More Than A Babysitter – Staff of a Licensed Day Care Center
Posted by Thad Pryor | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 27-10-2011-05-2008
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When it comes to taking on an important responsibility, there can be nothing as serious as that of caring for someone else’s children. Providing basic care, nurturing, and individual attention, while teaching an age-appropriate academic program and basic social skills is a job not for the faint of heart. As parents, we teach, care for and love one or a few of our own children. What must is be like to have those same responsibilities for a classroom of perhaps twenty?
In most states, child daycare centers are closely regulated. Human Services agencies or Child Welfare agencies are charged with monitoring and licensing of these facilities, which are considered businesses with an emphasis on care. In a licensed center, applicants for staff positions are required to meet minimum educational requirements which are often equivalent to those of a public school teacher. It is not uncommon to find a Bachelor’s or even a Master’s level educator seated on the floor with the two-year-olds. Even infants are given the benefit of specialists in education techniques for children in their age group.
In addition to highly educated staff, there is also likely to be a contingent of younger workers who may often seem not much older than their young charges. Daycare is a vocation which seems to attract young women and many of them take college classes part time while spending the rest of the day utilizing the skills they are learning. Young children seem to enjoy these student-teachers, as they have the youth and energy to play along with them. Gross motor skills are allowed to develop in the company of staff who run and jump and dance right along with the kids!
Licensing regulations in most areas also require close examination of criminal records. While not all legal involvement is reason for disqualification from employment in a licensed daycare center, anything involving violence or child endangerment is a red flag that would bar the applicant from working with young children. The agency that licenses the facility may scrutinize state police records, or may go so far as to require fingerprinting for FBI review. Even volunteers must undergo background checks, so parents may be assured that the sweet grandma rocking their baby to sleep has been cleared by law enforcement and child welfare authorities.
A wise parent will always take the time to investigate any day care center they are considering for the care of their children. Thorough Interviews of the teachers and administrative staff must be undertaken as well as a thorough physical inspection of the center under consideration. A parent should have an idea of how their child may interact with the other kids. The classroom staff should also undergo thorough interviews to help determine if their child suits the program of the center.
A majority of state Child Welfare agencies have data available to the public, just as the Better Business Bureau does for businesses. Lots of them have hotlines that can be used to find out whether complaints have been made regarding a specific day care center, and the center’s particular licensing agent should be able to answer all questions concerned with operation of the day center under their purview. The day care center itself should be happy to refer a parent to a person within the licensing bureau who can answer whatever questions they may have.
Assuming the responsibility for caring for someone else’s children is not to be taken lightly. The vast majority of licensed daycare centers understand this, and put forth the necessary efforts to maintain educated and ethical employees. Being able to receive and verify information regarding the people that will have this responsibility makes a parent’s decision to place their child in licensed daycare much less frightening and more comforting for everyone involved.
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