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The decision to return to work is never an easy one, especially when the child is still an infant. There is so much to be considered. After all, infant care is very different from what you’d expect in toddler or preschool care, and well it should be. As any parent knows, babies have many more needs.

So what should parents look for when selecting infant care?

* A caregiver who is loving, warm, and who openly demonstrates affection through cuddling, touching and playing with a child. She also holds the baby during feedings.
* A setting that in which there are no more than 3 infants to one adult and a group setting of no more than six children. In home daycare there should be no more than two children under that age of two.
* An environment that is safe, clean, bright, cheerful, and has plenty of space for a child to crawl, roll, and explore his world. The infant area should be segregated from the toddler or preschool area in center-based care. Diapering areas should be away from any eating or playing areas. And, there should be a good assortment of learning materials geared to the ever-evolving infant.
* A schedule that is based on each baby’s own schedule for eating, playing and napping. Rigid or fixed schedules are not good for infant care.
* A communication system that lets you know how your baby slept, ate, and what type of bowel movement she had for the day and where the caregiver takes the time to talk with you each day about your baby.
* Finally, you want a caregiver who will help you and your family adjust to the care by allowing your child to bring his own security blanket or toy to the facility, and will encourage you to come a little early or stay as long as you need to to feel comfortable separating from your child and vise versa.

From: Selecting Infant Care, by Catherine Pruissen.

Knowing what your child will be doing all day at the daycare centre or home is important for a number of reasons. First, it helps you select the type of care that will best suit your child’s temperament and abilities; and second, it gives you peace of mind knowing your child will be developing a strong mind, body and spirit, rather than simply loafing around all day.

A good program, or list of activities the children will be involved in on a daily basis should include:

* active play that allows the children freedom to move about, to exercise
* quiet activities such as story time, working on puzzles, viewing a quality television program and looking at books that give children a break from the hustle and bustle of life in the daycare
* outdoor play that gives children the fresh air and sunshine they need for their health, while at the same time helping them develop their large muscles
* and indoor play, like music, arts and crafts or cooking.

These activities should be combined with the list below in order for a child to grow in all areas of his or her development.

Child Initiated Activities

Free play, where a child is allowed to play with whatever and whomever he or she chooses, is an example of a child-initiated activity. Others might include allowing a child to choose between a few activities set up in the playroom, or simply letting the children pick what they would like to do on certain occasions. This encourages independence and fosters decision-making.

Caregiver Initiated Activities

Certain activities must be planned and carried out by the caregiver. These might include more difficult art activities, music, field trips, meal preparation, etc.

Group Activities

It is important for children to learn to get along with other children. Large group activities are the perfect setting for social development as they allow children to interact with their peers, to share stories, ideas, happy and sad thoughts.

Small Group or Individual Activities

To build solid, trusting relationships children need individual attention or time in small group settings. They also need time to play by themselves. Self-concept is an important part of a child’s overall development.

Nap and/or Rest Time

Young children need a time period each day of around 1-2 hours so they can nap or rest. Children who are not nappers should be allowed to play quietly after they have rested for at least 1/2 hour.

A well thought out program gives children the security of daily routine – something by which they can set their internal clock. In fact, some children cannot function unless everything is done at the same time, in precisely the same way every day. Centre or home programs should be posted on a weekly or monthly basis to give parents an opportunity to see what their child will be doing on any given day, or to give the provider/centre additional ideas or feedback, for future scheduling.

If a parent has their child in a home where there is no program, he or she should spend time visiting the home to see if the children are learning through play or if they are aimlessly drifting about. If the latter is the case, a parent must discuss the situation with the caregiver and perhaps help her to set up a program. A child will learn little in a home where he or she is left to his or her own devises day in and day out. By the same token a program that allows little time for child-initiated activities or free play may be too stressful.

Welcome to the first special of our “Getting to know you…” series. Throughout the next few weeks we’ll introduce you to the many child care agencies, organizations and related services who can help you with your child care needs and concerns.

The fact is, there are many services available to asssit parents, caregivers and employers. Most are as close as your computer or your telephone.

