Before enrolling your child(ren), please make sure that you ask these questions.
Questions to ask before enrolling your child(ren) in a child care program:
By: Mrs. Natonya Walton
If your family is searching early childhood educational services, contact Mrs. Walton today!
waltonprivategroup@gmail.com or via telephone at 770-905-6698. Bancroft Academy wants to serve you!
After serving many many families over the past 15+ years, I have found that many websites list the questions that families should ask before enrolling your child(ren), but the questions listed families need to think about before enrolling their children in an early childhood education community. When I conduct tours for families, I typically ask the family to sit and discuss their needs. I have always found it necessary to meet each and every family's individual needs, regardless of the number of children in the classroom.
1. The educational background and experience levels of the caregivers. (Communities where the educator's educational level is the bare minimum, you will risk your child being taught important concepts inappropriately, handwriting, reading, mathematical skills, science concepts, etc.) Just because a provider has chosen to practice and LOVE children, it is not an indicator of high quality early childhood education.
2. The length of time that the director has been leading the program. (Is the director able to make decisions at the school level, or is there a 'higher authority?' How many directors has the program had over the past 2-3 years?) This is important because the educators in the classrooms are only as strong as their leader. If their leader has been inconsistent, the staff therefore are also inconsistent.
3. As for the curriculum, ask who develops the curriculum (corporate, director, curriculum specialist, etc.) ? Programs that allow educators to either develop or assist with the development of their lesson plans, have more long-term educators. Programs that receive a curriculum and implement, tend to compliment educators that may not have the ability to create lesson plans (perhaps because of their level of education). This disconnects the educator from their children because the 'off-site' curriculum specialist will never know your child(ren). In today's practice, there is a full initiative for educators to develop lessons specifically designed for your child(ren). The environments that practice this tend to have stronger educational results.
4. What is the health and sanitation score? (superior or approved?) This area is very critical and if you see demerits on the school's posted health and sanitation certificate, you need to ask what those demerits were. Some items are unavoidable, and even really clean/good schools have had violations. However, if the violations were issues related to the kitchen area, the bathroom areas, the diapering areas, or the 'off limit' areas from children, you may need to consider other options.
5. Do the educators look happy? Did they smile? If you were allowed to enter the classroom, were you greeted? If there was something that made you uncomfortable, did the educator address the situation? Did the educator use appropriate language?
6. Were the children happy if you were allowed to see the children? Were their noses and faces clean? Did you see good hand-washing, including hand-washing for the children?
7. If it was a time for teacher interactions with children, were the children engrossed?
8. Were the educators FA/CPR trained?
9. Ask about the 'benefits of the educators'? Does the program offer benefits, are educators forced to work when they are sick? Is there an educational plan for educators, costs covered by the program or governmental programs?
10. Does the program practice primary care giving? (where a specific educator handles the educational plans for a group of children, and when you need information about your child, that individual will provide information, as well as record developmental documentations.
11. Do children in the program go outside daily? What happens when your child(ren) are sick?
12. Are children that have illness sent home promptly?
13. Is illness monitored in the program? Who does this? How are families notified about illness in the environment?
14. Are meals balanced and healthy? Are menus updated seasonally?
15. Is the art work of children displayed at the children's eye level?
16. What is the star rating that is posted? Ask if the same teachers that were present for the assessments related to the stars are still employed.
17. Will your child have a developmental portfolio upon graduation from the program?
HAPPY SEARCHING!!!
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