Finding child care can seem like a real chore. You have so many options, and both you and your child need to be happy with the final decision. Many new moms simply have no idea where to begin their search. Check out just a few must-haves to get you started!
Safety First
While affordable child care should be a top priority, safety should come before that. You need to make sure that the place your child will be spending their time at is both safe and constructive for them. Your child should also feel comfortable and safe when they are there.
Early Learning Program
Choosing a childcare center with a great learning program is vital to development, as children start learning several words at around 15 to 18 months old. In fact, when analyzing 120 different studies, researchers found that 80% of children who went to a high quality early learning program outperformed peers who did not participate in such a program when they went on in their education. Today, kids under the age of two spend about 53 minutes watching TV, but just 23 minutes reading and/or being read to. These programs help change that.
Child Development
Child development is so important, and it’s more than just a great learning program. While learning is of course a form of development, there are also things such as social development to take into account. Being around other children their age will help your child develop the skills they need to interact with other people, which can go a long way in their interactions later in life.
Are you currently looking into after school care or before school care? Are you taking any of these points into account? If you’ve already found somewhere, which one of these was the most important to you?