Families are allowed to review the records of any licensed program. All you have to do is call the local Bureau of Child Care office at 882-9399 and set up an appointment. Even though licensed programs meet required health and safety standards, parents should remember that a license is not an automatic stamp of approval. Always ask for references, talk to other parents using the program, spend time visiting and stop by unexpectedly at a convenient time. Watch to see how the caregivers interact with the children.
Training is important.
Imagine doing that every single day for years, and tell me it doesn t take a special kind of person with very special skills. To assess the quality of the program, you might also ask the caregiver if the program is accredited. The Columbia area has many accredited child-care programs. An accredited program has voluntarily met much higher standards than the state licensing requirements, and the caregivers often have additional experience and training. Many parents find that trying to arrange for convenient, affordable, high-quality child care can be confusing, frustrating and time consuming.