RESOURCE & REFERRAL AGENCIES

In today’s worrisome state it is vitally important parents realize they do not have to go it alone when it comes to finding quality child care. There are many services available to support and guide them through a trying, often frightening time.

Manning the front lines of this support system are Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies or Community Information Services. Local resource and referral agencies:

* Promote consumer education and parental choice through consultation, information and referral of parents to All forms of child care and early education services
* Maintain data on child care supply and demand in local communities
* Provide support and training to early childhood teachers and family day care providers
* Work to expand supply and build the quality of all early childhood/child care programs
* Leverage resources through public/private partnerships to provide access to care for parents.

To find the Child Care Resource and Referral Agency in your province of state, visit our Child Care Registry. We’ve done the research so you don’t have to!

IN CANADA

Unlike the U.S., Canada does not have a national system for resource and referral services. “The point of access for many parents”, says Peter Ashmore, of Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre in Vancouver, “is through the provincial Ministry of Social Services, Health Units, or whichever office is involved with licensing and subsidy.”

Ashmore notes that the Yellow Pages is the logical place to look for resource and referral services, but points out that these services are often disguised as Community Information Services because they do so much more for parents than just resource and referral.

IN THE UNITED STATES

In the United States, where there are approximately eight million children in some form of child care (compared to three million in Canada), The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, has some 400 local community-based members. There are also State-wide CCR&R Networks.

Child Care Aware

Child Care Aware™ is a NACCRRA program funded through a cooperative agreement with the Child Care Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Aware was created by NACCRRA in 1988 with support from the Dayton Hudson Foundation and the Dayton Hudson Family of Stores. The national, toll free parent information hotline was first established in 1992.

Since then, Child Care Aware has become a steady national resource, consistently used in print media, parenting books and publications, television programs, and national public awareness campaigns on child care and related early childhood services and programs. All of Child Care Aware’s information distribution channels (print, phone, web, email) are bilingual in English and Spanish.

Today, new parents know the number and start their search for child care by calling 1.800.424.2246.

NACCRRA is a membership organization of almost 700 community-based child care resource and referral (CCR&R) programs from every state in the United States, some provinces in Canada, and in Great Britain. NACCRRA’s mission is to provide vision, leadership, and support to community child care resource and referral and to promote national policies and partnerships committed to the development and learning of all children.

Quality child care can make a big difference in your child’s life, as it gives your child ahead start on a strong mind, body and spirit. Begin your search with your local resource and referral agency. They know a lot about local choices, and can save you a lot of time. “

Currently across the United States and Canada, school-age child care is a patchwork of programs run by community groups, parents, school boards, associations, and recreation programs. Quality is as varied as the number of programs. Availability is also a problem resulting in a grave shortage of care options for children aged 5-12 or simply falling short of meeting the needs of children and their parents.

There are an estimated 2 million children in the U.S. who look after themselves both before and after school. “Surveys in some communities find that as many as 25% of all six to 12 year olds are on their own for some part of the day. The percentages are much higher for children over the age of nine or ten.” Says the Child Care Action Campaign, in their Information Guide 15, School-Age Child Care.

Canadian children fair no better. Research conducted by the Policy Research Centre on Children, Youth and Families on school-age child care (1993), found that Canada’s lack of an integrated, planned system for this type of child care was creating a hardship on parents and children.

School-Age Child Care Differences

School-age child care differs in many respects from that of pre-school care, though the need for stimulating activities and opportunities for quiet times, contact with attentive and caring adults, as well as a need to feel safe and to socialize with peers exist for this group as well. In their Vision Statement for Healthy School-age Children: An Agenda for Healthy Communities, the Policy Research Centre notes that: “During their school-age years, CHILDREN need opportunities to:

* Develop significant friendships
* Acquire new skills and interests
* Express creativity and imagination
* Be increasingly independent and responsible
* Be fit, well nourished, safe and healthy
* Explore both the natural world and the community in which they live.”

A Good Program

A good school-age program is designed to meet the developmental needs of older children. In addition to the basics of nutritional snacks and a caring environment, “There should be enough equipment, toys and games for outdoor and indoor activities for all the children. There should be access to community resources such as ice-skating, swimming, libraries, youth organizations and centres.” Says the CCAC.

