Keeping Your Kids Safe When Choosing A Child Care Center
Although the vast majority of this nation’s preschools and child care centers are perfectly safe places, recent reports of child sexual abuse in these settings are a source of great concern to parents.
- Check
to make sure that the program is reputable. State
or local licensing agencies, child care information and referral
services, and other child care community agencies may be helpful
sources of information. Find out whether there have been any past
complaints.
- Find
out as much as you can about the teachers and caregivers. Talk
with other parents who have used the program.
- Learn
about the school or center’s hiring policies and practices. Find
out whether they examine references, background checks and previous
employment history before hiring decisions are made.
- Ask
whether and how parents are involved during the day. Learn
whether the center or school welcomes and supports participation.
Be sensitive to the attitude and degree of openness about parental
participation.
- Ensure
that you have the right to drop in and visit the
program at any time.
- Make
sure you are informed about every planned outing. Never
give the organization blanket permission to take your child off
the premises.
- Prohibit
in writing the release of your child to anyone without your explicit
authorization. Make
sure that the program knows who will pick up your child on any given
day.
- Talk with your child daily about their experience in child care and have regular meetings with your child’s teachers.
Child
Care Licensing Information Line:
(800)
582-8286
