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Your
Guide to |
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Choosing |
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Child Care |
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Your
child care choice is your most important consumer decision. At stake
are your child’s happiness and well being ...and your inner peace of mind.
When you buy a car or washing machine, you shop around, compare quality and
prices, ask questions and talk to other people using the product as you use
it. When you choose child care, follow the same steps. Gather all the
information you can beforehand. Do comparative shopping and continue to
evaluate the child care after you’ve enrolled your child. It’s
important to be informed. |
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Where to Start
A child care license permits
a child care program or provider to operate legally in this state.
People who get paid for caring for four or more unrelated children must get a
license. Three important parts of licensed care are the Caregiver, the
Place, and the Program. 1. The Caregiver The caregiver (sometimes called a teacher, or family child care provider,
or assistant teacher) is the most important person in a child care
setting. This person should know how to talk with infants and young
children and respect them, and you. They should like being with
children. They should understand how children grow. They should
be able to plan activities that are fun and match the children’s interest and
learning levels. Above all, you should be able to trust the
caregiver. A licensed caregiver must meet the following state
standards: ·
training and experience in child care ·
child care training updates every year ·
clear criminal record background check
(in family child care every adult in the household must pass this) ·
no corporal or any abusive punishment
Licensed child care programs and providers should: ·
show you a copy of their policies ·
post the child care license, and the date
and results of the last inspection ·
welcome you to visit at any time ·
communicate with you regularly About Fees
There are no rules about the
amount of fees a licensed caregiver may charge. To many families, the
cost of child care is very large. Do not simply add up the number of
children in a licensed center or home, and assume that the caregiver is making
a lot of money because of your fees. It is not unusual for a child care
center to spend 75% of fee income on staff wages and benefits. It is
important to the center to pay good wages, in order to attract caring,
trained, competent teachers. Family child care providers spend their
fee income on food, toys, changes in their homes to care for children, and
training. Do your part by paying fees
on time. Learn about all the tax credits or government subsidies you
might get to help you pay for child care. Consider giving bonuses or
recognition to the caregivers from time to time. Child care costs are
one of the largest family expenses, so you should make sure you are receiving
value for your money. You should also understand that caregivers offer
this service as an occupation and deserve good pay. Caregivers are your
partners helping children grow and develop. 2. The Place The safety of children in child care is the basic reason for child
care licensing. The place should be comfortable and safe. It
should be inviting to children and safe. It should welcome children’s
play and exploration and be safe. Safety
Licensing rules demand that: ·
play areas be clean and large enough so
children can move freely and safely ·
the playground be supervised by and adult
at all times ·
cleaning fluids, medications, poisons,
sharp tools, matches, and firearms are stored away from children ·
fire drills are practiced ·
bathrooms are clean and sanitary ·
the child care place has a fire alarm or
smoke detectors ·
all caregivers report suspected child
abuse or neglect right away Nutrition and Health
Licensing rules demand that: ·
meals and snacks are served often and are
well balanced ·
the staff and children wash hands before
fixing food and eating ·
areas where food is fixed are clean and
sanitary ·
the staff wash hands before and after
diapering or wiping body fluids ·
there is a policy on ill children
(children with certain illnesses may need to stay home) ·
all staff understand health habits for
young children Infants and Toddlers
Because infants need loving,
responsive care, it is important to find caregivers who truly understand
their needs. Infants need cuddling, holding, and attention. They
need people to talk with them and look them in the eyes. They need food
often. They need safe diapering and sleeping areas. Licensing
rules demand that: ·
the child care place is baby-proofed, with
gates on stairways, caps on electrical outlets, and safe cribs ·
infants have a safe, quiet place to sleep ·
children’s diapers are changed on an
easily cleanable and disinfected surface ·
hand washing is done before and after diapering School-Age Children
Older children also attend
licensed programs, before and after school and in the summer. Sometimes
families can find licensed school-age programs, and sometimes families choose
a pre-school program that has a special part-time program for older
children. Licensing rules demand that: ·
school-age children have varied
activities ·
activities allow for rest and quiet time ·
school-age children have freedom to select
their own activities The Program
Child care helps children grow in healthy ways and helps their minds
develop. A good childcare program offers a balance of adult-directed
and child-selected activities. Licensed programs and providers must
limit television viewing. Licensing rules tell the provider to: ·
plan
activities for different ages and levels of development ·
plan indoor
and outdoor activities ·
plan for naps
and quiet time ·
let children
choose between different activities A child care program should demonstrate care
and concern for all types of families and children. Look at the
pictures on the walls and see if they represent diverse families and
children. Can the program tell you about its inclusion of children with
disabilities? Do they welcome every child? Staff-to-Child Ratios One way to assure the
protection, health, and safety of young children is to require a certain
number of staff/caregivers to children. Research on children’s ages and
stages shows that the younger the child, the smaller the group should
be. So both staff-to-child ratios and group size are important.
