Why Is A High-Quality Preschool Important?
There are several items that will help you detect the level of quality a program offers.
1. Health and Safety
o Proper equipment that will reduce safety and health risks.
o Monitoring of visitors to reduce risk or threats to children’s safety.
o Clean environments to reduce illness and spread of germs.
2. Learning Environment
- Young children require a high level of supervision and guidance.
- Children need to develop socially, emotionally, intellectually, & physically.
3. Staff Training
- Teachers, as well as management staff, know and understand child development and how best to work with children.
- Your child will receive care that is right for his/her age and skill level.
- Children need to form a bond with their provider and feel safe and loved.
4. Parent Policies
- Parents should be welcomed and involved in their child’s program.
- A good childcare involves parents and works with them to meet specific needs.
5. Program Administration
- Programs with licenses have passed standards for health and safety, ratios, and equipment.
- Programs that are accredited will have passed national standards for providing quality care.
Scheduling Your Visit
Visiting the preschool before you enroll your child is a crucial step. Here are some tips to make the most of that very important visit:
- Have a phone conversation with a member of the management team to get basic information. A phone call can help you to decide if you want to visit the school. Note that you may have to arrange a time to speak to the appropriate person because providers may be busy taking care of children.
- Arrange for a visit and make sure to take a checklist with you.
- Visit a program more than once, and at different times of the day, so you can get a sense of the flow of an average day.
- When visiting a program, speak to the teachers who would care for your child. (If they are caring for children at that time, keep your questions brief.)
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Excerpts from “Quality Child Care: Recognizing and Choosing the Best for Your Children”: Child Care Aware, a program of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) www.childcareaware.org