Such programs require trained staff capable of working with large groups of independent-minded children as well as with the individual child. Here, like the shortage of programs themselves, recruiting and retaining qualified staff is an ongoing concern. While the majority of supervisors have an ECE diploma, a substantial number of caregivers possess little child care training specific to the needs of school-aged children.

Locating accessible, affordable, safe and caring after-school care programs for children is not always easy. To find out more, CCAC recommends talking with other parents about their arrangements for older children; contacting a local Child Care Resource and Referral and/or child care licensing agencies; civic organizations (i.e. Boys and Girls Clubs, women’s organizations, National Counsel of Jewish Women) and checking with the teacher and principal at your child’s school for programs in their area.

The National Statement On Quality Child Care outlines the seven most important areas parents should be concerned about:

1. Caregivers qualifications
2. Child development
3. Group size and ratios
4. Health and nutrition
5. Safety
6. Parent,caregiver relations, and
7. Partnership.

(1) Caregiver Qualifications

Caregivers qualifications play an important role in the quality of care a child receives. Many provincial and state licensing boarders are mandating that all caregivers in center-based care have some formal early childhood education. Directors must be certified.

Parents, when checking out the various centers should always ask about the qualifications of the staff, the center’s commitment to continued education through a combination of training courses and seminars and, if not clearly posted, ask to see a director’s diploma or education certificate.

While a family daycare provider is not required to posses any formal child care training, they, like other providers should demonstrate a genuine interest in both the children and their family, and show a desire to learn more about their profession through books, videos, and training courses.

Beside the formal training, a provider should be capable of outwardly expressing affection to the children in her care, and should be happy in her work.

(2) Child Development

Child development involves physical, social, intellectual and emotional learning. A quality program offers children a variety of activities and play materials that foster all these skills. It provides ample space for activity play, has an abundance of age appropriate toys and child size equipment, and has a quiet area of individual play.

In a quality program children are given a daily balance between indoor and outdoor play, active and quiet times, group and individual activities, an opportunity to initiate activities, and a daily routine they can become familiar with and anticipate. Parents are encouraged to review the daily and weekly schedules of the centers they are contemplating to see if their child will fit in comfortably with routines and the activities.

A child who is receiving quality care will demonstrate this by the amount of artwork he or she brings home. As well, they will show an enthusiasm for going to the place of care and be happy and playing contentedly when the parent arrives to pick them up. As well cared for a child will thrive within unyielding zest for life.

(3) Group Size and Child/Staff Ratios

Group size and staff / child ratios play a very big role in the provision of quality care, and yet very few parents understand or are even aware of this. While most states and provinces place restrictions on the number of children one provider can care for, for instance there must be two caregivers for a group of six infants, a ratio of 1 caregiver to three infants, (1:3), or one caregiver to a room of 12, two year olds, (1:12), still many give no quotas on the size of a class occupying any one room.

Studies prove that children learn more and socialize better in small group settings where the caregiver can provide them with more personal attention and caring. A room of 12, two year olds do much better in their overall development with only one caregiver, than a room of 24, two year olds and two caregivers. The reason smaller groups offer individualized attention, a closer relationship among peers, and a better co-operation level within the group.

Parents, when interviewing a center or day home for care, should inquire about the ratio levels and should check these levels against those required by the licensing board. A care facility that provides a combination of higher staff/ child ratios and smaller group settings (that also allow for occasional large group activities) are likely to provide a better quality of child care.

(4) Health & Nutrition

Health And Nutrition are the backbone to wellness. Parents would be well advised to pay close attention to the health practices of any center or day home they are considering. Handwashing, separate diaper changing areas, sick room, the overall cleanliness of the staff and the facility are the most important factors in minimizing the risk of infectious diseases spreading among the other children and adults in the facility. And as hard as it is on the parent, isolating a child with a communicable disease such as the measles or chicken-pox (sending the child home until the contamination period is over) helps to reduce the spread of the disease. Parents should inquire about a caregiver’s policy about such matters.

A quality child care program will involve community health practitioners such as periodic visits from a public health nurse or dental hygienist. These facilities keep up to date health records and require written permission before any medication is administered. They also pay close attention to the federal food guides and prepare nutritious meals, menus of which are posted weekly for parents to review. Parents may want to visit the home or center at meal time to see if the children are eating nutritiously prepared foods, and that meals are in small group settings where they can be properly supervised.

