What's a Bad Daycare Center?

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

14 Jul 2006 11:00 AM

This is an easy question for most of us to answer, but here are some specific criteria that will warn you of a bad daycare center whether you are checking the center or you have your infant or toddler already enrolled. It's very possible for a good daycare center to go downhill, so it's important to maintain your standards of checking it out on a regular basis. If you notice any of the following or any of it is mentioned to you - look deeper.

Dirty Facility

The facilities that were once clean are not so much anymore. It may begin gradually, a dirty floor on a stormy day. But the following day it's still not clean. The toys or equipment the kids play with or on begin to degrade The fire extinguishers are not placed in prominent, easily accessible areas. The first aid kits are not easily accessible. You notice that the staff are not using plastic protective gloves when they are serving food or drinks to the midgets. The tables in the children's room are more than stained, they are dirty.

A Questionable Staff

A daycare facility that shows a high turnover rate in employees is not a positive sign. That is usually an indicator that something is wrong with how the facility is run. You want your child to be able to trust this place, if they are frequently submitted to new faces every day, it can lead to trust issues and problems with confidence for you and your infant. Short-handed or illness one day is one thing, but if one teacher is responsible for more than 4 toddlers, it's a recipe for disaster.

Daily Schedules

You want to know what is happening day to day from what it is that your kids are doing to what happened during the course of the day. Most daycare facilities provide parents of infants and toddlers with information sheets that detail number of diapers changed, food consumed and naps taken. When those sheets start coming to you blank - start asking questions. If you also notice that the television watching and unstructured play is the rule of the day rather than an hour here or there - start asking questions or shopping a new facility.

Have you ever had a problem with a daycare for your infant or toddler? How did you handle it?

Related Article: Daycare Shopping: What Defines Good?

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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