I have stood chatting to so many apprehensive people, on the threshold of starting their precious child in day care who are filled with questions, concerns and complete fear.  I try to head them off at the pass by explaining every step  of the day care process- settling in, what to expect, daily routines, possible behavior issues and by listening attentively to the turmoil that is their thoughts.  In some ways I actually need to babysit the parents through these early days.

This simple, premeditated act can go a long way towards avoiding confilct and miscommunication down the line. It is well worth the time invested.

The first major relationship that springs to mind is that of the worker/child.  A worker should never be content to simply be a caregiver but should see their function as encompassing the enrichment of the child's experience through facilitating the creative, learning and play environment.  A caring, warm and consistent personality is essential and should be cultivated. 

Many and varied are the necesary skills of the day care worker.  These inlcude an eagle eye on a safe environment,  the ability to faciliate the learning of the independent child, giving that child the necessary support to participate in learning activities, encouraging individuality and self confidence, recognizing that each child develops at their own pace, encouraging caring personalities in the classroom and buckets of patience.

These are just some of the skills required to work with children successfully and meaningfully so if you are not ticking all the boxes you might want to consider another career. We'll talk about the other relationships of the day care worker in another post (oh yeah, there's more!!)

Hand puppets - are somewhat like a three fingered glove comprising a fabric body with a hole for each arm and one for the head.  Simply trace around a child's hand for size and use a small, light ball, foam or polystyrene ball for the head.  Cut a hole in the ball to accommodate fingers and encase the ball in fabric so you can stitch or draw a face and hair.  You can go wild with the fabrics you use for the body and have detachable features so that one puppet can be many characters. 

Read more in my article here: http://www.childcareonly.com/education/puppet-making-for-your-day-care/

Positioned centrally on a commercial lot she is constructing a massive, 7,000+ square foot daycare center complete with all mod cons.  Each age group will have it's own room (with multiple rooms for the afterschool service) and all custom designed by the lady herself because, after years of on the ground experience, she knows exactly what she wants, what works and what doesn't. 

What I really loved about her concept is the ingenious way she had designed her play areas.  Each age group will also have their own outdoor play ground plus a  gym will be installed for indoor activities (always handy for the bad weather) complete with a theater for those creative and imaginative forays.  Staff and parents haven't been forgotten either thanks to the inclusion of a welcoming reception area and relaxing staff quarters.

Speaking to this fiercely entrepreneurial woman made me realise the importance of vision, fearlessness and experience when opening a daycare center.  Combine all of those traits and you're on a winner!

www.startchildcare.com

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www.startchildcare.com

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Turnkey, tried and tested, lots of hand holding – all make a day care franchise vey appealing.   Customer loyalty is more easily acquired thanks to instant brand recognition. Licensing, staff/owner training, building selection, getting funding, the building process and actually opening your business will be covered in the development process. 

Ongoing direction and support for staff may be included in the package along with a proprietary curriculum and building design templates.  Operations manuals will make hitting the ground running a breeze and having the use of a recognized brand for advertising may well mean a busy opening day. Home office support can be part of come franchises also.  For more on the daycare franchises and montessori day care curriculum question read my article:
http://www.childcareonly.com/starting-your-business/daycare-franchises-montessori-day-care-so-many-choices/

 The health, welfare, safety and wellbeing of the children are covered by the regulations which are the law and therefore a given in any day care.  If you desire an exceptional, above average child care center to be your domain then you need build upon the legal requirements.  You need to consider that you might be in the wrong business if you haven’t already gone above and beyond that which is writ.

Read more about daycare requirements and day care regulations in my article here:   http://www.childcareonly.com/daily-operations/are-daycare-requirements-and-day-care-regulations-the-same-thing/

The most important factor in the success of any program is the relationship between the children participating in the program and the adult members who work with these children. Often, children may confide in an adult member who is not a teacher. This kind of emotional interaction is a must when children are struggling to make sense of the whirlpool of emotions that assail them.

Direct contact with professionals can be an inspiring experience. Children are very much impressed by the knowledge and experience of these adults. Young people gain a lot of knowledge and experience when they deal with experienced adults and older youth who serve as teachers or mentors in these programs. These mentors are different from the teachers in the school and children are more likely to draw inspiration from them.

After school activities that are managed professionally by people who are successful in their own fields of expertise will produce children who are more enthusiastic and successful. Meaningful interaction with adults is a learning experience in itself.

Most after school daycare curriculum can be broadly classified into three - recreational, educational and society-oriented. The last bit usually comes in when your child is already a bit grown up and can voice his own interests.

Read more in my article here:  http://www.childcareonly.com/education/after-school-daycare-curriculum/

Think casseroles and stews, steamed vegetables, fish, pasta and lots of fresh fruits. Cheese, crackers, rice cakes, raisins, carrot sticks and yogurts make great snacks.  Personally, I don't provide food at my day care so parents send in all snacks plus a meal which we reheat and serve to the kids.  Another option to consider is ordering pre-prepared, frozen meals and heating on the premises.  Some companies specialize in providing this service to day cares and deliver to your freezer making your daycare menus situation much easier on you.

Read more in my article here:   http://www.childcareonly.com/daily-operations/daycare-menus/

Daycare regulations, like it or not, are necessary.  Many view them as an inconvenience, designed to make our lives more difficult and a constant reminder of the increasing red tape in our day care businesses.  Although our world in general appears to becoming more bureaucracy happy much of this legislation exists for a reason.  More importantly, much of it is there to help protect those who are most vulnerable in our society.

Daycare regulations, however, really only ensure that the minimum standards of care are being met.  There is much above and beyond the stated rules that can be done to improve the quality of care and early education children are receiving.  I like to think of the regulations and my inspection reports as guidelines, tools for updating the service I provide. 

I  don’t view them as a criticism of what I do but as a priceless workbook that inspires and aids me to further improve upon what I am doing.  Consider what many companies pay consultants to update their systems, procedures, quality control and effectiveness.  We get it all through our daycare regulations and inspections.  So, stop viewing them as the enemy and start embracing your free pass to providing the perfect day care service.