumes, references, schedules and contact information for prospective nannies. A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding the Perfect PreschoolFinding the best child care is a complicated balance between your ambitions, the needs of your child and your budget. The best approach is a step-by-step process of elimination. Make a list of all the providers in your area. You can do this by searching the NAEYC Web site for accredited providers in your area. Or go to the Texas Child Protective Services Web site and search in zip codes around your home. Once you have the list, call providers and ask the following questions:
After you have shortened your list, visit your favorite centers with a checkbook, pen and paper for taking notes. If you like what you see, be sure to drop by unannounced to get a feel for what the school is like when visitors are not expected. What to Ask on Your VisitMay I see your lesson plans?Infants should have a scheduled variety of activities, such as tummy time, saucer time or exploring a basket full of toys. Specialists should sing to and cuddle them, as well as track growth and motor-skill development. For older kids, there should be theme-based play about topics such as the four seasons. Books and art projects should tie into these themes. What is your toy rotation policy?Toys should be brought out from storage and incorporated in the classroom to coincide with a theme rather than having all items available year-round. A bored child isn't learning anything new. What's your educational background?The lead teacher in every room should have an associate's or bachelor's degree in child development. The assistant teacher should also have or be working toward a degree. What classes are you taking to continue your education this year? May I tour the playground?Ideally, the play area should be clean, well-kept, shaded and have a sand pit. Riding circuits for tricycles are another good sign. Playscapes should have a variety of climbing surfaces and cushioning of some kind in the event of a fall. Have any of your coworkers left recently?Happy employees don't leave. A high turnover rate should be a red flag. Things to Look ForAttention Level: Some people are baby magnets; the minute a care worker sits down, the little ones crawl across the room to sit in her lap. Does she read to them? How much does she speak to them? Do the children reach out to hug them back? If the adults in the room primarily chat with each other and ignore the children, they are not doing their job. Play Stations: In NAEYC-accredited and other high-quality care centers, the rooms are divided into different activity centers, with areas dedicated to subjects such as dress-up, science and reading. Activities: Do you see lots of art hanging to dry? Are there examples of special projects the kids have completed, perhaps seedlings growing in a Styrofoam cup? Environment: Notice if the tables, chairs and shelves are just the right height for little people in the room. Sinks should be at the right height or have a step stool. Is there enough natural light and ventilation? Are there lots of interesting pictures on the wall at eye level with the kids? Safety: Are any items in the room choking hazards? Are plastic bags too easy to reach for kids to put over their heads? Are open windows too low to the floor? Are electrical outlets exposed to little wet fingers? Cleanliness: Are the trash cans and sinks clean? Does the room smell good or bad? Attitude: Make sure you interview your child's future teacher. Do the employees and children seem happy and playful or bored and listless? If you get a bad feeling for any reason, trust your instincts and walk away. The Waiting GameMany of the best centers have extensive waiting lists. Believe it or not, if you just found out you are pregnant or you recently had a baby, now is the time to get on five or six waiting lists. Don't hesitate to pay the $20 to $75 application fees for your favorite schools. At the End of the DayChild care is a calling. Teachers should be there not for the money but for the love of working and playing with kids. You know your son is going to a great preschool when he comes home singing new songs, speaking new words and showing you new artwork. It's a bittersweet happiness when your daughter rushes to the door in the morning and says, "Can I go to school now?" Or when you drop your baby off and he reaches up to his care provider. But you know your child is developing loving relationships, having fun and developing to the fullest potential. And, of course, your child will always run to you at the end of the day. Resources for Parents
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