Assessing Your Child's School

Tips for Choosing Child Care

As you re-enter the workplace after the birth of a child or an extended period of time at home with your children, finding child care is a top priority.

You will want a caregiver you can trust--one who shares your values, is reliable a nd makes your child comfortable and happy. Basically, you have three child care options: a day care center, family day care or a nanny/au pair.

Day Care Center or Family Day Care

Listed below are qualities which help contribute to an ideal day care center or family day care home:

Begin by compiling a list of possible situations for your child. Start with a phone call and follow up with a visit and an interview, keeping these criteria in mind. An ideal day care center or family day care home:

Is convenient and affordable, with hours compatible with your schedule.

Is licensed and inspected regularly.

Has sensitive and responsive caregivers who have had early childhood education or continuing education in child care, as well as training in CPR and first aid.

Disciplines in accordance with your views.

Adheres to the regulations of the State of Maryland. For information, call the Maryland State Department of Education Division of Early Childhood Development's Office of Child Care at 410-767-7802 or 1-866-243-8796.

Is clean, fresh-smelling, with separate diapering and sick care areas.

Serves nutritious, adequate, age appropriate meals.

Emphasizes safety with age appropriate toys, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, safety gates on the inside and fences on the outside.

Provides references, including current and former parents.

Welcomes drop-in visits.

Welcomes and follows through on your suggestions for the care of your child.

Back to the top

Nanny or Au Pair

It's hard to top the convenience of having a nanny or an au pair take care of your youngster in the familiar environment of your home. In your search for a nanny, you may wish to place a classified ad or consult the classifieds. If you do so, be extremely careful to verify every bit of information you are given by a potential nanny. Pay special attention to references from former employers.

You may choose to consult a nanny placement agency which will do all the investigative work for you, including screening criminal, health and driving records, as well as educational, employment and family backgrounds of potential nannies.

When you have settled on a nanny, draw up an agreement specifying hours, salary, benefits, vacation and her responsibilities toward your child and the household. A nanny may live in or out of the home.

An au pair will live with your family for a year and provide child care as well as light housekeeping. Au pairs are young women and men, ages 18-25, most of whom come to American from Europe.

Government approved agencies screen candidates and require them to have child care experience, secondary schooling and conversational English. The host family pays an advance fee to the agency, which includes screening, airfare and health insurance, as well as a weekly allowance to the au pair.

Listed below are some of the qualities to look for in a prospective nanny or au pair. An ideal nanny or au pair:

Genuinely enjoys children.

Is sensitive and responsive.

Disciplines in accordance with your views.

Provides excellent references.

Is affordable.

Is trained in first aid and CPR.

Welcomes and follows through on your suggestions about the care of your child.

Is devoted to your child above all other concerns.

Back to the top

Preparing a Written Child Care Agreement

You've carefully chosen your child care provider or center. You are comfortable with the arrangements you've made and confident that your child will be well cared for and happy. Now is not the time to take anything for granted. Don't let any unforeseen circumstances, such as unexpected rate increases or spur of the moment vacations, take you by surprise and spoil the relationship you and your child are building with your provider. Prepare a written child care agreement in advance, setting forth your expectations and those of your sitter or center. (Your center may provide you with an agreement).

Back to the top

Schedule

Set forth the duration of your arrangements in terms of months. Six months is a good starting point, with a term no longer than one year. Set forth the months of the year, days of the week and the hours your child will be under the care of your provider. For example, "Care provided September-May, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m." Make provisions for the provider's personal days off annually (two days is standard), as well as holidays and vacations. Be sure to specify how much notice must be given prior to these occurrences. Take into consideration also such special situations as illness of the provider, illness or death in her family and your obligations in inclement weather.

Back to the top

Fees

Set forth the daily, weekly or monthly fee for your child's care and when it is payable. Specify in writing the hours per week covered by the fee. For example, care provided Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at a weekly fee of $xx. Specify whether or not extended hours are available and, if so, the hourly rate at which care will be provided. Remember that in addition to caring for your child in a manner satisfactory to you, your provider is operating a business and will appreciate a finite end to her busy day. Reach an agreement on whether you must pay under special circumstances such as your child's absence or the provider's use of personal days, vacation time, etc.

