-
Visit prospective daycare centers,
take tours and interview staffers, observing them with the children;
- Ask about the education and training of all
personnel who interact with children;
- Arrange to meet with other
individuals who may have contact with your child, such as teachers'
assistants, bus drivers, custodians, and relatives of the daycare
personnel;
- Make certain that the staff-to-child ratio
meets county and state licensing standards;
- Make sure no areas
are off-limits to parents;
- Inspect the bathrooms for isolated areas.
(Many facilities have half-doors to allow adults to supervise the
children, while still providing privacy for children.)
- Make sure
that children are properly supervised during naptime;
Learn the daycare center's discipline policy - how it is administered,
under what circumstances it is used and what form it takes;
- Visit
unannounced;
- After selecting a facility, get to know the
staff firsthand by involving yourself in the center's activities;
- Talk to your children each day about what
happens at the daycare center.
For more information about Florida's child-care facilities, click
here to visit the State of Florida Department of Children and Families
Web site.
- The best sources for locating babysitters
are the recommendations of family, friends, and neighbors.
- You
may also advertise for a babysitter through your local high school,
church, civic organization or other sources you trust.
- Carefully check a potential sitter’s
references, contacting past employers, teachers, counselors, relatives,
friends, or neighbors.
- Interview several prospective sitters personally
and observe their interaction with your child.
- Outline the babysitter’s
duties and responsibilities and discuss how he or she might react
to different emergency situations.
- Verify the sitter’s contact
information, including a home address and telephone number and
identifying information such as a driver’s
license number.
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