How To Choose The Best
Mixed Within The Faith
- families accommodate their
Day-Care Options For Kids F6 Jewish
interdenominational unions.

SHARON ACHATZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

s any conscientious par- providers. You'll want clean, pa- a time when the child requires
ent knows, choosing day tient, understanding and skilled more than just care.
By the age of 3 or 4, experts
care for children is any- people who share your outlook on
thing but child's play. Par- child rearing and discipline meth- suggest it's wise to have a child
ents want not only a place that's ods. You should be able to talk involved in preschool experi-
clean and safe, but also one that with them easily to work out ences. One way to accomplish
this is to begin the child's day-
can care for kids as well as than problems.
care life in a facility that has
If
you're
considering
a
center
• they can.
preschool education built into its
or
family
care,
visit
during
op-
This means most parents are
so that the child can
searching for a package deal that erating hours so you can accu- program
make the transition into
rately
size
up
the
environment.
offers more than just basic care,
Test your own reaction and preschool without having to get
including nutritious meals and
trust
your instincts. If you don't used to a new setting.
snacks, age-appropriate activi-
If, however, the day-care set-
feel
comfortable
with the pro-
ties, preschool education and
ting you've selected for your in-
gram,
keep
looking.
quality supervision — in the form
If you opt for at-home care, fant does not have such activities
of a low number of children per
choose
a caregiver who under- — or if your child is in at-home
adult. The American Academy of
care — you still can enroll
. Pediatrics recommends at
the child in a separate
least one adult per three
preschool facility to ensure
or four infants, one per
the social and educational
four or five toddlers and
experiences required to
one per six to nine
prepare for "real school."
preschoolers.
Common places to find
While there are hun-
preschools: within day-
dreds of options available
care centers, community
• to any parent within these
centers and synagogues.
parameters, in general
In general, the
there are just three types
preschool eventually se-
of day-care settings from
lected should offer all the
which to select:
qualities parents seek in a
• Individual in-home
day-care setting, but also
care, where parents hire a
with an educational phi-
nanny or au pair to come
losophy consistent with
to live in their home or
what you want for your
come to the house daily
child. Some schools oper-
and care for their kids
ate as mini schools with
only.
formal teaching and in-
Family
child
care,
in
•
ternal promotion based on
which a woman with
age and performance. Oth-
small children of her own
ers stress social skills and
takes several other chil-
learning through discov-
dren into her home.
ery.
• Group care, in which a
If possible, make un-
center is state-licensed Day care is an important priority for dual-income
scheduled visits home or
and often run as a small households.
to the center. Dropping in
business or part of a chain,
unexpectedly from time
church or school.
While group care will have a stands and seems happy about to time is a good way to deter-
mine if things are as they should
higher ratio of kids to adult than the working terms from the out-
be.
set,
but
who
also
seems
flexible
other types of care, one benefit of
Take time to communicate
- group care is that it's state-li- enough to adjust to new arrange-
with the caregiver. Daily discus-
ments
as
your
child's
needs
censed and therefore regularly
sions help minimize misunder-
inspected for conformance to change over time.
standings, prevent buildup of
Although
babies
require
little
standards.
tensions
and develop a mutual
more
than
nurturing
and
close
Because at-home care and
respect
for
each other's observa-
contact
with
a
caregiver,
toddlers
family care generally are not li-
tions
and
concerns.
need
to
explore
and
test
their
censed, parents are on their own
Also remember to talk to kids
to judge the competence and skills.
about their perspectives. No
Therefore,
a
parent's
best
day-
character of the caregiver.
A benefit of at-home care, how- care choice often is to find a cen- child-care arrangement should
ever, is that there's no need to ter or caregiver that can adapt to be considered final. They should
be re-evaluated every few
transport kids to the caregiver or your child's needs so that you
months.
don't
have
to
change
the
child's
to worry about how the child will
Since infants can't talk,
day-care
setting
as
he/she
ma-
adjust to a different environment.
inventory management is a sim-
tures
—
for
example,
a
center
On the downside, parents will
ple way to gain information. By
need to spell out all responsibil- that has an infant-care area, but
keeping
track of how many
that
also
runs
a
licensed
ities for the nanny, from types of
diapers and how much formula
preschool
on
the
premises
for
old-
snacks provided to planning ac-
is used each day, you can deter-
tivities that will promote the er children.
mine if there is a difference
Regardless
of
the
type
of
day-
child's development.
between what should be and
In judging any kind of child care setting in which a parent
what is. ❑
places
his
child,
there
will
come
care, you should first look at the

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14
F

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