Choosing a Childcare Centre

The Basics

How do you know if a childcare centre will meet your needs? At a glance, child care or day care centres provide the following:

all-day care, with operating hours generally being from 7:15 am until 6:15 pm;
access to care throughout the year – most open for 50-52 weeks of the year (closing for public holidays but not school holidays);
all food and nappies;
groupings are dependent on your child’s age (for example, there may be a babies' room, a toddlers' room, three-year-olds, etc.); and
fees are rebateable through CentreLink (dependent on your combined income and eligibility).

So, are all child care centres largely the same? The answer is no. Each centre will have its philosophy and approach to providing care. Your basic criteria will, of course, be that the centre provides a stimulating and safe environment. Beyond that, it will come down to your personal needs and preferences. But there are some considerations.

For example, some are run for profit, while others feed any surplus money back into the centre. Likewise, some adhere to the government-prescribed child/carer ratios, while others ensure there are extra staff available.

At our Centre, we have small groupings and high child-staff ratios, over and above state requirements. Our parents' committee decided to keep the enrolment numbers low to ensure every child gets the personalised care they need.

Our 47-place centre has four groupings:

0-2 years – 8 children
2-3 years – 8 children
3-4 years – 14 children
4-6 years – 17 children.

These small group sizes ensure every child’s needs are met and interests can be explored, helping them reach their potential. The key thing to remember is that the real substance of any centre is its program and staff, not a glossy exterior.

Choosing a Centre – Checklist

The Centre

Physically, is the centre clean, safe and appropriately equipped?
What is the feel of the place? Do the children seem busy and content?
How do the staff interact with the children? Is the interaction warm and engaging?
What is staff turnover like? (Both in terms of providing children with consistency of staff and as an indication of the internal workings of the place).
What forums are used to communicate with parents? (e.g. journals, notices on the wall, website, newsletters, etc.)
Are parents encouraged to provide feedback and participate in the centre’s decision-making?
Does the centre provide an orientation or settling-in period?

Meals

Are the meals nutritious and freshly prepared on-site?
Are food allergies catered for?

The Program

Are there age-appropriate experiences set out for the children? How regularly are these changed?
What is the learning philosophy? (e.g. are the children encouraged to explore and build on their interests, or is the program dictated by the staff?)

All centres should have a program displayed for parents to see. It allows the parents to view and become familiar with the sort of experiences and routines that their children can be involved in while at the centre.