CHILD CARE

GOOD CAREGIVERS COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF CHILDREN Interested in children not money Behave responsibly Patience Understand physical, emotional, social, intellectual development

SAFETY FIRST Primary job- WATCHING CHILDREN ATTENTION to children Prepared activities to keep amused and happy

AWARE OF DIFFERENT AGES BABIES TODDLERS/PRESCHOOL SCHOOL-AGE What is age appropriate? What are basic care routines?

Classroom Environment Healthy Prevent spread of illnesses Hand washing! Nourished & well rested SAFETY Childproofed Policies & Procedures Child/Staff ratio

Age of Children Ratio Maximum Group Size Infant 1 staff for 5 children 10 Toddler 1 staff for 6 children 12 2 to 3 years 1 staff for 10 children 20 3 to 4 years 1 staff for 12 children 24 4 to 5 years 1 staff for 14 children 28 5 to 7 years 1 staff for 15 children 30 7 and older 1 staff for 25 children (for before and after school) 1 staff for 20 children (full day of care)

Environment cont. Child sized materials Daily schedule Chairs, tables, shelves, cubbies Promotes Independence allows success Daily schedule Routines Active/quiet play Small/large groups Small & Large Motor skills Teacher directed & children selected activities Allows time for Transitions

Is this Good or Bad??? 12:45-1:00 Arrival 1:00-1:15 Snack 1:15-1:45 Outdoor Play 1:45-2:30 Learning Centers 2:30-3:15 Small group activities 3:15-3:30 Large group Story 3:30-3:45 Large group music activity 3:45-4:00 Departure

LEARNING CENTERS Offer choices Hands-on experiences Blocks Science Math Music Art Active play Language arts Dramatic

Environment Cont. Promotes Positive Behavior Classroom rules- age appropriate Positive Reinforcement Guidelines/policies for handling situations Good role models

Evaluating Child Care Should have open door policy What are your hours? What is you pick up/drop off policy? What are your rates? Holidays? Do you have a daily schedule? What meals do you provide? What type of education do you provide? What is your discipline policy? How many children do you care for? Do you allow parent visits?

Creating Learning Centers Individually, you will create an activity/learning area of a child care center. -Sketch that area white paper - Describe the area: What are they learning? How is it fun? How is it promoting independent? -List of materials needed