In licensed family child care, the caregiver may have no more than eight
children, including the provider’s own children under the age of seven.
When only infants or one-year-olds are in care, the provider may care for
more than four children. Licensed group center programs should be able
to tell you the exact number of children and the exact number of staff in
your child’s group at any one time. |
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Group Child Care Centers
(licensed to care for nine or more children) |
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Age of Children
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Staff/Child Ratio
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Group Size
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Birth to 2
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1:4
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8
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2 to 2 ½
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1:6
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12
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2 ½ to 3
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1:8
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16
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3 to 4
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1:10
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20
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4 to 5
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1:13
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24
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5 to 6
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1:17
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32
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6 and older
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1:18
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32
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Quality
Things that contribute to
high quality child care includes: ·
training of caregivers ·
enough caregivers per child ·
small groups ·
consistent staff/low staff turnover In
addition, quality child care programs pay active attention to health and
safety, respect all families, are able to serve children of all abilities,
and get advanced training. Quality child care programs have a responsible
child care organization and offer time for staff development and
planning. Some programs and caregivers go beyond the basics of
licensing and become accredited by a national group. Accredited
caregivers achieve higher standards and work hard to maintain those
standards. |
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Your child
is worth it! Changing child care arrangements is
confusing to a child, so make a wise choice at the start. Give yourself
and your child time to get used to the caregiver. If you must change
child care programs, there should be good reason for doing so. You may
decide to change child care in order to meet your child’s different growth
needs or because the quality of care is poor. When choosing child care
do the following:
Look. Begin by visiting several child care homes or centers. Visit
more than once, at different times of the day to look at what goes on.
The child care environment should be safe, clean, and attractive. It
may look a little cluttered, but it should not be dirty. See if toys and
equipment are stored at a child’s level, and that medicine and cleaning
products are out of reach. Look for different kinds of play activities
that fit your child’s age. See if the caregivers enjoy talking and
playing with the children. Listen. Find out what the child care setting sounds like. Listen for
children who sound happy and involved and caregivers who sound cheerful and
patient. A place that is too noisy may mean there is a lack of control.
Count. Count the number of children in the group. Count the number of
staff members caring for them. A small number of children for each
adult is important, especially for babies and younger children.
Ask. Ask about the background training and experience of all staff.
Ask how they handle safety, nutrition, discipline, and activities. Ask
to see the policy on setting limits and handling problem behaviors.
Find out if the program is accredited by the National Association of Young
Children (NAEYC) or if the provider meets high-quality local or national
standards. Quality care providers will be happy to answer your
questions.
Be informed. Wisconsin state law requires child care providers to obtain a license
when caring for four or more unrelated children under age seven. This
does not include relatives caring for your children or a babysitter who comes
into your home. The licensing rules set standards for adequate care to
protect children’s health, safety and well-being. A copy of these rules
should be available at every licensed child care facility. If you see
alleged violations at a licensed child care program, report them to the
nearest licensing field office. Certification applies to family child care
providers caring for up to three unrelated children. An additional
three children may be cared for in some cases. Complaints about
certified care should go to the county or tribal human services offices.
If it doesn’t work out Over 170,000 Wisconsin children are in licensed child care
settings. Licensing specialists inspect programs and family child care
homes, and will respond to complaints from the public if there are alleged
violations. Be sure to let someone know if you have concerns about what
you see in a licensed program. You may report concerns without giving
your name. Call the nearest licensing field office to report complaints
or to learn about the level of complaints or violations in any licensed
program. |
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Quality
child care for your child depends on both you and the caregiver. Share
information with the caregiver about your child’s needs, interests, problems,
personality and anything else that will help the caregiver provide the best
care for your child. If the caregiver has concerns about your child,
listen without being defensive and be willing to talk it over. Both you
and the caregiver want to help your child grow to be a happy, caring, whole
human being.
Information provided by Child
Care Aware™
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For More Information on Child Care... Local
Child Care Resource & Referral agencies offer child care choices for your
infant, toddler, preschooler, or school-age child. To
reach any one of 17 child care resource & referral agencies in Wisconsin,
You
can call toll free: 1-888-713-KIDS (5437) You can e-mail us
at: info@wisconsinccrr.org Or visit our web site at:www.wisconsinccrr.org Or contact your local
CCR&R at: SCCCR&R, Inc. www.scccrr.com |
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Certification Offices For names of Child Care
certifiers in county and tribal human services departments, or
for more information about certification, call (608) 267-3708. |
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Licensing Field Offices Southern
Office, Madison (608) 243-2400 |
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Prepared by the Wisconsin CCR&R Network, Inc. for the
state Office of Child Care. |
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Making child care work for Wisconsin
families
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