Finding quality child care can be difficult task. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), indicators of quality in early childhood education include small group size, low teacher-child ratios, developmentally appropriate curriculum, adequate teacher training, parent-teacher communication, and an environment that is safe and clean. Consider these factors as you follow these seven steps in your search for quality child care:

• Consider the options. Most people focus primarily on child care centers. But be sure to consider other options, such as relative care (family members as caregivers), family day care (caregivers providing care in their home), or in-home providers (caregivers who come to your home).

• Make a list. Make a list of your child care requirements, including the hours and days you need care, ideal locations, the price you can afford, and any special needs that your child has. Once your list is prepared, request child care recommendations from those you trust.

• Conduct a phone interview. Interview the recommended providers that meet your child care requirements. Ask about openings, costs and financial assistance. Inquire about the number of children in the program, the ages served, and whether meals and/or transportation are provided. Review staff qualifications, turnover, the program’s history, and its license, accreditation or other certification. If you are still interested after the phone interview, plan to visit.

• Make a visit. When you arrive, expect a warm greeting, a short introduction, a brief tour, an explanation of fees and policies, and an invitation to stay. While you are there, pay attention to the caregiver, children and environment. Are healthy behaviors encouraged? Is the environment safe and comfortable? Are children involved in meaningful activities? If you like what you see, ask for a reference list.

• Check references. Parents who check references say they gain valuable information that they couldn’t have received elsewhere. Ask what they enjoy about the program and the caregiver. Inquire about their child’s relationship with the caregiver. After speaking with all the references, check with your local child care resource and referral program to see if there are any complaints.

• Make a decision for quality care. Select a program that has a caregiver that you found easy to talk with, encompasses the NAEYC’s indicators of quality, and supports values that are compatible with your family’s values. As you make a decision, trust your gut instinct. If you are not comfortable with any of the providers you visited, keep looking.

• Stay involved. Once you select a child care provider, it is important that you stay involved. Make it a point to talk with your child care provider daily. Ask your child about the care he or she is receiving. And when you have the opportunity, visit your child. 

By: Laura Stanton, Family and Consumer Sciences and Community Development Agent for Ohio State University Extension, Butler County

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Keep in touch even when you’re at work 

“It is not that we work, it is how we work and how we manage family life that make a difference,” reflects Carol Madole from the “Ask the Children” research study. The “we” includes both fathers and mothers. With e-mail, voice mail, cell phones and portable computers, the boundaries between home and work have been eroded. Learning to define the two and keeping them in the proper perspective is an important skill to learn for a healthy family. 

Source: Galinsky, Ellen. Ask the Children: What America’s Children Really Think About Working Parents (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1999).

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Nobody advocates leaving children alone at home, but eventually all parents fact this question.  It may just be for a half hour while you go to the store.  It may be that a child needs to be home alone for a few hours after shcool each day.  For some children, self0care may be the solution you select. 

If you can answer YES to the following questions, you can feel more confident about leaving your child at home for awhile:

• Can your child recite his or her name, telephone number, and address readily, even under stress?
• Can you child accurately take a telephone message?
• Can you child accurately tell time?
• Does your child know how to use the telephone to call you or a neighbor?
• Can your child manage the tasks involved in preparing a snack, such as opening the refrigerator, opening a can, pouring milk or juice, using a toaster, or getting water from the tap.
• Does your child know the name, telephone number and home of a friend whom he or she could contact in case of an emergency?
• Does your child understand the following concepts: Stranger, emergency, late, later?
• Can your child read and understand a written message or instructions you might leave for him or her? 
• Does your child feel confident about being home alone?
• Does your child have good judgment about which problems he or she can handle alone and when to ask for adult help?
• Do you feel confident that your child will be safe alone while you are away?

By: Wanema Flasher, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for OSU Extension, Mahoning County

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The relationship between parents and their child’s caregiver is like any other relationship. It requires time, effort, communication skills and active listening from each person. As in all relationships, the effort usually pays off. 
During the brief encounters at drop-off and pick-up time, it is important to pass along as much information as possible.  Providers can communicate daily events by  providing notes in the form of a card or a page in the child’s notebook. Some use printed sheets for daily activities and personal notes to parents.

Parents must also initiate interaction. They can visit the program during lunch hours, take a few hours off to visit, or make arrangements for meetings, phone calls or home visits. 

When providers and parents treat each other as an extension of the child’s home and family, many creative interactions may result. A playtime dinner or picnic, field trips or grandparent visits are just a few ideas for interaction. Some programs include family pictures as part of the room decoration, invite parents to share their special talents with the class, or allow parent-child interaction activity centers. These ideas are unlimited and can only mean a healthier, happier experience for the children.

By: Luann Freppon, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for Ohio State University Extension, Richland County

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Dian Schmid and her husband have three children, ages 15, 12 and 11. She had been a 10-year “stay-at-home” mom and wife when she decided to rejoin the work force five years ago.

I think balancing work and home was harder for me than it might be for someone who never left the workforce. When I first rejoined the workforce, my biggest need from Dean Witter (now Morgan Stanley Dean Witter) was in providing emotional support, not information on how to do my job. Luckily, my manager provided that and continues to do so. In spite of the stress and long hours we work in this industry, he encourages me and everyone who works here to put family first.

For example, recently the market went on a wild ride on a Friday and so on Monday, we faced a busy, hectic day. But instead of encouraging us to work longer-than-normal hours that day, our manager ended a memo that morning with “Get up and leave on time today, go home and kiss your children, because that’s what’s most important in life.” He’s very family-oriented and makes it easier for us to be, too.

Although this type of work demands long hours — office work during the day, meeting with clients in the evening — local management also makes sure it’s flexible. We’re encouraged to be with our children for special events — that has helped me come to work more focused and better prepared to work.

My manager has even sent a letter to my husband and children to thank them for their support of their wife and mother, recognizing what they have given up by sharing me with the company.  He sends letters congratulating my children on school and sports accomplishments. Every three years, our company awards trip is held at Disney World, and we’re encouraged to bring family with us. When we went last year, my manager sent a huge basket with cheese and fruit to our room as a “thank you” for my hard work. My kids love the company because of things like that, and it helps them understand that the work I do is valuable. That makes it easier on those nights when I can’t be home — they know what I’m doing is important.

My manager’s thoughtfulness rubs off in a lot of ways, in the way I treat my clients and in the way co-workers treat each other here. It’s the simple things that make it easier to balance work and family. 

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