How Do They Care About Your Child

Understand the Licensing and Inspection Process

Many parents assume that because a center is licensed, that means someone is keeping close tabs on the school to ensure it provides quality care. Not necessarily true, says Phillips. "Child care programs only have to meet basic requirements to be licensed, so licensing doesn't ensure quality."

"I always tell parents not to assume anything when it comes to their children's care," agrees Powlas-Giaffis.
It is up to each state to regulate and license early childhood care.
It is worth noting that church-affiliated and private programs not receiving any federal or state funding must be registered with the state but do not need licensing. Therefore, these programs are not under the same scrutiny, are not inspected, and do not have mandated guidelines to follow.

All group homes, private and public child care centers are licensed. Programs undergo unannounced inspections, and are re-licensed every two years. Likewise, most family day care homes are licensed and all are required to meet certain stipulations before they can be registered with the state. However, before- or after-school programs (providing care for less than four hours) that are overseen by private or civic organizations or by a local school do not have to be licensed.

All South Carolina child care providers must be registered and most are licensed by the Department of Social Services. Providers must fill out paperwork and fulfill certain requirements before serving children. Parents can access a list of providers in their area by visiting the DSS Web site, which includes a listing of registered child care providers by county.

Check for Citations

In addition to asking to see licensing, Powlas-Giaffis encourages parents to do their homework and check their children's childcare center for any citations. "Parents definitely should ask the state agency that awards operating licenses if there are any complaints or citations on record with their child care provider," she says.

Stay Involved

One way to do this is by making surprise visits. To avoid disrupting the class or affecting your child's typical behavior during day care, try to be inconspicuous as possible.

During your visit, look for the following:

• A clean, safe and healthy environment.
• Responsive and nurturing interactions between children and caregiver(s).
• Age-appropriate activities and toys (remember many skills come as a result of play).
• Children getting individual attention.
• Consistency in your child's care across visits.

Don't expect the provider to give you her undivided attention during your stay. A good provider will be focused on the children, not on you.

Besides surprise visits, developing and maintaining a good relationship with the caregiver is extremely valuable to your child's care. Your parenting philosophy - how you handle discipline, whether you breastfeed or not, etc. - should match your provider's, and you should be constantly communicating about ways to nurture your child. "It's important for the teacher and parent to act as a team," advises Phillips. "Work together, communicate and be sure to respect and value your child's caregiver. It's not an easy job to be an excellent child care provider."

Finally, talk to other parents. "Fellow parents are great resources. Find out if they are satisfied with their child's care," Powlas-Giaffis says.

Keep An Eye Out For Red Flags.

Apart from the obvious red flags - signs of abuse, an unclean or unsafe environment, etc.-these are warning signs that might mean it's time for a child care change:

• A high staff turnover rate. "If a directors can't keep their employees happy, how are they going to keep kids happy?" Powlas-Giaffis asks. "Plus, constant staff changes break up routine and make it difficult for your child to adjust."

• Lax security policies. If your neighbor - no matter how innocent she looks - picks up your child for the first time with no questions asked, there's a serious safety issue that must be addressed.

• Tons of Tube Time. "TV time should be limited and not being used for care," says Phillips.

• No open door policy. Any quality care provider will welcome visits at any time.

• A consistently unhappy child. Realize children will occasionally have bad days. "Just because your child cries in the morning doesn't mean he's not happy," Phillips says. "It's more important to pay attention to how he's interacting with the other children and provider when you pick him up." However, if your child never seems happy and doesn't appear to be thriving after three weeks or more, it may be time to start looking for a new provider.

If you notice a problem that warrants an official complaint, you can call your local child resource and referral agency (the staff will pass along the complaint to the appropriate regulatory agency). Or you can file a complaint directly with the state (using the contact numbers listed above). If a complaint is made against a center, the state, by law, has to investigate.

Red flags aren't the only reason your child might require a change of venue. "Your child and family's needs will change," says Powlas-Giaffis. "For example, a program that has an excellent infant program may not be what you're looking for when your child gets older."

She adds that even if you have been happy with the program, you should never stay with a provider out of loyalty, especially if you've seen room for improvement. "Your children are your number one priority. Make sure their needs are still being met."

Tap into resources if you decide to make a change.

After changing child care providers more times than she'd like to remember, Suzanne, a mother of two, including a son with special needs, became an expert on the resources available to help parents find quality child care. "Choosing child care became a huge burden for me because my child was constantly in a situation where I had to worry about him," she says. "I learned the hard way just how important it is to learn about the resources available to help you sift through the process."

Luckily, parents have to look no further than their local child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&R). "Child care resource and referral agencies take the guesswork out of choosing quality child care," says Powlas-Giaffis. The agency maintains a database of all registered and licensed child care providers. Parents can call and give certain search parameters such as proximity, level of cultural diversity and cost. Use of the database is completely free.

CCR&R agencies make certain providers offer the highest quality of care available and help parents know how to find it. They can give you referrals to local child care providers, consumer education on how to choose quality care, information on state licensing requirements, availability of child care subsidies and other important information.

Trust your parenting instincts.

This is the easiest strategy of all. "Parents usually have a feeling about their provider," Phillips says. "I usually encourage parents to go with their gut feeling."

Evaluating your child care choice is at times a cumbersome process; yet, it is definitely time well-spent. Phillips recommends that all parents maintain diligence in regard to their children's care. "Having your child in the right child care environment is critically important, especially since children grow rapidly and achieve major milestones during the first three years of life," she says. "What goes on during those years can have a longstanding effect."

"Working parents are made to feel guilty about putting their child in day care," Phillips continues, "but the only time they should feel guilty is if they don't take the time to research child care wisely."

While there are many quality programs available, regularly raising questions and reevaluating your child care choice go a long way in keeping your child safe, happy and intellectually challenged.

Don't look at it as a vote of no confidence in your child's teacher- good childcare providers will appreciate your attentiveness. "A good child care provider will not flinch at your questions. They'll be glad you cared enough to ask," Phillips says.