Understanding Child Care

3 Tips For Choosing A Child Care Facility For Your Infant

6 November 2019

Victoria Jimenez

If you need to put your infant in childcare while you go back to work, you want to find the best child care solution possible. You want to find a child care center where your child will get the focus and attention that they deserve and need.

Tip #1: Ask About the Child to Teacher Ratio 

The first thing you need to do when looking at child care centers that offer infant care is ask about their child to teacher ratio. In most states, the child to teacher ratio is dictated by the state. A child to teacher ratio of four is common in infant classrooms. That means for every four infants, there is at least one adult taking care of the child. You don't want to place your child in a facility that has a high child-teacher ratio for their infant room. Infants need a lot of assistance and small classrooms help facilitate that. 

Tip #2: Ask About the Child's Schedule 

Second, find out what type of schedule the facility uses for their infant classroom. For an infant classroom, there may be some sort of schedule that they try to follow, such as hands-on activities at certain times of day or nap at a certain time of day. However, in an infant classroom, the child's needs should really dictate the schedule. Look for a child care facility where your child will be feed and be able to sleep and nap when they need it, not when the master schedule dictates they should eat and sleep.  

As your child gets older, most child care facilities will switch from a child-driven schedule to a more set-schedule that works for the entire class.  

Tip #3: Ask About Communication Methods 

With an infant, you can't depend on your child to tell you if they are having issues going to the bathroom or what they ate or when they ate. You want to find a child care facility that will track what your child does all day. Many child care facilities now have programs they can use so that they can update you in real-time when your baby eats, sleeps, and has their diaper changed. Look for a child care facility that utilizes a digital records system for staying in communication with you about what is happening with your baby. This level of communication will help you keep your baby on a more consistent schedule between childcare and your home as well. 

When it comes to a child care facility for your infant, be sure to ask about the child to teacher ratio, find out about how your child's schedule will be dictated, and be sure to ask about what type of communication method they will use. With your infant, you want a child care facility that will give your infant individual attention, follow your infant's schedule and needs, and communicate effectively with you about your baby's day.

For more information, contact a company like Kids  Country Club.

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