Children are the most important thing to a parent. When you are not with your children, how do you know they are safe? Do you trust the person or daycare watching over them?
It may seem like this should be a decision that is as simple as choosing one that is closest to your home, or one most affordable.
Many people don’t know that in the U.S there are specific rules and regulations that daycare centers have to abide by before they are licensed to care for children.
There are many things to be put in place for any child-minding facility. If you’re thinking about starting a daycare business, you should know what to be aware of when selecting the safest place for caring for children.
You can read on further to find out about the laws regulating daycares, what type of facilities are dangerous and how to spot an unreliable center.
1. Education
One would think that if a person loved being with children and taking care of them, that they would be a good fit. This is not always the case.
Childcare is a big responsibility and one must be accountable for anything that happens to the children in their care.
Most states require that daycare workers obtain a high school diploma to receive practical training and experience.
Ideally, if you are looking to get into childcare, you should have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.
2. License
All daycare centers have to meet a minimum requirement of various aspects and must pass an examination before opening.
The most common requirements are marked emergency exits, sanitizing stations, adequate food and storage space, and they must have basic medicine on the property
Passing these checks will provide licensure for the daycare to run.
3. Size and Child to Adult Ratio
Childcare is managed through different age groups. Children aged 0-5 are categorized as daycare ready and the size of the center will determine how many children can be accommodated.
This also predicts how many adults will be required to care for each child, to maintain state regulations.
A safe and compliant daycare will have no less than one trained adult for every 3 children aged 1-2. Older children at 5 or more need one adult per every 10 children.
4. Safety and Insurance
Next time you go into a daycare center, look closely at the play area and where the children eat. Can you see visible rust with sharp edges on the jungle gym? Or is the kitchen crawling with rats and roaches?
Daycares require an insurance policy and there will most likely be a section confirming health and safety regulations are in place. Any child hurt at daycare must be reported, as there may be medical consequences or other legal issues.
Daycares should also have updated first aid, fire safety, and pediatric emergency procedures, as well as disaster risk policies in place.
Conclusion
When running a safe and regulated daycare business, you need to be prepared to provide any information requested by parents. Not disclosing information makes it hard to gain the trust of parents and grow your business.
The most important thing parents consider when choosing a daycare is whether or not their child will be safe and if they can trust the people who take care of them.
