Advice from a Day Care Provider - Contd.

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN

Day Care Workers are all are trained in 1st aid and CPR. Trust that they know what they are doing and expect that a child might get a bruise, cut or scrape at some point. Some common accidents that happen at a Day Care might be: bloody noses from falling or dry air, scrapes or bumps from falling, or a paper cut. Some children will also fight and while Day Care workers do their best to prevent this, it can happen. The most common injury from another child is a bite-mark. It is a fact that children bite, especially toddlers because they are frustrated and often lack the verbal skills to express it properly.

Be assured, that Day Care workers know when to call 911 and that all incidents, no matter how minor, will be written up. The only time a parent should show concern is if the injuries are severe or appear in a pattern (from fingertips, patterns from a stove or iron, etc.) or if these injuries always occur with the same child or with the same staff each time.

DO’S AND DON’TS

Do not show up drunk or on drugs. Your child will not be sent home with you. And, yes, this has happened before.

Do let them know of changes: Is there a death? Divorce? Moving? Is a child sick? All these can influence a child's physical and emotional status. If a child is active but this week subdued and quiet but they know that his grandpa died then they know the reason and won't worry that it could be something else.

Do not get the Day Care involved in custody battles. Legally a parent has the right to take their child from the center unless there is a court order or restraining order prohibiting him or her from doing it. Do not come in and tell them "I'm mad at my ex so don't let him pick Joey up today". They cannot comply with that if Mr. Ex has a legal right to pick Joey up. If a confrontation in this manner exceeds our field or responsibilities they will call the cops to straighten it out. This is too traumatizing to your kids.

Do not "hang out" overly long. Spending a few minutes there talking to teachers or watching your child is okay, but limit it to 15 minutes. Hanging around the room too long interrupts the schedule and keeps the staff occupies with the parent and their attention of the child. If volunteering in the classroom then listen to what the staff is saying and adhere to their schedule. A volunteer is there for the children, not to socialize with the staff.

Do adhere to the policies of the Day Care. The policies were created to protect the Day Care and your child. Do not presume that they can be changed that anyone is exempt from the rules or policies. If there are issues with the policies then that Day Care should not have been chosen.

CONCLUSION

Day Cares want to provide the best care they can for children. Following these guidelines will ensure that. It does not take a lot of extra effort on the parent’s part but it can mean so much to the care of the children. Remember, a day care worker will have anywhere from 6 to 15 children depending on the ages of the children and they cannot give one-on-one attention to any child but must provide care for all of them.

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