High quality childcare should be a positive experience for children – one in which families, caregivers and educators join together to create a world of warmth, love and safety for children. A key goal of early education programs is to make certain that children are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten.
Research has proven that participation in a quality pre-kindergarten program leads to higher cognitive test scores, better school attendance, higher rates of advancement, increased number of high school graduates, and a better-educated, better-trained workforce.
The first few years of life are a crucial period for brain development. At no other time in a person’s life will the brain grow as rapidly. At birth, a child’s brain is 25% of an adult’s brain size. By age 5, it is 90% of an adult’s brain size. Brain development is activity dependent and children who enter school with rich experiences that have strengthened the development of brain connections will enter kindergarten with a brain that is actually larger than those without these activities. Early childhood is a time of tremendous opportunity.
When looking for quality childcare for your child, begin looking as far in advance as you can. Finding the right child-care option takes time and often involves a waiting list. However, good things do come to those who wait!
Programs are different in many ways and that difference can be the deciding factor in choosing the right program for your family. There are three basic care-care options: center-based, home-based, and licensed family care.
Center-based childcare is provided by those licensed by the Connecticut State Department of Public Health. Regulations require one adult for every four children under the age of three. For children over age three, there must be one adult for every nine children.
Home-based care can be provided by a close relation such as a grandmother, aunt or uncle. Some care is provided at your home by a nanny, babysitter or an au pair.
Licensed Family Care is provided by an individual who is approved by the Connecticut State Department of Health to provide care in his or her own home.
What is the adult to child ratio? How many children does an adult supervise? A lower ratio can be especially important when it comes to a younger child.
What is the group size? How many children are in a group? This is not a repeat of the previous question. A group of 24 two-year-olds with six adults does not compare to a group of eight two-year-olds with two adults. Both have the same adult to child ratio. How much will the size of the group affect the disposition of your child? Too noisy? Not busy enough?
What are the caregiver’s qualifications? You should know the caregiver’s training and education as well as length of time in the field. Caregivers with degrees and special training will be better equipped to help your child learn. How often does a caregiver attend in-service training to improve their skills? Do they attend classes and workshop?
How long have caregivers been at the center? The industry turnover rate is high and you want to find the center with a low turnover rate. You want a caregiver to stay with your child for a year or more. For a young child, becoming accustomed to a new caregiver takes time away from learning other new things.
Is the provider accredited? Childcare providers who are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) have met standards for early childhood education that are higher than state
licensing requirements. There are many reasons why this is important. There is a commitment to stimulating activities and an emphasis on learning. There is ongoing training of caregivers. This, in turn, leads to appropriate activities, better understanding of children’s needs at different ages and skills levels, and more understanding for the entire family-unit.
Does the provider follow a curriculum? Programs that offer a strong literacy curriculum in the classroom linked to the Connecticut Framework: Preschool Curricular Goals and Benchmarks developed by the Connecticut Department of Education get the best long-term results.
What importance does the caregiver place on hands-on learning? Play is a very important and special part of childhood. It allows children to experiment with the world around them and the emotional world inside them. What appears to mere child’s play is actually behind-the-scenes work such as skill building, problem solving, and overcoming physical and mental challenges, to name a few. An emphasis on hands-on activities creates authentic experiences in which children begin to feel a sense of mastery over their world and a sense of belonging and understanding of what is going on in their environment. How does the caregiver prompt hands-on learning? What tools do they have in the classroom? How accessible are they to children? Is there a daily learning curriculum to explore sensory learning?
What is the degree of involvement expected of me? Because parents are their children’s first and most important teachers, parents and caregivers must have every opportunity to continue their children’s education programs at home. Will I be invited to participate in classroom activities and field trips? Are parent newsletters and leaflets routinely sent home? Do parents work actively on curriculum, policies and program philosophy?
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) are the two largest organizations that accredit childcare programs.