Signs of a Bad Daycare (Part-2)

The previous blog post spoke about a few of the probable dangers of daycare, caused unwittingly by untrained staffs.  The present post deals with some other aspects of a bad daycare you need to be aware of.

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Frequent change of staffs

Underpaid staffs are an unhappy lot, who just cannot put their heart and soul into their work. You cannot ask them if they are being underpaid, but you can easily guess it if they look grumpy, never smile and their communication with you and with the children is curt and abrupt. That translates probably into their bad treatment of children.

Daycare staffs are typically paid very little and often do not receive any benefits. This means that they do not hesitate to leave the daycare as and when they get a better job. A daycare where the staffs keep changing frequently is not good for your child.

Dirty environment

It is never easy to keep neat and tidy a daycare full of unruly kids. However, a basic requirement is to keep the daycare clean and well organized. Check to see if the food storage and preparation area is clean, that the staffs wash their hands and that the area is away from the toilets.

Is the temperature inside too hot or too cold? Is there enough light and ventilation? Is the equipment clean and well maintained? If any of these issues troubles you, the daycare may not be a safe or healthy place for your child.

Unlicensed daycare

Daycares must necessarily be licensed. You do have a right to ask to see the license, if it is not prominently displayed. Ensure that it is up to date and authentic. A license does not automatically guarantee quality but the absence of one does mean that several things are most likely to be wrong. If you have any doubts about the license you are shown, you can call your local social services department to check up on the daycare.

Appearance of children

Watch the children of the daycare as they pass by. If they do not look happy, or appear to be bored or low in spirits, something there is not right. This is not how you want your child to be in daycare.

These are all indicators of a bad daycare; there may be other problems too that could affect your child’s happiness, safety and wellbeing. However, remember that no daycare is going to be perfect in everyway.

To spend months trying to find the right daycare is usually not practical – you have work to do and your child needs the care facility sooner than later. As a parent, you need to make the right choices for your child.

Using an online service is one way of making the process easier and getting the best results in a short time; it will give you details of the daycares in your area along with all the necessary contact information. You will be to contact as many as you want to in a short time, make a shortlist of the best, and then visit them to make a decision. The time you save is enormous and the likelihood of finding the right daycare for your child increases exponentially.