Ten Components of Quality Child Care

Ten Components of Quality Child Care Order Description The following component descriptions are adapted from Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Early Childhood Programs, by Sue Bredekamp and Carol Copple. A quality child care program includes all of the following components: 1. Licensed programs follow appropriate health and safety practices. Licensing ensures that basic health and safety requirements have been met. Quality child care settings for young children have separate areas for food preparation and diapering and toileting, detailed procedures for emergencies, policies for addressing illnesses, nutritious meals and snacks, collaboration with community health and safety resources, and frequent hand-washing by caregivers and children to minimize the transfer of infections. To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), all healthy infants are placed on their backs to sleep. 2. The staff is well trained in early childhood development. The strongest indicators for long-term success tied to early education and care are related to the caregiver’s education and level of participation in ongoing training in the field of early childhood development and care. Competent staff is considered the most critical factor contributing to the social environment in which children learn best. Caregivers should apply their knowledge of early childhood and use curricula and materials to plan appropriate activities and provide responsive care giving. Caregivers should also use routines to promote learning and look for opportunities to have meaningful conversations and interactions with children. 3. The center’s environments are age-appropriate. Learning is an interactive process that involves continuous opportunities for exploration and interactions. Infants and toddlers should have age-appropriate equipment and both inside and outside spaces that are separate from older children. Room arrangements should allow for quiet and active play, dramatic and messy play, large-group activities, and individual care. Multiple sets of the same toys help prevent conflicts. Toys and books should be available for access at the child’s level to promote independent choosing and use. High-quality programs arrange their classrooms based on the facilitation of learning by young children, rather than on the preferences of caregivers. 4. Small groups with optimal ratios promote learning. Group size and ratios determine the amount of time and attention that each caregiver can devote to each child. Small groups create a sense of intimacy and safety. A rich dialogue between caregivers and infants is possible in small groups because there are fewer individuals, less noise, and less activity to interfere with a child’s ability to learn. Small groups and more staff enable caregivers to build strong relationships with each child and to adapt activities to meet the changing interests and needs of the group. The recommended group size for infants is six to eight. The best adult-to-child ratio is one adult for every three or four infants. 5. Primary caregivers offer continuity of care. Relationships between caregivers and children are crucial in quality child care. It’s through close relationships with caring adults (including caregivers) that children flourish, discover their world, and learn who they are. Each child enrolled in group care should be assigned a primary caregiver. A primary caregiver has the principal responsibility for that child and helps build a positive, constant, intimate relationship with the child. The primary caregiver also offers family members a consistent contact who knows the child well. Having one primary caregiver for more than a year (optimally, from entry into child care until the child is three years of age or older) is important to a child’s emotional development. Each change from one caregiver to another takes a toll on the child. When young children are repeatedly changed from one caregiver to another, the process of grieving the loss of the previous caregiver and learning the new caregiver’s ways may slow their overall development and leave them reluctant to form new relationships. 6. Active and responsive care supports children’s development. The active and responsive caregiver takes cues from each child to know when to expand on the child’s initiative, when to guide, when to teach, and when to intervene. Responsive caregivers are alert to signs of stress in each child’s behavior and respond with appropriate stress-reducing activities and techniques. The responsive caregiver continuously facilitates the development of self-esteem by respecting and accepting children, regardless of their behavior. 7. Caregivers support emerging language development and literacy. The path to literacy begins with verbal interactions between caregivers and young children. Caregivers expand on the sounds made by infants and toddlers and add words and ideas to what very young children express, feel, or say. They promote the development of language through the use of simple words and maintain a balance between listening and talking with the child. Staff members create a learning environment that includes books and other print material throughout the center. Opportunities for shared reading time are a part of each day and children are encouraged to enjoy books independently. The use of songs, nursery rhymes, and finger plays provide a context to promote the development of language and literacy. 8. Curriculum, observation, and individualized programming support choice, preferences, and developmental needs. Learning is an interactive process with activities, materials, and opportunities for exploration and interaction. Quality programs use curricular resources to plan and prepare an environment where children can choose from a variety of activities. Caregivers also understand the temperaments, moods, and preferences of each child and adapt their care to meet individual needs. This means that young children play, eat, and sleep according to predictable routines, rather than a forced, rigid schedule. Special abilities, as well as disabilities, are continuously discovered as caregivers routinely observe and assess each child. Based on curriculum and observations, caregivers develop an overall plan for each day, individualizing activities, materials, and schedules according to the developmental stage of each child. 