Choosing a place to play is a grown up decision




Make two visits to the child care facility before choosing:


First, by yourself to satisfy yourself that its what you’re looking for.


Second, with your child so they can have a play and you can judge if it’s what they would ‘look for’.



 
 

When choosing a nursery school it’s likely that everywhere you go will consider that they are providing the best care possible...and it’s no different with us.  Of course, this kind of bias is not particularly useful to you when you’re trying to determine precisely which kindergarten, school, crèche, nursery or play group really works for you. 


So, to try and offset the love we have for our own nursery, we have made a checklist for you that we feel should allow you to make place by place comparisons and then make a well informed choice after getting all the facts. Scroll down for our list of questions we think are worth answering.



“When we first set out to find a nursery for our son, prior to founding the BCA, we weren’t really sure what we were to look for in a place.  It wasn’t until we had our son enrolled in a small day care centre that we began to realise what we didn’t want to see in a place. This is what prompted us to set up our own nursery and really make sure we ticked all the boxes that we felt were important.”

Ray Power

 

What’s important to you?

Here is a selection of some of the questions that are worth answering to your own satisfaction...


Do the working hours fit your family needs?

Is there an activity schedule/curriculum?

Are the activities observed appropriate for the ages of the children?

Do the workers observe strict hand washing procedures/
Do the children seem occupied by and engage in their activities?

Can the children play outside?

Do children of different ages have play areas that are suited to their age?

Can the parents visit the children during the day?

Does the nursery include nappies?

If your child is still using formula, can the nursery accommodate this?

Is there transportation available?

Is food included in the price?

How are children disciplined?

Is there a separate, quiet place for children’s nap times?

What are the child to teachers ratios?

Is there a wide range of activities beyond play, such as dancing or music?

Are special needs options available if required?

Is there a procedure in place in case of accident or illness during the day?
Is there a fire/earthquake evacuation procedure?

Are there fire extinguishers?

Is there a sickness policy?

Is the business properly registered?

Do the staff possess degrees in their field?

Have the staff been first aid certified?

How secure is the facility?


If you were a child...would you like to play there?




It’s often underestimated how important teacher qualifications are at this stage of a child’s life.  As learning difficulties are not uncommon, it’s very important that teachers or carers identify potential problem areas as early in life as possible so they can be catered for and minimise any long term impact on school life.