How To Choose Good Columbus Ohio Day Care Centers

By Freida Michael


Leaving your child in the hands of a stranger might be necessary, but should not be taken lightly. When you decide that it is time to leave your child at a day care center, you need to do some research in order to find the best one. The best time to start is six months before you need childcare because the best centers fill up fast. You will find the best Columbus Ohio day care centers if you consider the points discussed below.

You must know what factors have the most weight. For example, if you intend to drop and pick up the child from the day care on your way to and from work, the physical address of the center will be the most crucial thing. For someone else, that crucial thing could be whether there are too many children at the center. From your evaluation, you should know which factor has the most importance.

The rules at the centers will help determine which one is best for you. A center should have flexible rules especially in terms of dropping off, and picking up your child. If you can be allowed to do this at different times of the day, that is a good center. Even with the flexibility, the center should have clear regulations touching on everything from operating hours to how emergencies are handled.

It is common for children to fall ill, and sometimes the diseases are communicable. There should be a sick-child policy at the center so that you know which illnesses will force you to keep your child at home, and for how long. This can help stop the spread of communicable diseases. Although you might feel inconvenienced, having such a policy that keeps sick members of staff, and children away is a good thing.

How the children spend their time at the center matters. Best Columbus, OH day care institutions will have structured schedules that set aside enough time for physical activities, quiet time, and resting periods. Videos and TV should not be included in the daily activities. If there is any video time included, you should find out whether they are age-appropriate. The center should also have a wide variety of toys.

The staff members at the center you choose must be properly trained. Staff training is actually what makes these centers better than having a nanny or even taking the child to a home day care. The right training normally includes first aid, CPR, early childhood development and other emergency procedures. You also need to establish whether the personalities of the staff at the center will allow easy interaction with the children.

Children at day care centers require constant attention, and supervision by adults. For this to happen, there should be the right adult to child ratio. This ratio depends on the age of the children. For babies, the best ratio is one adult to four infants. For children over four years, the ratio should be around one adult to ten children. You should establish whether a center has enough staff members to satisfy these ratios.

Cost is an important question when looking for a center. The best care does not have to be bought at a very high price. If you compare the rates charged at different centers, you will know which one has fair rates.




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