There are many ways that you can go in finding someone to provide
childcare for your child while you work. In this modern day and age,
there are websites available such as www.sittercity.com and www.care.com
where one can go to find babysitter listings. This can be just as good
as any to come in contact with your child's perfect care giver.
Many areas also have referral services available that have already
screened local child care providers, and the candidates that they refer
have to have met a list of specific critera before they will even put
you in contact with them. This can give the parent the peace of mind
that their child care provider has had things like drug testing, and
criminal background testing when the parent doesn't have the resources
to preform this extensive of a review themselves. Click here and here to explore some child care referral resources.
There are also state certified day care providers available. Often,
these particular providers are available for extra hours like second and
third shift where othe providers usually only work Monday through
Friday daytime type hours. Your local Job and Family Services can
provide a list of state providers available in your area.
Still other parents choose to go with a daycare center. Many areas
offer a variety of child care centers with cafetireas and playgrounds,
and some employers even offer assistance with paying for certain child
care centers.
There are pros and cons involved with all of these methods of
selecting someone to care for your child. The interenet could provide
you with a wonderful, qualified person to care for your child. But
everyone knows the internet sometimes provides a safe place to hide for
criminals and predators. These people can be very smart and deceptive.
Obviously you have to be extremely careful about whom you contact
online. Referral services also can be extremely helpful, but what about
the service themselves? If the service is second rate, how can you trust
those it refers? Make sure the service guarantees those it will send
you too. State certified providers have a lot of special training and
really know how to step it up in an emergency. If you qualify for state
pay, then the state will assist you or in some cases pay %100 of the
child care provider's fee. However, if you don't qualify for state
assistance, the provider is required to charge you what the state would
pay them, and so their services can be very expensive. I was interested
in using a girl I went to school with that is now a state child care
provider, but she herself told me she was required by the state to
charge me so much, that she would be too expensive for me. Daycare
centers can be very expensive, and if something happens which causes you
to have to leave your child past the time that they close, the fees can
really rack up in a hurry. However, I have really had a much better
experience with an actual daycare center than private providers. My
child really likes the school atmosphere, and I have been very satisfied
with the way that they take my child's special needs and my requests
very seriously. Check with your local YMCA about their child care program, as myself and many people that I know have had great success with various different YMCA's.
Whichever route you go to find your child's care provider, the most
important thing is to interview the person. They should care about your
child's health, safety, and well being as much as you do. Your child's
safety and best interests should be paramount to them. They should
exibit great interest in learning about your child's background,
especially their medical history. It's a good sign if they ask you
questions. They should be receptive to allowing you to explore the
child care environment. Make sure it is a place you feel comfortable
leaving your child. If there are little warning bells going off in your
mind, PAY ATTENTION. Go with your instincts. Also pay attention to how
your child reacts to the person, and how the person interacts with your
child. Do not tolerate and inappropriate behavior toward you or your
child. Expect your child's care provider to adhere to any rules or
restrictions with regards to your child if at all possible. Any
disregard for the way that you ask that a person care for your child is
inappropriate.
