Caring for Kids ' A public service coordinated by De. Michael Sharp, community pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Susan Russell, Orange County Department of Social Services Having made the decision to place your child in a family day care home, how do you find the right home-the home that will meet your needs and will offer your child a safe, secure and enriching environ ment? You must first know who i? offering family day care in your community. Parents us ually obtain their information about home providers from friends, newspaper ads, or pediatricians. Some commun ities have child care informa tion and referral services which can provide parents with a great deal of informa tion about all available child care services in an area. They can help parents pinpoint the day care centers or homes which meet the parents' re quirements'for an acceptable child care arrangement and may be able to tell parents where vacancies exist Pa rents can then call and visit the places that seem like good prospects. Information and referral brochures provide the same type of objective information, but cannot tell parents where there are openings. In many communities, there may be so few openings for child care that careful selection among alternatives becomes impos sible. If some choice does exist, you should make an effort to locate at least two or three day care homes which can meet your specific child care needs. Important screening ques tions concern fees, payment schedule, probable duration of continued service, hours, location, and the number and ages of other children in the home. If the caregiver keeps fewer than six children for more than four hours a day, is she registered with the state of North Carolina, as is required by law? If she keeps six or more children on a full time basis, she must be licensed and meet certain standards of child care set by the state. If the answers to those questions are satisfactory, make appointments to visit the homes under considers- w dot, during the time shea ? other children sic present ? Take your child with you. u Remember, some business (c ?tetters hsve been discussed is previously and more can be * discussed later. The purpose, cl of this visit is to determine if p this home and caregiver are h appropriate for your child. Do a you feel welcome and com-, 4 fort able in this home? Does 4 your child? " cl This is a good time to h observe for and ask question! * about health and safety. The c North Carolina registration g law sets no standards for u homes for fewer than sit t< children. You will want to be sure that there is adequate e space both inside and outside j for your child's use: clean, in a good repair, well-lit, ade- e quately heated, well-ventilat- 0 ed and free from hazards to e children (including walls with n lead-paint?) w Are small items which 0 could be easily swallowed out u of children's and infants 1 reach? If there are stairs, are v they guarded and do they t have a handrail? Are the - - > use to reach faucets and tbc ?let? An mwiri?. house M (lessen, and other poi mu locked out of reach of hUdreo? Are paper towels rovided or does each child ave his own dean wash doth nd towel? Who provides is pen, and how are they is posed of? Where will your hild rest? Does each child ave his own crib, cot or mat ith dean linens? Does the i regiver practice ad teach ood health habits such as ashing hands and brushing :eth? Is there a working fire xtinguisher in the house? las the provider thought bout evacuation routes in the vent of fire in various parts f the home? Are there mergency numbers posted ear the tdephone? What /ould the provider do in case f an emergency involving ne of the children or herself? s there an informed neighbor /ho could provide help? Is ransportation available? Spend some time in the outside play area. Are cbid re" allowed ?o play outside wMk the caregiver k inside?. is this area fenced or well defined by natural -bounda ries? is it away from traffic or other dangers? Is there ade quate outside play equipment and toys? Am these safe ana in good repair? Ate there family pets or neighborhood pets with which your child will tywe contact? Are they friend ly and healthy? Which meals or snacks will be provided? If your child is an infant, who will provide formula or special foods? If you are breastfeeding your child, would the caregiver welcome you during the day to nurse your baby? If the caregiver will be responsible for food, what does she typically serve? Will these menus meet your child's nutritional needs? Where do children eat? Will your child have a table and chair with which he feels comfortable and safe? You will want to consider the daily activities in the home. Ideally these will be somewhat informal-so that the experience at family living -yet will also reflect seme understanding ?f children'* needs for agc-appropriat ? toys, language sflmelatkn. creative play with craft ai'u ial and make-believe props, music, books, and s comfort . hie quiet place away from the noisy play area. Does, the caregiver read to the child each day? Do they take walks around the neigh borhood or other outings? Is there a predictable routine each day, so that your child can know what to expect? How do children take part in household activities? Are they given the opportunity ti help in food preparation, cleaning, gardening, or in hobbies "f the caregiver? Are all chiidr :n including infants, ,lkwed playtime outside eac.. d? v' What happens on .-amy allowed oat of the crib, playpen. Of infra* Mat to explore different arenat Are they provided with a variety of safe toys and is their position and location changed often during the day? Dons the caregiver talk frequently to the infants daring the day? Does the caregiver talk fre quently to the infants and spend enough time each day holding and piayfrHy interac ting jwith them? Health, safety, And interes ting age-appropriate activities are eitremely important. However, if these areas ap pear adequate in the homes ; ju observe, the deciding factor in your choice then becomes your assessment of the caregiver. News From God'o Holy Assembly Church by S?e Chavif TK September 9, at the heme of hie per* eta, Mr. and Mm. Hellio Leek leer of Veraea Mb, n. He h the pmfcm ef Mr. uf Mm. Cutis LocUeer ef led Sprtace. from his Meade md ? btejrde .from hb parents. 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