(5) Safety

The safety of each child should be priority of any child care provider. Caregivers should have written plans for emergencies and these should be clearly posted. The fire equipment should be functioning properly and they should know how to use such things as the fire extinguishers. As well stocked first aid kits should be easily accessible, and important telephone numbers posted by the telephone.

As well, parents should receive written notification of any injuries their child suffers from during any day of care.

(6) Parent / Caregiver Relationship

The parent and caregiver relationship must be one of mutual respect. Partners in the well being of the child they should discuss daily not only how the child is progressing, but how he or she is feeling, eating, and sleeping. Frequent parent, caregiver consultations will help to foster an understanding of each other views on such areas as discipline, religion personal philosophies and cultural background.

Parents must have the right to visit the center or day home at any time. A facility that does not allow parents to participate in their program, or for that matter does not encourage them to do so, is no place for any child. A provider of quality child care will not only allow parents to drop by at an time , but welcome their interest in and suggestions about ways to improve their program.

(7) Partnerships

Caregivers who are committed to providing the best possible child care realize they cannot do so alone and are involved with a number of provincial and or state offices, organizations and training institutions that compliment, through various resources, a caregiver’s qualifications and abilities.

Providers of quality care work hand in hand with the licensing board to maintain the minimum standard care. They are members of various child care organizations and exercise their membership. They conduct parent meetings to ensure their program is meeting the needs of the families in their care. They work with various community resources like libraries, schools, aboriginal peoples, and so on to help the children in their care lean more about the world around them and their role in that world.

Above all, quality child care provides a combination of all these things, and does so in an accessible and affordable way, involving children of any race and income level.

It’s an all too familiar situation. Your child care provider phones in sick, or quits without a moment’s notice. Your child becomes ill and they will not accept her at the daycare centre. Or, your family day home Mom has a bad case of the flu and cannot look after any children for a few days. What are you to do?

According to a study conducted by the Work and Family Institute (U.S.), in a typical three month period, 40 percent of all working parents experience some sort of breakdown in their child care arrangements. Recognizing the potential for such problems and establishing an alternate or backup care plan can save you a lot of stress and worry which can actually cause you to be less productive on the job.

Here are a few suggestions to help you establish backup child care arrangements.

* Discuss the situation with your family and see if any of your relatives can help you out in a pinch. You might want to be certain they will look after your child even if he or she is mildly ill.
* Talk to some of the stay-at-home Moms in your neighbourhood. Perhaps one of them can substitute on occasion.
* Look around for another family day home provider who can offer you assistance on a moment’s notice.
* Call your local child care resource and referral agency (listed in your Yellow Pages under child or day care) to obtain a list of caregivers who provide sick child care, last minute care, or even casual care.
* Talk to fellow employees about their backup arrangements. Perhaps you could share providers.
* Ask your regular provider if she can recommend a substitute.

Alternatives

Once your alternate arrangements are established, you should take the time to visit with the provider. This is important for a number of reasons.

* First, you don’t ever want to leave your child in the care of someone you are unfamiliar with. It is simply too upsetting for your child and too dangerous.
* Second, it gives you a chance to see how the provider gets along with the other children in her care and how well she cares for them. Even if your child is only in her care on occasion, you will want to feel comfortable with the arrangements. Your child’s safety and well-being must take precedence over any quickly-found arrangements, no matter how badly they are needed.
* It gives you and the provider a chance to get to know each other, to discuss child rearing techniques such as toilet training, discipline, manners and the likes. The better you communicate the better the provider can look after your child.

But what do you do if your provider calls you at work and tells you your child is ill and should be taken home, or that she herself is ill and unable to fulfill her duties for the day? What do you do then?

You should discuss the situation with your spouse and perhaps decide ahead of time who will take on the responsibility. Perhaps your mother or sister could pick up your child on these occasions. A child who is ill will feel much better with someone who loves them and will have the time to cuddle them.

