Is it safe to send babies to day care?

Answer 1

not always. I would try to avoid it if I could.

Answer 2

Even if the daycare seems great with good, caring staff that doesn't' always mean the teachers can get to babies right away. The babies can often be the last ones to get pick up especially if their in a crib they can be ignored. Some will cry for hours. There are some places where this doesn't happen but it's all about the teachers and the director of the school. Some places will also feed what they want to the babies and throw away breast milk if they feel it's causing problems, giving them formula instead without the parents permission.

Answer 3

hi,

In Austalia we have an excellent child care system, but i was shocked and horrorified about the american system (or there lack of). We have a national board that does accreditation on every centre every 2.5years. and if your not accredited you do not get goverment assistance for your fees.
So it may be wise to go in and ask if they have any form of accrediation or council or board that they are responcable to, this helps with the quality of care.

The best things is to go in and see the centre. Stay for an hour or so with your child and find out how the staff interact with your child, you and the other children. Observe if they are busy with paper work or if they sit and play and interact with the other children. The worst thing i have heard about this that the staff was too busy talking to the new parent and making a show for them that the other children were left unsupervised.

Also another thing is to talk to the manager or the person that is running the centre and ask them how they employ their staff, if they do police checks on their staff, etc.

The best thing to do when choosing a day care for your child is to use your gut! remember if you feel comfortable, your baby will fell comfortable to be left there.

Hope this has helped!

Answer 4

This depends, is the site licensed by the state? Do they have insurance and training in CPR & First Aid? How do they handle situations? ask, ask, ask, then observe! Make more than one visit! Take a deep breath, what does it smell like? What interactions are going on with the other children? Are there other infants? What is the child-adult ratio? Who will be taking care of your baby? Are there written daily notes for you, since your baby can't talk? How long have they been in business? Do they have an open door policy? Ask for references, both current and former. There are many things to consider when leaving your infant in daycare ~ whatever you want to call it. You won't be comfortable leaving your child in an unsafe atmosphere. There are many choices today for the working parent. Some offer on-line internet viewing of your child. I understand your delimma. Good luck in your choice!

Answer 5

I feel very uncomfortable with this idea although I understand it is a necessity for some parents. If you decide to go this route please investigate the facility carefully, use one that a friend recommends, visit the place often before making a final decision and get to know the people who work there. Check the cleanliness of the place and notice if the children there seem content. Speak with some of the parents who bring their babies to this particular day care center but if there is any way possible for you to do it take care of your little one yourself. I was a stay-at-home wife and mother until my kids became teen-agers, and I've never regretted this choice.

Answer 6

sadly, in the US 75% of day care offers poor quality care that can be harmful to a baby's development. as for the YMCA, hey, I visited one to observe. The babies ate beef stew, spooned onto there tray to eat w/ fingers. Babies left unsupervised in high chairs as the teacher left the area to get bibs. The center 'remedied' the situation by placing her in another class. And Childtime, a child was standing atop the high chair, the lady in my room said she does it all the time, and she wasn't the 'teacher' in the class, she had to be in there for her 1st half hour till the teacher came. Another chain had a schedule like this in the room, Opening: cook or an aide, infant aide came in at 7:30, lunch kids were watched by cook for 1/2 hour, new aide comes in, another aide shows up for the last half of day. easily 6 caregivers throughout the day, and turnover was high so new faces came every 6 months on average. And for the 'teacher' training, she was a mom who loved babies. Some child care training classes, that's it. And the ratios can be high, one center offered 1/4 ratio, in a room of 20 babies! the noise!! research, check licensing violations, ask, ask, ask. look at alternatives. and for home day care, who knows what goes on behind closed doors.

Answer 7

Choose like 5-6 places to look at. When you first walk into a place usually your first insticts will tell you if it is a good place or not. If it is positive stay and look around, ask questions. A few questions to ask: How often do they change diapers? What is child to teacher ratio? (for infants it should be a few to each teacher) Look to see how clean the room and children are in the classroom. Speak to other parents see how they feel about the school. A good school will let you sit in the class with your child to for a half day to let you observe. Good luck!!

Answer 8

It all depends on the day care/preschool you want to put your baby into. From my experience from working in a preschool they had babies up to age 5 in this school. Personally if I am a mother now I would not put my baby in a preschool even if I know it is a good and health place. I would rather take a break from work and allow my husband to work so I can spend time with our baby. Once my husband comes home from work he can spend time with our baby. I would suggest whatever you feel most comfortable with. If you need to go to work to support the family financially I would put the baby in the pre-school part day.

Answer 9

Definitly depends on the quality of care. First check if the center is licensed (a MUST) and preferably accreditted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). You can check their website to find accreddited centers in your area. Centers accredited by NAEYC must adhere to higher standards (degreed teachers, better child/teacher ratios, curriculum etc. etc.). If you live near a college or university check if they have child care centers. They are ususally directed by faculty.
Also follow your gut after you have a tour and orientation of the center of choice!
Good Luck!

Answer 10

it all depends on the day care. If you think its good than sure , but if you think its not well then dont bother. but for the most part putting a child in day care is a good thing because it lets them socialise and find out thier personality at a young age which is a must to know for in the future when they get older.

Answer 11

For the most part, yes. You have to research the individual centers, there are websites in each state that will allow you to see any violations the center has received in the past several years (check with your local department of social services to find out). Sometimes we don't get a choice, bills have to be paid so moms have to go to work. But personally I think it is best to try to hold off until your child is old enough to talk and let you know how his or her day went.