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With so many options available, it is often an overwhelming task to find the right childcare facility for your child as well as one that suits your family and lifestyle.
Apart from improving social skills, there are many reasons why sending your child to daycare is a good decision. In those early years, it’s a big decision that many parents have to make, so here’s an important list of what you need to consider when choosing the right childcare facility.
What is a childcare facility?
A childcare facility is an education and care service for children under school age, on premises especially built or adapted for early childhood education and care services. Private operators, local councils, community organisations, employers and non-profit organisations are able to run these child care centres. These childcare facilities can also offer pre-school educational programs for children in the years before a child commences school. Children are usually aged between 3 and 5 years of age.
When looking at a range of child care facilities, most people simply look at the cost. However, there are many other areas you should consider first.
- Opening Hours
This will depend on your individual circumstances, but it’s one of the first things you need to consider. Do you have flexibility to accommodate shorter hours of operation? Or are you committed to a fixed schedule at work where you may need longer hours for child care? Also make sure you understand what the policies are for late pick-ups, just in case.
- A safe and secure environment
An excellent childcare facility will have children’s safety as its number one focus. It’s as simple as that—including childproofing, well-kept play spaces, proper hygiene, good food-safety practices, and enough staff to provide constant supervision. Knowing this is in place is essential for their wellbeing and your peace of mind.
Young Academics is a state-of-the-art childcare facility committed to upholding the Child Safe Standards in our day-to-day operations. We provide ongoing learning and professional development to all educators and staff to ensure they have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their legal and ethical responsibilities for keeping children safe and protecting their rights.
- Qualified educators who really care
Apart from interacting with children well, ask yourself how comfortable you feel with the educators/ carers. Do they communicate clearly? Do they seem eager to partner with you in caring for and educating your child? High turnover can also greatly influence a child’s daily routine and schedule. Having the same staff working with your child day after day builds a level of trust that helps to make a child’s day go much easier and is more conducive to learning
- Stimulating spaces and an interesting curriculum
A good daycare centre encourages children to explore their environment, so ideally, they should have learning spaces that are dynamic, inclusive, and age-appropriate.
Young Academics Early Learning Centres offers resource-rich environments that encourage a love of learning. From the careful design of our facilities and equipment to our Evolution Program (0-3) and Transition to School Program (3-5), we provide families with quality education and care that is integral to the early years of a child’s development.
- Good reviews from parents
When a childcare facility is good, parents seem to hear about it. You can’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth, so use it to your advantage. Ask other parents, and do your online research by reading the reviews. It’s fair to say that no place is perfect, so you can’t expect 100% of the reviews to be flawless. However, note similar complaints that keep popping up in reviews. It’s a good indicator that there may be a recurring issue.
- Trust your gut
When it comes to a childcare facility, first impressions are everything. So before getting too committed to one place, always make sure that you physically visit the childcare facility, talk to the staff, and get a general ‘feel’ for the place. Observe the children. Do they seem happy, engaged and comfortable with their carers? Does the centre have a friendly, welcoming and home-like environment? Don’t ignore your gut feeling, even if everything seems right. If you don’t feel good about the place, it’s always best to follow your instincts and keep searching.
At Young Academics, we understand the value of positive partnerships with our families and the wider community and the importance of the first five years of a child’s life. Our passionate and professional carers have a play-based approach to learning, promoting holistic development. This drives us to ensure we consistently implement best practices in everything we do, from qualifications to processes and programming. But at the heart of it all, we love looking after children.
To find out more about our state-of-the-art childcare facility, call us today on 1300 668 993.
