There are many daycare centres in and around Helensvale, and it can get confusing as to which to choose. Parents who both work often cannot find someone to take care of their children during the day. However, whether or not you find someone to take care of your child during the day, they can benefit greatly from attending a daycare centre. Therefore it is beneficial for you to find out what you should look for when it comes to choosing the right daycare for your child.
Caregivers
One of the top considerations are the caregivers at a daycare centre; It is essential to know how many are assigned to each daycare group. Check to see that the daycare centre you visit meets with the National Quality Standards, which state that there must be one educator assigned to four children from 0-to 36 months and to eleven children, one educator 36 months and more. It is also essential to take a look at how the caregivers work with the children and how the children react to the caregivers. Be sure to see that each child is given proper attention and that there is at least one caregiver that your child will respond to each day because small children feel more comforted if they see the same familiar face every day.
Food and nutrition
From a very early age, children should start to have healthy eating. Daycare centres must provide the right nutrition for all the children. Find out what the nutrition policy is in each daycare centre you visit. Make sure the meals prepared are nutritional and healthy for the children to eat with no artificial ingredients or preservatives.
A safe and nurturing environment
When visiting daycare centres, take the time to look around and see that your child will be in a safe and nurturing environment during the hours they attend the daycare centre. Make sure that the groups of children are not too large and are always watched over by a caregiver. Children should be provided with both indoor and outdoor areas for play. They should feel uninhibited and be able to enjoy the environment they find themselves in every day. Once they feel good where they are, it will be important to them to always return every day to find nothing has changed.
National quality standards
National Quality Standard in Australia is the guide that daycare centres depend upon. They cover seven quality areas that are all important for the well-being and safety of all the children attending the daycare centres.
Communication
The caregivers must keep parents updated on their child’s progress. The daycare centre of your choice must have an app that can put you in touch with the centre at any time. Parents and caregivers must have open communication between them.
The flexibility of daycare centre hours
Daycare centres should be flexible to accommodate the hours they are open. Sometimes, things change for parents, and they cannot get to pick up their children at the same time. If any changes occur, the daycare centre must be able to accommodate the parents as well as if they have to change the times of day their child will attend.
So take your time to look at all the daycare centres in Helensvale and choose some to visit. Once you have narrowed your search down to at least two daycare centres, take your child for a visit. See at which centre they feel the most comfortable and seem to enjoy the environment. We recommend that you check and visit Play and Learn. Then you can enrol your child without worry, and your child will benefit from being with other children every day.
