How To: Choosing the Right Child Care

Danielle Keeton, MACCC-SLP, director of Le Bonheur Early Intervention and Development (LEAD), weighs in on the topic of selecting a child care center and offers some helpful tips for parents below.

We've all heard that nobody's perfect. This rule is true when it comes to child care. Somehow as parents, we do expect perfection, and - for good reason - we trust them with our precious little ones. Parents know that early learning experiences shape child development, so choosing a child care center for your child is an important decision - and one that's often filled with anxiety. Parents have so many questions and want to make the best choice.

Learning what makes a "high-quality" child care can be overwhelming. To simplify the standards it helps to understand childcare licensing. Child care is divided into three categories by the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS):

• Family child care home - for five to seven children
• Group child care home - for eight to 10 children
• Child care center - for 13 or more children

Some parents prefer the home environment, while some prefer the center environment. Parents should visit both to see which setting may work best for their individual needs. Once you know the type of child care environment you are looking for and the general area or zip code, you can contact a support agency like the Shelby County Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R). The Shelby Co. CCR&R is part of Le Bonheur Children's Community Health and Wellbeing division, and it helps parents narrow down choices from the more than 800 licensed child care providers in Shelby County to a select few that meet your family's needs. Once you have your short list, here are a few guiding rules:

Visit early and often.
Make a drop-in visit during morning hours, when most kids are awake. The drop-in visit (just show up at the door and knock) is the best way to see what happens when no one is looking. Schedule a time to come back later for a formal tour and meeting with the director and teachers.

Ask anything and everything.
Ask about rating, credentials and accreditations. The Tennessee DHS uses a star-rating system to rate the quality of centers that it licenses. Centers can receive up to three stars, with three being the highest rating. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) offers a national accreditation for child care centers. The NAEYC accreditation is the gold standard for the highest quality child care. The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) offers a similar certification for home-based child care.

The Tennessee DHS has created a very helpful workbook with more questions than most parents can imagine. Just download, print and take with you to the tour or meeting.

Trust your intuition and your child.
You know your child better than anyone else. A center may have the highest ratings, most prestigious accreditations, most credentialed staff and still, something's just not right. Trust your parental instincts. If your child is old enough, involve them in the decision process. Children are typically very intuitive and gravitate to environments that are welcoming and friendly.