As working parents, making sure your children are happy and cared for while you’re away is a top priority. If you’re lucky enough to work for a company that provides workplace-funded childcare, you have the benefit of a lower cost childcare solution as well as the convenience of having your child’s center close to your job. Corporate daycare facilities are on-site and are sponsored or subsidized by companies for the exclusive use of their employees. Many of these corporate childcare centers are run by independent contractors who staff the center with their own employees. For this reason, it is important to know what makes a corporate daycare facility a quality early learning center for children and a great place for your child to learn and grow each and every day.
A quality early learning center for children will:
- Have trained and qualified staff.
Teachers and aides should be certified in CPR and first aid. They should also have an educational background in early childhood education. - Have patient and creative teachers.
Children are more active at age two than at any other point in their lives. At the same time, they add about five new words to their vocabulary each and every day. A good and patient teacher will be able to handle a toddler’s energy level and find creative ways to get them to learn new things. - Provide children with outdoor time.
A safe and fun outdoor playground is an essential element to all employer sponsored child care programs. Children need time to run and play in order to develop gross motor skills. - Serve healthy meals.
Make sure your employer sponsored child care center provides you with a menu so that you know what your child will be eating every day. Meals should include fruits and vegetables and teachers should be encouraging children to try new healthy foods. - Address children’s emotional as well as educational needs.
Great childcare workers will always be sensitive to the many emotional needs of the children under their care. They should encourage independence while at the same time providing comfort when your child misses mom and dad. It is also important that they provide children with resources and learning experiences that will help their minds grow. Does your childcare center have books, puzzles, building blocks and art supplies? Do teachers regularly talk to and ask the children thought-provoking questions? These are ways you can tell if your daycare is a quality early learning center for children.