What To Look For In A Child Care Centre
At Blacktown Anglican Child Care Centre, we understand the importance of choosing a child care centre that is right for you. It is not always an easy decision to place your child in care but for many it is a necessary one. So what should you look for in a service?
The Vibe
As the old saying goes 'First impressions last' and this couldn't be truer when seeing a service for the first time. When you attend a centre for a tour, the director will usually wow you with selling points about that service. This can sometimes feel like a sales pitch and undoubtedly some directors are great sales people. But at the end of the day, parents should trust the vibe they get from the service. Be intuitive, look around, see what you feel, see if the atmosphere fits your expectations. The feeling or vibe that you get when on a tour is usually correct. If the vibe is a positive one, then you will more than likely feel comfortable leaving your child at the service. On the flip side if the vibe is not a positive one, think about why you felt it was negative. More than likely the service is not somewhere you would feel comfortable leaving your child. The vibe you get from a service - from a first meeting - is an important one. Trust your instincts.
The Environment
The environment should be designed in a way that makes you feel welcomed and as though you belong in that space. A well designed environment will not only feel welcoming, it will be one that shows learning intention through cleverly designed play spaces, it will have happy and content children playing and the staff will be engaging in children's learning. The environment should be designed to inspire you to want to engage, explore and play. There should be ample natural elements within the environment so children can explore and participate with nature play. Resources should be well looked after, organized and child friendly. If the service does not appear to be inspiring, positive or engaging, then the service is probably not the right choice for you.