Recognizing Quality in Child Care
High quality child care is built on a foundation of co-operation and trust that leads to mutually rewarding relationships involving children, parents and caregivers. When such relationships develop, children are likely to be well-adjusted and have a strong sense of their own value and self-worth.
Recognizing High Quality Care
Parents recognize quality in child care by looking for characteristics that will increase the well-being of their children and strengthen relationships with their caregivers.
Research shows that these characteristics include:
- relationship between caregiver and child
- caregiver training and job satisfaction
- the physical setting
- the nature of the program
- licensing requirements
- the amount of supervision the children receive
- parent involvement
The Relationship Between Caregiver and Child
The relationship between caregiver and child may be the most important characteristic of high quality care. Parents should look for caregivers who are enthusiastic, warm and spend time with the children in their care. They should also watch for caregivers who talk frequently with children in ways that are informative, responsive and accepting. Such caregivers bend down to address children face to face, seem genuinely concerned and interested, listen carefully to what children have to say, and are able to express their liking and admiration for children.
Children who regularly enjoy such positive relationships feel liked, accepted and good about themselves. They may also show greater emotional security, better social skills and higher levels of language and other kinds of development than children who have caregivers who are less interested and less involved with the children in their care.
Caregiver Training and Job Satisfaction
Children are likely to receive high quality care when their caregivers have training as well as professional experience in caring for children.
High quality care is also likely to be provided when caregivers enjoy their work, are well paid and feel valued. When caregiver turnover is low, children feel more secure.
When you are looking for child care, ask caregivers if they have formal training in early childhood education or child development. Ask how long they have been working in the child care field and whether they enjoy their work. Their answers to these que stions will help you decide whether they will give your child high quality care.
The Physical Setting
Another characteristic of high quality care is a physical setting that is suitable for children and has a variety of appropriate toys, educational materials and equipment.
When choosing care, look for a place that is safe and includes space where your child can play freely indoors and out. It should also have areas where your child can take part in activities such as painting, playing with blocks and looking at books. Try to find a place where children feel comfortable, where wall decorations are at eye level and there are no objects that could be dangerous to children.
The Nature of the Program
Children benefit from high quality care when programs provide a variety of interesting activities planned to suit their particular ages and abilities. They also benefit when these activities reflect the cultural practices of their families.
Look for a child care arrangement that will help your child to develop both physically and mentally. Check for a balance between active and quiet activities. Make sure your child has opportunities to be imaginative and creative and to take part in games and projects that help all the children enjoy each other's company.
Licensing Requirements
Licensing requirements provide a foundation upon which high quality child care can be built. Although a licence is not itself a guarantee of high quality care, it does ensure that some of the basic requirements for quality were being met when the licensi ng inspection was carried out.
These requirements have been developed to protect the health and safety of children. They also relate to a number of characteristics of high quality care including adult-to-child ratios and group sizes, caregiver training, the physical setting and program planning.
In a child care centre, the licence is posted where parents and visitors can see it. A regular licence is displayed in white while a provisional licence is in yellow. A licensing poster and brochures are posted near every entrance. If the poster shows that the centre has a provisional licence, an attachment in the brochure says what requirements of the Day Nurseries Act were not being met at the time of the licensing inspection.
In a home child care agency, the licence is displayed in white in the agency's office. If an agency has a provisional licence, any requirements not being met at the time of the licensing inspection are indicated on the licence.
In either case, when there is a provisional licence, parents should ask the direct or supervisor what is being done to meet requirements. Parents should also make sure they are satisfied with the answer they receive.
The Amount of Supervision
Research has shown that when caregivers are responsible for a small number of children, they provide higher quality care. Similarly, when children are in small groups they tend to receive higher quality care. The ideal number of children and group size changes according to the age of the children. In general, young children need more adult attention and small group sizes.
The relationship between the number of adults and children is called the adult-to-child ratio. Child care centres must maintain the adult-to-child ratios and group sizes set out in the Day Nurseries Act. For example, there must be a staff member for every five children 18 to 30 months of age or an adult-to-child ratio of 1:5. The maximum number of children of this age in a group is fifteen. The ratios and group sizes are different for children of different ages. Similarly, according to the Day Nurseries Act, home child care agencies must limit the number of children cared for by each provider.
Parent Involvement
Although licensing requirements can provide a foundation for quality, responsibility for recognizing and choosing high quality care rests with parents. In fact, the involvement of parents as active partners in their children's care helps to strengthen and maintain quality.
Strong partnerships between parents and caregivers are characterized by regular communication. Caregivers who provide high quality care share information with parents about their children's experiences in child care. They also make it possible for parents to express doubts or concerns. Parents who expect high quality care ask questions and provide caregivers with constructive feedback on a regular basis.
Research reveals that better child care is better for children. Learning how to recognize high quality care is a first step toward ensuring that your child receives the best possible care.
For copies of this information sheet or others in the Child Care Information Series, write to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, 7th Floor, Hepburn Block, Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1E9.
Child Care in Ontario...
The Ministry of Children and Youth Services licenses child care centres and home child care agencies under the Day Nurseries Act. Each child care centre and home child care agency is inspected at least once a year. A regular licence is issued when all licensing requirements are being met on the day of the licensing inspection. When one or more of the licensing requirements is not being met, the agency or centre is issued a provisional licence which gives the operator limited period of time to meet the requirements of the Act. A provisional licence does not mean that the children are unsafe or that the centre or agency is about to close. In fact, if the inspection reveals a threat to a child's health, safety or welfare, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services will take immediate action to ensure the well-being of the children in care.
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