Childcare and Preschool: Finding The Right Fit For Your Child
By: Liz Fuss, Family Support Specialist, Child Care Network
I have talked with many parents and families who are looking for child care or preschool for their child. Often, it is the first time they have done this search and have a lot of questions:
- Where do I start?
- What kind of environment do they have?
- Are they a preschool?
- How do I know if it is right for me and my child?
My answer to that last question: you must know what you want for your child, and you must ask the potential provider questions.
On their website, Great Start to Quality has provided links to questions created by Child Care Aware based on thirty-eight research-based indicators of quality child care. These questions can be used during an in-person or phone interview and are organized into documents by the type of child care and preschool options available in Michigan:
- Center-based programs
- Family child care programs (home-based care)
- Preschool
- School-age programs
These questions were originally published in a document Child Care Aware of America released several years ago that I still refer to when talking with families. It is called “Is This The Right Place For My Child?” Families can adapt the questions to their own wants and needs and then use them for their interviews with potential providers.
The Great Start to Quality Finding Child Care page also includes the link to search for child care using Great Start to Quality and a video tutorial for how to use the search features.
