Evaluating Your Child Care Provider

Your child care provider says they love kids, but is that enough? You want to be sure that the person who is caring for your children is truly a wonderful child care provider. Finding a person with experience and training in child care is half the battle, but there are qualities she should have that are not taught in school. Consider these questions and indications of quality as you evaluate your provider:

Patient - Is she tolerant of negative behaviors such as crying or whining? Can she read the same book seven times in a row with a smile on her face?

Fair - Does she treat all children equally? Does she resist stereotyping and bias? Does she avoid showing favoritism?

Responsive - Is she in tune to your child? Is she sensitive to their non-verbal communications and aware of their needs?

Level Headed - How does she react under stress? Can she respond to emergencies calmly and methodically?

Focused - Dose she show true interest in your children? Does she get down n the floor with them? Dose she give them her full attention?

Fun - Is she willing to play with the children? Does she have a sense of humor?

Creative - Can she figure out how to fix a doll’s arm using only paperclips? Can she think of 750 ways to use baby food jars for craft projects?

Vigilant - Is she ever mindful of the health and safety of your children? Does she supervise them at all times?