A lot of individual attention. A caregiver who will play and talk with them, smile with them, praise them for their achievements, and enjoy them. Parents should seek a caregiver who is self-confident, affectionate and comfortable with the children. The caregiver should be able to encourage social skills and positive behavior, and set limits on negative ones. Parents should be sensitive to the caregiver's capacity to relate to children of different ages.
Some individuals can work well only with children at a specific stage of development.
It is wise for parents to find out how long the individual plans to work in this day care job. High turnover of individuals, several turnovers, or any turnover at critical points of development, can distress the child. If parents begin to think or feel the day care they have chosen is unsatisfactory, they should change caregivers. Many children, particularly after the age of three, benefit from good group day care, where they can have fun and learn how to interact with others. The parent and child can stay for a longer period each day until the child wants to become part of the group.