Your worst fears about your child's safety may be verbalized by your friends and relatives and expounded upon in unsettling media reports about the problems of day-care centers, in family homes and with babysitters. This serves only to make your decision about child care more difficult. Here is some basic information to assist you in becoming a better informed consumer of child care services. Becoming familiar with the 'basics' before reaching a final decision will enable you to go to work with the confidence that you have chosen the best for your child. Staffing Selecting the adult who, next to you, will have a very important impact on your child is the first area to focus on in your search for child care.
Good caregivers come in many shapes and sizes, and costs are variable.
Experience and training vary among providers in the child care field. You must listen carefully to the person who will work with your child. A child-care provider with experience is often more easily found than one who has extensive credentials. Your instincts as a parent will come in handy when talking with caregivers. These are to be updated annually when the caregiver is pursuing new employment working with children.