9. Caregivers encourage family involvement and cultural continuity. High-quality programs incorporate practices reflecting the values and beliefs of the families and the cultures of their communities. Using the child’s home language, following cultural norms related to daily routines, and celebrating diverse cultures are examples of such practices. Caregivers should communicate each day with families, welcome parents into their child’s classroom, and organize special events that include the child’s family members. 10. The center offers comprehensive support services with multidisciplinary teams. High-quality child care serves as a protective environment for the child and a source of support for the child’s family. Because child care can’t meet all the varied needs of young children and their families, linkages with community agencies are essential to provide a medical home, mental health and social services, and therapeutic interventions. Ongoing communication can ensure continuity of care across multiple services and promote holistic support services and treatment. PART 1: CHECKLIST Child Care Center Checklist 1. Tour of the Center: The Inside Required by the State Is the license displayed in a visible location? Yes r No r Are separate spaces available for the different age groups? Yes r No r Is the quantity of toys and materials sufficient for the number of children in the classroom? Yes r No r Are the toys and materials developmentally appropriate for the different age groups? Yes r No r Is the classroom arranged in a way that toys and materials are accessible to children? Yes r No r Are the furnishings in the classrooms child-sized? Yes r No r Are there obvious hazards such as dangerous substances, electrical cords, uncovered electrical outlets, cleaning materials, or medications accessible to the children? Yes r No r Are fire extinguishers on site? Yes r No r Are fire escape plans and emergency evacuation plans posted? Yes r No r Are the sinks and bathroom stocked with appropriate supplies? Yes r No r Not Required by the State Is your initial reaction upon entering the child care center a positive one? Yes r No r Is there space for active play and other space available where quiet play may take place? Yes r No r 2. Tour the Center: The Outside Required by the State Do the children have an opportunity to play outside each day? Yes r No r Is the outside area free of litter and obvious hazards such as broken glass? Yes r No r Are there a variety of outside equipment/toys available and appropriate for various ages? Yes r No r Is the outdoor play equipment sturdy and in good repair? Yes r No r Are children being supervised by the child care provider? Yes r No r Is there shade available outside where the children play? Yes r No r Do children two years and younger play separately from the older children? Yes r No r Not Required by the State Are the child care providers interacting with the children? Yes r No r Does the center encourage use of the outside area for learning activities as well as free play? Yes r No r 3. Interaction among Staff, Children, and Parents Required by the State Is the schedule of daily activities posted and current? Yes r No r Do there seem to be enough caregivers for the number of children in the room? (You may need to ask about staff/child ratios) Yes r No r Are the activities observed appropriate for the ages of the children involved? Yes r No r Do the child care providers follow hand-washing procedures after diapering/toileting? Yes r No r Not Required by the State Are children allowed to make choices throughout the day? Yes r No r Do the children seem occupied and engaged by their activities? Yes r No r Are the child care providers handling conflict among the children in a positive manner? Yes r No r Do the child care providers seem patient and receptive to the needs of children? Yes r No r Is there a daily method of communication between the child care providers and parents? Yes r No r If you were a child, would you want to spend your day at this center? Yes r No r 4. Operational and Policy Required by the State Does the center encourage parents to drop in and visit at any time? Yes r No r Does the facility serve nutritious meals and snacks? Yes r No r Is there a current weekly menu posted in a visible location? Yes r No r Not Required by the State Are parents encouraged to participate and be involved? Yes r No r Does the facility enroll children with special needs? Yes r No r Are there child care providers with additional training for special-needs children? Yes r No r Does the center participate in the subsidized child care program? Yes r No r Do the hours of operation and holiday schedule accommodate your work schedule? Yes r No r Does the facility charge when a child is out sick or on vacation? Yes r No r Is there a late pick-up fee? Yes r No r Does the cost of care include meals and snacks? Yes r No r Does the facility offer transportation? Yes r No r Do all staff have current CPR and first-aid certification? Yes r No r 5. Additional Questions To Ask Not Required by the State How much TV are the children allowed to watch? How are children disciplined? Are you comfortable with the discipline methods? How are nap times handled? What kind of security measures are in place to assure the safety of the children? What’s the center’s policy for sick-child care? What’s the center’s policy for administering medications? Are there any additional activities (e.g., music, dance) available and, if so, are costs included in the weekly fee? What are the program’s staff-to-child ratios? Do any employees on staff have degrees in child development or education? PART 2: SUMMARY Write a narrative summary of your findings. After completing the Child Care Center Checklist at your field placement site, carefully review your findings, as well as any notes you made, and then write a summary in a 3–5 page essay. Evaluate each of the following areas in a separate paragraph: • The inside • The outside • Interaction among staff, children, and parents • Operational policy Begin each paragraph by indicating how well the center met the areas required by the state, then provide an explanation for any of the items for which you’ve checked “No.” Next, answer all the questions related to areas not required by the state. When you’ve done this for each of the four areas indicated, answer all of the “additional questions to ask” on the checklist. Finally, provide an opinion based on your evaluations as to whether this center provides quality care and offer at least two suggestions for improvement based on your checklist findings.