How to look for quality childcare

Today we’re going to get advice on How to look for quality childcare, a topic that is on a lot of parents’ minds right now. 

As we know, the childcare sector has been devastated by the pandemic, with thousands of licensed childcare centers in California either permanently or temporarily closed during 2020.  

Now we're seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, and many families who had their kids at home with them over the last year are back to looking for quality childcare for their children. There are many factors to consider, from curriculum and programming to health and safety, communication styles, location, and so much more. I’m so glad that we were able to speak with two experts on the matter for this episode:  

Alison Michel-Hall, Senior Director of Education for Catalyst Family, and Heather Slimp, Program quality manager for Catalyst Kids. Please enjoy and be sure to get in touch with us to let us know your thoughts on the episode and any follow-up questions you might have! You can reach us at shinepodcast@catalystfamily.org. 

Resources:

·         Childcare.gov— https://childcare.gov/consumer-education/choosing-quality-childcare  (five steps to choosing care, selecting a program and visiting, Child care Quality Rating QRIS, and more….) 

·         Childcareaware.org— https://www.childcareaware.org/families/choosing-quality-child-care/ (several resources to guide you in your center visit, choosing a program if your child has special needs and a list for infant/toddler as well as school-age)

·         NAEYC also has a resource https://families.naeyc.org/what-to-look-for-in-a-program (also organized by specific age groups)