1. When a parent enters a center, what should she/he look for?

•  Classrooms should look neat and clean. All areas should be well divided and materials should be at a child's level.

 
•  Clean.  The center should be clean.  Rooms should be decorated in children's art work.

 
•  It should be organized and clean.  Have a lot of materials, toys, etc.

 
•  The classroom should be colorful, and display a lot of the children's art work.

 
•  The room should be divided into different learning areas and should be appropriate to the  children's developmental levels.

 
•  The interaction between adult and adult:
•  The teacher should be warm and friendly and should greet the parent.
•  The teacher should smile and greet the parent
•  The parent should make a decision about the classroom on the way the teacher initially greets her.

 
• The interaction between the teacher and the children:
•  The teacher should treat all children well and with respect.  She should deal well with children from different countries.
•  The parent should see the teacher interacting with the children.  She should be sitting down on the rug with them.
•  The teacher should be listening to the children and helping them with the things that they need.
•  The teachers in the room should be interacting with the children, using appropriate words, showing praise and encouragement, listening to them, encouraging them.

• What should the children be doing?
•  Children should be involved in activities, not wandering around.
•  Children should be allowed to pick their own activities.
•  The children should be doing group or individual activities.

2. What questions should a parent ask when she/he is selecting care for a child?

•  How long has the center been open?

 
•  Has there ever been a problem with the center's license?  Have there been claims filed against the center or the staff?

 
•  What are the qualifications of the staff?

 
•  What is the ratio between teachers and children per classroom?

 
•  What is the daily schedule and routines?

 
•  How is discipline handled?

 
•  What is the neighborhood like around the center and how do the children and staff relate to the area?  Do they go for walks?  Do they go on field trips?

 
•  What will the children learn while they are at the center?

 
•  Does the center serve lunch and snack?

 
•  What are the hours that the center opens and closes?

3. What kinds of information should a parent receive about their child once the child is in care?

•  the kinds of activities they did during the day

 
•  whether the child had any difficulties

 
•  Whether the child took a nap, how they ate, if there were any bathroom accidents

 
•  Parents should be encouraged to spend a few hours at the center with their child before they start care.  The teachers should take the parent around the class and show her the different activities the classroom offers.  Once the parent has taken that time to visit, they will know what kinds of questions to ask.
•  Whether the child learned or is practicing a new skill
•  If the child had any difficulty eating or sleeping

•  It is best if a child goes through a phase-in period...comes a couple of times before starting to get used to the new place and friends. The child should be prepared at home. They should talk about going to school, playing and making new friends. They should be prepared that when they go to school, mommy is going to leave and go to work.

 
•  The parent should get a book about going to child care.  They should read the book to their child and have the child talk about their feelings.

 
•  The parents should start talking to a child at home first, then bring the child to the center and visit for a half day so their child can get used to being there before they are left for a whole day.

5. It would be helpful if a parent:

•  meets the teacher before their child starts to give them information on how they deal with the child if angry or sad.  Tell the teacher how they comfort their child.  The teacher should know what the child's favorite toy is.  Parents should fill out emergency cards. And the parent should share whether the child has been in a center-base program before and tell how that went.

 
•  comes in and observes and interacts in the classroom while their child is in care.  It is a way of seeing what happens during the day.

 
•  would bring in spare clothing and remember to label everthing so that a childís things donít get lost.

Linda:

1. When a parent enters a center they should look for cleanliness, should make sure the teachers are interacting with the children, and how the children are being spoken to by the teachers.  It's nice to walk into a warm, friendly feeling place.
 

•  The center classroom should have different areas for the children to play in.  It should look appropriate for the children.

 
•  The adults should be interacting with the children and making sure every child is safe.  The teacher should greet all children and parents

 
•  When you walk into a classroom, the children will be playing and doing projects.  They should look happy- not all of the time, but most of the time.

•  How often are they changed?

 
•  What is the daily schedule?

 
•  What do the teachers do if a child is having a hard day?

 
•  Can they drop in to spend time and watch their children while they are in care?

3. A parent of an infant or toddler should expect a daily report of how their child did in care.  Also they should expect a progress report every six months.

4. A parent should talk to their child before they start care to try and make them comfortable about going to a new place.  You should visit the center with your child to help them get settled in. I think every parent should come to the center with their child at least three times before their child starts.

5.  A parent should bring a change of clothes, a blanket and a favorite toy, a toothbrush and lunch.  Parents should be patient. Some children have a hard time adjusting.  Others are easy and they take to changes fast.
 
 

Najma:

1.  The classroom should look neat, clean and organized. Adults in the room should be busy with children, talking, listening, taking care of children.  The children should be looking happy, playing, painting or in the art area or reading a book.

2. There are many questions that parents can ask about child care before they start.  They can ask about the qualifications of the teachers. They can ask about all of the rules and regulations of child care and about the specific policies of the center.  They should ask what kind of discipline is used.

It is also necessary for the parent to look around without asking questions.  They will be able to watch and look and learn about many things.  Like: how clean is the room? what kinds of materials are out and available for the children? are the toys age appropriate? They should look to make sure that the environment is not hazardous, and that there is a fire alarm and equipment.

3. Once the child is in the center, the parent should be informed if their child is in any minor accidents, like bumps or cuts.  The center should give them an accident report to sign.

There are other pieces of information that the parent can get from teachers including how their child ate, how long their child napped, did the child have a good happy day or a hard, grouchy day.

4. It is a new thing for the child so it is very important for a parent to talk about it at home and then, before leaving the child, they should spend some time together so that the child gets used to the environment a little.

5. The parent should prepare a child at home. Just be talking about the center and that the child is supposed to stay there for some time.  The child should be told that their parent will always pick them up at the end of the day. This will make the child feel more comfortable about what is going on and what to expect.