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The child care challenge Find child care your little ones will love! By Denise YearianPublished: September, 2009

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Kathy Cervenka of Aliso Viejo was in search of a caregiver to watch her 9-year-old son. The search for the right fit, she says, was just as important now as it would have been if her son were a newborn. Cervenka, who admitted she was nervous about the process, was seeking someone who was  experienced and reliable, and who could accommodate her work schedule as an employee of Quest Diagnostics. She was lucky. She found the perfect caregiver.             “Choosing the right child care provider impacts everything, from a child’s safety to parents’ sanity,” says Kim Kane, owner of Seeking Sitters. “When it’s not the right match, everyone feels it. Ultimately, a child must give the provider his stamp of approval, but before that, parents must develop a checklist of what constitutes the ‘right’ child care provider for their family.”     There are a lot of variables to consider, says Kane, and it’s best to think those through before starting the selection process. “If you don’t, the results can range from dangerous to exasperating – or worse.” The search According to the experts, the best time to start looking for a child care provider is months before you need it. At the very least, allow four to six weeks to investigate your options.     Before you begin your search, define your goals. Make a list of things that are important to you. Is a convenient location a priority? Do you need someone to help in the early hours, late in the evening and on weekends? Would your child do best in a group setting or one-on-one? Answering these and other questions will help narrow your choice. Be sure to put your wants and needs on paper so you have a clearly defined goal.     Next ask friends, family, co-workers, the pediatrician and church leaders if they have any recommendations. Once you have a list of providers, call each one and ask questions about the environment, the program’s philosophy, the number of children in the group, the qualifications of caregivers, etc. Also inquire about rates, hours and meals, among other details. If they have a pamphlet, ask for one.     Visit those facilities that seem most suitable to you. Plan to spend at least 30 minutes at each location, observing the children and watching how they interact with each other and the caregiver. Are they happy? Are there plenty of age-appropriate activities? Can the teacher adequately handle the number of children in her care? How does she handle discipline? Fussy kids? What about the outdoor play equipment? Is it in good condition? Check the bathroom. Is it clean? Do the workers emphasize hand washing?     Of those places you like best, visit a second time, preferably unannounced. Beware of any provider who does not allow unannounced or drop-in visits. If this is the case, look elsewhere.     Before making a final decision, update yourself on licensing requirements, staff qualifications, child-caregiver ratios, etc. Does the place you are considering meet or exceed standards?     Once your child has been placed with a caregiver, keep abreast of his care. Periodically re-evaluate the provider to see if their priorities and standards still align with yours. If a problem arises that cannot be solved, be prepared to change. Remember: Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of your child.     Above all, develop a good relationship with your caregiver. After all, you are partners in one very important job – the care and development of your child. TYPES OF CHILD CARE Family child care homes In a family child care home, the provider opens her home to care for several children on a regular basis. Many parents see this as an ideal arrangement in that their child spends time in a home-like atmosphere yet still has the opportunity to interact with other children. With this type of care, the caregiver/ child ratio is often lower than those at public facilities, which means the children may receive more individualized attention. But if the caregiver gets sick or takes a vacation, the parents may be left trying to find alternative child care – sometimes on short notice. Child care centers Child care centers provide care for children in a facility specifically designed for them. While many offer a structured curriculum and better-quality play equipment, the staff turnover rate can be markedly high. For parents, this should be a prime consideration. Research shows that children need stable relationships and suffer emotionally with frequent changes in caregivers. Even so, these facilities have staff replacements for caregivers’ vacations and sick days, so a family’s routine is not interrupted.     Some parents are fortunate enough to have a child care facility at their place of employment. For them, this may be the best choice. First, both parent and child can commute to the same location, saving time and gas. Second, the parent has immediate access to the child for special drop-ins or in the event of an emergency. And although families still have to pay for child care services, most companies subsidize rates, so the cost is often lower. In-home care Many parents view in-home care as the optimum in child care. With this option, a caregiver, au pair or nanny is paid to care for the child in the family’s home. Here, families can experience the ultimate in convenience (hassle-free mornings getting to work, uninterrupted care for a sick child, etc.) while the child benefits from a familiar environment and more stable routine. But premium care is not without a price. In-home care is typically the most expensive form of child care, unless you have a relative or close friend who is willing to do the job.     Aside from family and friends, in-home care is typically provided by either an au pair or a nanny. Au pairs are young women (usually European) who come to the U.S. under a cultural exchange program for a period of one year or less. In exchange for a place to live and modest wages, au pairs provide up to 45 hours per week of child care. Most speak English and take classes at a local college, but may have little or no child care training. There are many government-approved agencies that help connect families to au pairs.     