Back to the top

Health and Safety

With respect to your child's health, the following is a reasonable statement to include for protection of the provider and the other children in her care: "in the event that my child has a fever, diarrhea, is vomiting, or has a condition which is contagious or needs special attention, she will be kept at home. In the event that my child becomes ill during the day care day, I will be notified to pick her up." In most cases, a child with a mild cold or other upper respiratory ailment need not be kept at home.

Specify that you will provide any medications that you wish administered to your child, along with written instructions for their use. Set forth any information your provider will need in an emergency situation, and attach to your agreement a medical consent form and your child's immunization records. Keep this information updated annually or as needed.

Grant your permission for your child to travel with your provider in an automobile, or make provisions for your consent on a per trip basis, if you wish.

Back to the top

Supplies

Set forth those items that will be supplied by the provider, such as meals, snacks, etc. Specify those items you will supply, for instance baby food, diapers and related hygiene items, change of clothing, portable crib, car seat, etc.

Back to the top

Termination of Agreement

Agree on a termination or renewal date for the agreement. Specify what you and the provider consider appropriate notice for mid-term termination of the agreement, requiring at least three weeks notice.

Back to the top

Tips for Choosing a Preschool

Image of young child As your child grows from a toddler to a preschooler, he is ready and eager for more independence. You may be anxious to provide him with opportunities for structured activities which will help develop his budding self-reliance as well as his academic, social and physical skills.

Enrolling your youngster in preschool will meet the needs of both you and your child. (please note--our definition of preschool is a program which your child will attend for a few hours a day, one to five days a week. This is not to be confused with a child care center which may have a preschool curriculum incorporated in its program.)

Where to begin finding a preschool experience that will suit both of you? Listed below are some considerations for you to keep in mind as you look over ads, talk to other parents and begin to visit programs which you feel may be suitable:

Back to the top

Location

For your convenience, you will want to choose a preschool close to your home or close to your child's day care situation. Or, you may need a program convenient for carpooling with neighbors or friends.

Back to the top

Cost

Tuition can vary, from the least expensive programs in public elementary or high schools, departments of recreation and parks, colleges with teacher training programs and cooperatives (in which parents must volunteer a set number of hours each week or month), to more expensive private preschool programs with certified teachers.

Back to the top

Hours

Consider how many days a week, how many hours a day, and which time of day--morning or afternoon--will be most convenient for you and most comfortable for your child. A younger, less mature child will be happier with a school week of one or two days, and may need a morning situation to allow for his afternoon naptime. If you are considering a cooperative program, consider also the number of hours you will be required to work and whether you will need child care for younger children. If need be, you may be interested in a school which offers extended care.

Back to the top

Curriculum

Carefully consider what kind of experience you are looking for for your child. You may be interested in academic preparation for kindergarten or a program with specific emphasis on any number of subjects from science and nature or computer technology, to foreign language, music or physical development. Or you may simply want your youngster to enjoy socializing with friends his own age. Find out what the school's goals are for your child.

Back to the top

Faculty

Ask if the director and staff are certified in early childhood education, or in the teaching method they are using. Find out how many years of experience they have had teaching young children and if they participate in continuing education. If the staff members you meet and talk with have personalities with which you are comfortable, it's likely your child will be at ease, also.

Back to the top

Class Size

The National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends the following ratios: two adults/maximum class of 12 two-year-olds, two adults/maximum class of 16 three-year-olds and two adults/maximum class of 20 four-and-five-year-olds.

Back to the top

Discipline

Be sure you and the school share the same philosophy regarding discipline.

Back to the top

Safety
Ask if the staff is certified in first aid and CPR. Check to be sure that indoor and outdoor areas are safe.

Back to the top

Religious Affiliation

Preschools located within a church or synagogue may or may not be affiliated with the facility. If the program touches on religion, ask how much emphasis is placed upon it.

Back to the top

Special Needs

If you have a concern about your child's development, ask if the school can identify children with special needs and refer your family to professionals for assessment and guidance. If you have a child with special needs, ask if the program wants to adapt to your child's situation.

Back to the top

Separation Anxiety

You won't know until the first day of school how your child is likely to react, and she may surprise you with the opposite behavior from what you've anticipated. If separation may be a problem for your child, find out if the program features shorter initial sessions to ease youngsters into the routine, or if the opportunity is available for the first week or two for parents to remain in the classroom for a short period of time.

Back to the top

Field Trips

Ask if trips are planned throughout the year and if parent chaperons are needed. Find out, also, what arrangements are made for transportation.

