Another Alternative
Just what is family childcare? In short, it is childcare that is offered in the provider's home. "Oh, so it's just someone who baby sits" you assume. Actually, quality family childcare is so much more than that. Quality providers are entrepreneurs who take pride in their small businesses and continually challenge themselves to remain at the leading edge of the child care profession.
One of the major benefits family childcare offers that center-based care simply cannot is a small group. Any parent of a young child knows that the fewer people their child is exposed to--the less likely they are to become ill. Center-based care may offer separate rooms for different age groups, but the fact of the matter is, that when large numbers of people--children as well as their parents--walk through a center's doors, as many as 100 people each day could be bringing their cold and flu symptoms into that environment! Factor in all of the center's employees and the potential for exposure to illness seems staggering.
More and more often, parents are choosing family child care because they know that increased time and attention can be tailor-made for their children. It allows small groupings in an atmosphere resembling their own homes, and its flexible scheduling adapts to each family�s individual needs. Because providers must adhere to state guidelines, they can offer loving care without having to sacrifice the quality of their programs. Due to the low ratio of children in each program to begin with, and the even lower number of infants allowed, parents can really appreciate the individualized attention that is offered in these homes, and know that what is being offered really is serving their child's best interests.
Another major benefit that center-based care can't match is the consistency of the caregiver. In centers--where minimum wages are the industry standard--it can be detrimental for a child to become attached to their caregiver and then have that employee leave for "greener pastures." Children have to go through the trauma of dealing with feelings of abandonment and then re-establish a trust relationship with a new caregiver. This cycle is repeated time and time again in day care centers during the child's formative years. Alternatively, if your child spends more than 8 hours a day in a center, as most children of working parents do, he or she will be handed off to different caregivers throughout the course of each day. (Centers do not allow their employees to work overtime, so two full time shifts or three part time shifts are used for their normal 12-14 hour business day.) In contrast, since the family childcare provider runs a business from her home, parents can rest assured that their child can go from infancy to kindergarten with the same caregiver.
How can parents find quality family childcare? Just as you would ask your friends and acquaintances for personal referrals when looking for a new doctor or home decorator--that's the best way to seek out good family childcare as well. Most providers credit the bulk of their business to word-of-mouth personal referrals, as well as referrals obtained through professional organizations or corporate networks. Should a parent not have a referral to fall back on, then their best bet would be to get in touch with Project Child, Child Care Resource and Referral. Organizations like this envision quality family child care as having a "ripple effect" in the community-where parents and providers alike recognize the need to expect and demand this exceptional type of care and advocate for quality programs to become the norm-not the exception-across the country.
How can parents distinguish between a quality provider and a sitter? Look for affiliation with one or more groups like Project Child or the CACFP. Some other organizations that providers may be affiliated with are the National Association of Family Child Care (NAFCC), or the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Memberships in groups such as these show a commitment to offering the best quality of child care possible. Additionally, the NAFCC distinguishes providers that meet professional standards of excellence in the areas of safety, health, nutrition, learning environment, interacting, outdoor play environment, and professional responsibility. All quality providers will meet or exceed parent�s expectations in each of these areas. While finding an exceptional provider may seem like a daunting task, rest assured that they do exist in large numbers! The search is well worth the effort--after all, don't we all want to give our children the very best?