These are definitely tough decisions to make but they are much easier to make now than when you are in a panic. Unfortunately there are no easy solutions to child care problems. Being prepared to handle the unexpectancies will make life easier though. So if you haven’t yet got one, now is the time to work out your backup plan.

Care for the Holidays

Finding care for your older children when school holidays roll around can be difficult, so grab your calendar, mark off the days you and your spouse will be home to care for the kids, then grab the phone book and contact your local YM/YWCA, Boys & Girls Club, 4H Cooperative Extensions, Parks Department, temporary child care agency, local daycare centre, or resource and referral agency to find out what programs they offer for the holidays, then decide which one will best suit your child. Perhaps you can share providers, find a qualified ECE or college student, or even bring your child to work with you.

Resources

The Daycare Alternative By Catherine M. Pruissen, CanDan Publishing Co., 1992
Choosing With Care By Brenda L. Sissons & Heather McDowall Black, Addison Wesley, 1991
The Daycare Handbook By Barbara Kaiser & Judy Sklar Rasminski, Little Brown & Co., 1991

It’s no secret that companies with the best human resource policies have the upper hand when it comes to recruiting top-notch employees. In fact, those business with family friendly work policies benefit the most when it comes to reducing the costs associated with dependent care responsibilities.

Too, family supportive companies have the advantage of employee loyalty (reduced turnover), allowing for a return on employee investment, which some companies estimate to be between $20,000 and $40,000, or an average of one-and-one half times the person’s annual salary, by the time the employee is fully trained and profiting the company.

In addition, employees who would normally waste time worrying about family and work issues are more productive on the job, and absenteeism, which costs Canadian employers approximately $1.3 billion a year, is reduced. It all effects a company’s bottom line.

Still there are many die-hard companies who believe it would be too expensive to develop family friendly workplace policies. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. There are many programs that would greatly assist parent employees, costing very little to implement. For example, going on line with a child care resource and referral or information service, giving employees the opportunity to tap into this valuable resource at any time, would be relatively painless to both finance and develop.

How Work Places Can Make It Easier

Certainly not every business can afford the costs associated with establishing an on-site or near-site child care centre, but they can, nevertheless, implement a number of other low cost family friendly programs. Lunch hour seminars, information and counseling services, and

* Flexible work arrangement where employees can arrange their shifts around family obligations, or to work from home part of the day;
* Job sharing options where two part-time employees perform one job;
* Enhanced parental leave policies allowing parents to stay home during their child’s first year;
* Making special arrangements with hospitals or emergency care services to accommodate their employees;
* Sponsoring after-school care or summer programs for older children;
* Working in partnership with local resource and referral agencies and the local government to upgrade the child care infrastructure in the community in which they operate and their employees live;
* Offering financial assistance with child care arrangements via discounts for employees at local centres, or by giving out vouchers to subsidize part of the cost; and so on.

It is often not until a company is about to lose one of its most valued employees or it realizes it is having trouble recruiting qualified employees that it begins to review its current workplace policies.

Employee Initiative

But the initiative for change can also come from employees who need help and take up their concerns with their employer. Often it is a matter of getting management to adjust its thinking on parental leave and time off for parents who need to deal with an unexpectedly ill child or a caregiver who just didn’t show up for work. Arranging a way for parents to bank extra hours to cover for these unexpectancies is one way to offset absenteeism costs.

Whatever the reasons for their inception, family friendly workplace policies have a positive effect on the lives of those parents who are fortunate enough to have access to them, and on the businesses who are smart enough to see the benefits such programs offer. After all, happy employees are productive employees. And productive employees can’t help but boost a company’s bottom line. Faced with this truth, parents are in a better position than ever to get their employer onside.

Employer Benefits

* Ability to recruit top-notch employees.
* Lower absenteeism and tardiness.
* Improved employee morale.
* Retainment of valued employees.
* Improved company image.
* Increased productivity.
* Ability to attract persons on leave back to work.

Employee Benefits

* Reduced stress and worry.
* Ability to remain with current employer.
* Feels more comfortable dealing with family concerns and dependent care arrangements.
* Greater access to professional help in dealing with family matters.
* Sees employer as caring organization rather than a place where guilt over dealing with family issues adds even more stress to an already overstressed lifestyle.