Hey Jen,

I used to work for a nonprofit that monitored child care providers and I worked with them to improve their centers.  My daughter is not in child care - so I don’t have any advice on the CAH angle...but I can give you the advice that I would give anyone looking for a quality child care.

First off, visit several place and WATCH them, how they interact, what they provide, do they look safe..etc.  Ask about their daily schedule and activities.

Ask about the ratio - how many children are in the room and how many caregivers?  I would look for a center with a low ratio of students per teacher.

Ask how long the caregiver in that room, or household has been with the facility.  (If the staff is constantly changing that is a bad sign.  Plus with CAH, you want a caregiver who really gets to know your child.)  There is a great facility in Fort Worth, Texas that is a lab school (which in this case means that students often come to observe the caregivers) and they (the caregivers) graduate with the children..so they start with them as infants and each year move up to the new room with them.

Ask about education and experience.  It is possible to find Elementary teachers or nurses who have opened an in home child care so that they can stay home with their children.  Centers with a NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Child) accredited are great - centers must meet lots of requirements, including education, to achieve this.

Ask what happens when children become ill...do they remove them to another room until parents pick them up?  Do they notify other parents in the room if there is illness that occurs at the center?

There are serveral good child care centers out there, but many many bad - so don’t rush into a decision.  Ask questions, check out several places, and don’t hesitate to spend an hour watching or drop by at odd times just to see what they are doing.  (If the caregiver is uncomfortable letting you observe the classroom - that is a sign that things questionable things may be going on.)  If you observe - they may ask you to fill out a criminal background check - this is annoying, but it is for the safety of the children, so allow time for that to be processed.

I wish I had information about meds and such, but that isn’t something I specifically worked with...

If you have ANY questions about finding a good child care, I would be more than happy to help you!  Feel free to email or call - 817 656 7039.