Nannies are surrogate parents who take care of children and other domestic chores while Mom and Dad are at work. Rates vary, depending on experience, education, the number of children, hours worked and responsibilities. To find a nanny, parents can either place an ad in the newspaper or consult a nanny- placement agency. One of the benefits of an agency is that they do background checks on potential nannies and help the family with the interview and selection process. OUT-OF-HOME CHILD CARE: WHAT TO LOOK FOR The following are the key questions to ask of a home day care provider, as well as a commercial day care center: • How will you promote my child’s health and nutritional needs? • Are areas cleaned regularly? • Are toys and materials disinfected regularly? • Are efforts made to limit illnesses from spreading? • How will you respond if my child behaves in inappropriate ways? • Is positive guidance used? • Do parent participation and communication play a role? • Are disruptive reactions responded to quickly? • Will my child be safe? • Is the environment clean and safe? • Is there an open-door policy to allow parents to visit at any time? • Do teacher/child ratios meet or exceed state requirements? • How will you promote my child’s self-esteem, confidence and independence? • Will my family’s cultural values be respected? • Are children encouraged to challenge themselves? • Do children receive positive reinforcement? • Who will take care of my child, and what will my child do all day? • Are children offered a variety of meaningful learning choices? • Are field trips offered? • Are caregivers supported by professional resource people, training and materials? WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY Ease the anxiety Before your sitter arrives at your home, tell your children all about her and, if possible, let them meet her in advance. This will help ease your children’s anxiety about having a new caregiver. Also, plan some fun activities for when she arrives. This will get your children excited about the sitter and get their mind off of you leaving. Keep information on hand Have instructions, contact information and emergency details handy for the sitter to access. (Seeking Sitters provides free Family Information Packets to members, and anyone can buy one online.) Set clear expectations This is the most important factor to having a successful babysitting event. Once your sitter arrives, you need to make sure you let her know what you expect from her.     Don’t linger If this is the first time using a particular sitter, it is OK to stay around and make sure you are comfortable with her. But keep in mind that your children will bond with the sitter more quickly if you are not around. Cell phones are for emergencies It is completely fine to call to check in. Sometimes this is an opportunity to find out how they are doing and even help with any needs. But, most importantly, it will help let you relax about how the children are doing at home with the sitter. Let the sitter know that you might be calling and to keep the cell phone handy or listen for the home telephone. Wrapping up Always follow up with your sitter to see how the evening went, and get a full report on activities and bedtime. It will help you to determine if the sitter is a good fit for next time. Source: SeekingSitters Orange County TIPS FOR SELECTING A NANNY CARE AGENCY • Be aware that California nanny agencies are not licensed by the state. • Verify all claims an agency makes. A check with the International Nanny Association on one Orange County agency that claimed to be an INA member showed that it was not. • Contact the Better Business Bureau to research complaints against the agency you are considering. • Conduct a records check at the Orange County Courthouse for reports of small claims cases against the agency you are considering. There is no charge to research cases. Cross reference the agency name with the owner’s name when searching. The owner may operate several agencies. Reports are available on microfiche for the last 10 years. • Ask the agency, “Have you been sued for breach of contract?” • Don’t ask the agency for references. You’ll only get good ones. Ask to speak to several recent clients (within the last 30 days) to determine yourself how satisfied they were with the level of service provided. Also, ask for the names of several nannies who have been placed through the service. • Make sure the services the agency claims to provide is in writing. Be specific. If a background check is included in your fee, find out what type of check is conducted. Does the agency do a local police check, a county check, a state check or a national check? • Remember that receiving a copy of the nanny’s fingerprints doesn’t mean anything unless those prints have been reviewed by the Department of Justice and a report has been issued. • Don’t work with any agency that does not include a California Trustline Registry check on the nanny in their fee. It is the single requirement of California agencies, and those that don’t comply face misdemeanor charges. • Remember that a signed contract doesn’t guarantee a nanny or a refund. Most small claims against agencies are for breach of contract. • Check and double-check all information and references the agency provides on the nanny. Source: “The Nanny Kit,” by Kimberly A. Porrazzo (Viking Penguin) AVOID CHILD CARE ''CULTURE CLASH' According to a report by Policy Analysis for California Education, just one in seven California parents succeeds in finding an opening for their young child at a preschool or child care center – and that access is shrinking in major regions, including Orange County. As such, many child care services are offered through small home-based enterprises. For Vietnamese-speaking parents who may want their child care provider to also speak Vietnamese, finding trained providers is getting a little bit easier, thanks to the efforts of Santa Ana College.     The cohort of soon-to-be child care providers has just completed a 12-week training program offered bilingually, in English and Vietnamese. The program prepared participants to meet California’s child care licensing requirements while incorporating traditional Vietnamese songs, games, stories and cultural celebrations.         In 80 hours of training, topics covered include instruction in child development and age-appropriate activities. To meet current legal requirements, all participants complete 15 hours of health training in pediatric CPR, pediatric first aid, infectious diseases and the prevention of childhood injuries. Information: Centennial Education Center Child Development Center 714.241.5739 Denise Yearian is the former editor of two parenting magazines and the mother of three children.

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