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Better Kid Care Penn State Home Page

November / December 2007

Your Child Deserves Quality Child Care

Parents, when choosing child care, take time to look around until you find quality care for your child.  How do you find that?  Visit a child care center or home. Spend time with the caregiver.  Ask lots of questions.  The following are some suggestions for finding quality child care.

  • Ask about past training the provider has had. What are her plans for future training?  Staff in certified and licensed programs in Pennsylvania must earn a minimum of six training hours each year. 
  • Find out if the caregiver has experience with children the same age as your child.
  • Watch the caregiver with the children.  Does she treat each child as a special person? 
  • How does she treat her own children? 
  • A good caregiver will welcome visits from parents at any time. 
  • A daily schedule will be posted. 
  • Policies will be written and you will receive a copy. 
  • After enrolling your child, take time to get to know your caregiver.  Find out what your child does every day, and visit the center or home as often as you can. 

The Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Better Kid Care Program has information on children's issues for early childhood educators, child care providers, and parents on the Better Kid Care Web site at: www.betterkidcare.psu.edu.

Caregivers Are Important!

If you are a working parent with a child in child care, your caregiver is an important person in your life.  She spends many hours caring for and teaching your child.  Don’t take her for granted.  Most caregivers use some of their free time each year for professional development to learn even more about caring for children. 

Everyone likes to be appreciated.  Show your child’s provider that you value what she does for your child.

  • Greet your caregiver with a smile every day.
  • Ask if there is anything you can do to help. 
  • Offer to collect and bring in materials needed for activities.
  • Pick up your child on time. 
  • If there is a change in your schedule, call ahead to let the caregiver know.
  • Say “thank you” at the end of each day.
  • Find out when your caregiver’s birthday is.  Help your child make the caregiver a birthday card.
  • Pay for the child care on time.

The Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Better Kid Care Program has information on children's issues for early childhood educators, child care providers, and parents on the Better Kid Care Web site at: www.betterkidcare.psu.edu.

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Nancy Wilson, Better Kid Care Program Specialist
Penn State Better Kid Care Program
253 Easterly Parkway
State College, PA 16801
e-mail: naw6@psu.edu
Phone: 814-863-5880
Fax: 814-865-7893