Back to the top

Snacks

Snacks may be provided by either the school, the parents on a rotating basis, or by individual parents daily. If snacks are provided, ask for examples of items the children enjoy to be certain they are nutritious.

Finally, talk with the director and staff. Visit the classroom with or without your child. Assess the atmosphere to determine if the children are well-adjusted and happy. Be sure to ask for parent references--there is no better recommendation for a program than the go-ahead from a satisfied parent.

Back to the top

Assessing Your Child's Elementary School

None of your child's life experiences will have more impact upon him than his schooling. Whether he is at the elementary level or beyond, you want the best for him and your satisfaction with his school will be a primary concern. How can you determine the success of the program and the level of excellence of your child's school? To begin your assessment, address the following areas of concern:

Back to the top

Reputation

Speak with neighbors and area business people, preschool teachers and parents about the school's reputation. Does it enjoy favor with the community or is it considered a hotbed of controversy? If you are interested in your local elementary or middle school, ask the administration of the school or schools it feeds into for their opinions of the strengths and weaknesses of the program, and whether they feel students come to them adequately prepared.

Back to the top

Test Scores and Attendance

To get an idea of the performance level of the students, request standardized test scores from the school's administration. Ask also for attendance percentages--high attendance figures will give you a further idea of the strength of the program.

Back to the top

Faculty

Ask about the background of the teachers--years of experience, degrees held, areas of specialization, requirements for certification and continuing education. Be specific in your request for student/teacher ratios--special area faculty members (music, art, physical education teachers, etc.) should not be added into classroom ratios.

Back to the top

Administration

Look at the background of the administrators--their experience, degrees, years in the classroom and in the office. Are you comfortable with their personalities and methods of discipline? Is the school managed on site or by the central administration?

Back to the top

Physical Plant and General Atmosphere

Assess the appearance of the school. Does it have pleasing "curb-appeal" as well as an attractive interior? Are the halls and classrooms decorated with the students' work? Do the playgrounds and playing fields look appealing and offer a variety of outdoor activities? Is the entire premises, inside and out, well cared for and safe? Do the teachers, the administration and, most importantly, the students appear comfortable and happy?

Back to the top

Classes

Ask the administration how the students are grouped into classes and into reading and math groups within the classroom. What are the requirements for promotion to the next grade level? Are special subject areas--art, music, physical education, library, foreign language, technology--a part of every day's schedule? Are the special needs of the students recognized and addressed--both remedial and gifted?

Back to the top

Special Needs

If your child has special needs, how are those needs addressed in the school? Are children with disabilities comfortably included in the classroom by teachers trained to meet those needs?

Back to the top

Communication

Are the faculty and administration ready and willing to respond to parent's questions in a timely manner? Are parents welcome to volunteer in the classroom? Are parents and other members of the community actively involved in the life of the school? Is there a strong parent-teacher organization in the school? (PTA, PTO, or PTSA).

Back to the top

Enrichment and Extracurricular Activities

Are opportunities for enrichment provided during the school day and/or after school hours? Is there on-site before and after school child care?

Back to the top

More Information Sources

Baltimore's Child
A print and online publication for parents of infants to pre-teens covering a wide range of topics, including health, educational resources, and much more. Updated directories of child care and early education, summer camps, calendars of events for the Baltimore metro area.

Child Care Links: Child Care Resource and Referral Center for Baltimore County
Search for licensed child care and after school care

Maryland Report Card
from Maryland Department of Education
A collection of data compiled annually to provide information on school performance at the state, county and school level. Includes attendance and graduation rates, the Maryland School Assessment (MSA), an annual assessment program that tests specific grades performance in meeting reading and mathematics goals, and much more.

Maryland Coalition for Gifted and Talented Education
A parent / professional advocacy group.

Maryland Committee for Children/ Maryland Family Network
Excellent resource for parents and child care providers on early childhood education resources and for locating child care.

Maryland PTA
PTAs work independently to promote the welfare of children in Maryland schools and communities. They work together with principals, superin-tendents, school boards and other community leaders to make sure your concerns are heard and needs are met.

National Association for the Education of Young Children
Dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8.

PTA (National)
A volunteer child advocacy association that provides parents and families with a voice to speak on behalf of every child

Parents for Public Schools
A non-profit grassroots organization which believes public education is the best education.

This article reprinted with permission from Baltimore's Child, Inc.

Back to the top

Editor: eab