Baby Health Care – Baby care center

What Child Care Options are Available in Phoenix?

Phoenix, AZ boasts a large, diverse population, and it strives to meet the needs of that population. A need in any area is care for the children, particularly during working times when both parents are unavailable. Because of this, Phoenix child care options are as diverse as its people.

Child care is available for all ages, from six weeks of age on up. Parents have a variety of choices. One is to place their child in a traditional child care institutional setting. Here qualified teachers will care for their children in an age appropriate setting, with a reasonable staff to child ratio. Such facilities maintain a classroom setting and structured daily schedule very close to what the child will encounter when entering Kindergarten.

An institutional style pre-school is also available, solely for children of preschool age (three and four year olds). There are two types, traditional and Montessori. In a traditional setting, the focus is on preparing the child to enter school, and the situation is very much like Kindergarten will be. The children follow a schedule, and begin basic work on pre-reading and math skills. Much of this is done in a manner similar to that of a classroom, with much of the learning done on paper, and generally one or two adults to fourteen or fifteen children.

Montessori schools are a bit different. Classes are generally smaller in size, and the focus shifts a bit from the norm to a more hands-on approach; children learn school skills in much the same way they learned in their toddler years. Classrooms are divided into activity areas, and the children move in small groups from center to center completing small tasks. For example, children learn to count and add not by looking at numbers on paper, but by being given a bowl of beans and spooning them from one cup to another as they count. Felt boards or letter peg games are used to teach spelling, and generally there are plants and/or animals in the rooms to teach the children how other species live and grow.

For those who don’t choose to place their children in an institutional setting, several in-home daycares are available. These are people who have elected to open their homes to children, making them part of their daily life and placing them in a setting very close to what they would have in their own home. Costs for these daycares are often lower than those of institutions, and there are often a fewer number of children present; however, unless they specify otherwise, one person is usually responsible for a large range in age, from infant on up. These will often offer before and after school care as well.

Should a parent prefer to have their child(ren) cared for in their own home, they are given the option of either hiring a nanny (think Mary Poppins) or an au pair. A nanny may be hired either independently or through an agency, and may live in the home or commute from their own home daily. They are, in essence, a contracted baby-sitter, and costs for these are usually higher than an institution. An au pair is a student, generally from another country, who comes to live with a host family while attending school. They are given room and board and a small allowance in exchange for a set number of hours of childcare a week, as well as assistance with housework and other chores. In home care is more expensive than out of home; however, the benefits to the child are innumerable.

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Finding a Five Star Daycare Provider

Years ago, simply asking a friend who “sat” for them was as easy as picking up the phone. Or you might find an advertisement in the local newspaper. But with daycare centers springing up like daisies, the choices are far and wide. But finding the right day care provider to suit you need not be an insurmountable task. References from friends are still a great way to locate one that has been proven to be reputable. The internet is also a great resource, there are web sites posted by entrepreneurial daycare providers which will have information on their qualifications and licensing, etc. Local newspaper classifieds will have ads run by smaller family type childcare providers, and your local chapter of CCR&R (Child Care Resource and Referral) is a free service that provides counselors you can speak with who will assist you in locating a childcare provider, based on your zip code.

After you determine what type of daycare you need, be it in-home, drop-in or full time daycare center supervision, there are several guidelines to follow. A checklist should include the following information, as well as obtaining references and visiting the facility.

Does the provider or center have enough supervision; are the children supervised even when they are sleeping How many caregivers are there at all times (For babies, there should ideally be a two to one ratio.) Are the providers trained in first aid and rescue breathing Are the children within a caregiver’s sight when they are with another caregiver Have the caregivers had background checks

Is the director and teachers qualified to run a daycare facility with bachelor’s degrees in a child related field Has the staff worked in child care for at least one year (for teachers) or longer (two years for directors) Is the licensing up to date Does the staff show a genuine love for children or is this just a job

Is there a common bathroom available for older children to use to wash their hands, before and after toileting and before meals Are the diapering areas clean and the diapers disposed of in a proper manner Are the other children kept up to date on their immunizations and are these records available as proof Are toxic materials locked away and poison information posted Are medications kept safely out of reach of children

There should be an emergency plan in place if a child gets hurt or lost; is there a first aid kit on the premises Do they practice fire drills and is there a program in place for disasters such as earthquake and tornado

Lastly, are the playgrounds and play areas kept clean and in good repair Is the sandbox clean, the playground surrounded by a fence Are the toys age-appropriate

This list may seem excessive at first, but a visit to the daycare center or family home can give you a quick overview of the surroundings, and the general questions you would ask would not make you the first parent to inquire of such. A concerned parent does whatever is necessary to ensure the safety and well being of their child, even if it means giving the daycare provider what seems like the third degree.

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What To Do If You Have Trouble Training Your Dog

While most dogs are agreeable to learning basic rules of obedience if started at a young age, every once in a while a dog and a master just won’t be able to come together to find a successful training routine. This can be extremely frustrating for both parties involved. Fortunately, there are many outside sources that can help with this.

The most popular are “doggie daycare” or “doggie boot camps”, pet care programs very similar to child daycares. At a dog daycare, dogs are paired with trainers for an hour or two each day and taught basic obedience; sit, come, don’t bite the nice salesman. Once the dogs have mastered that, more advanced training is often available. The focus here is not entirely on training, however. Day cares for dogs are intended to provide a safe, happy place for a dog to go while their owner is at work, and they allow the animals plenty of play time, often complete with canine playground, as well as an in-depth grooming regimen daily; they will clip the dog’s nails, clean their ears and eyes, bathe them and trim their coats when it is needed. More in-depth grooming options may be available; however, this varies by facility.

Doggie boot camp is becoming increasingly popular as a way to deal with animals that have simply refused to be trained. A group of professional trainers will work with your dog daily, for several hours a day, teaching them to obey basic commands. Each facility’s methods of doing this are different; some use punishment based techniques, while others use rewards and positive reinforcement. This may be a boarding program, where your dog goes to a separate facility for a length of time, sleeping there, or it may be done as a day school, where the owner drops the dog off in the morning and picks them up in the afternoon. Some programs work with the owners as well; you and your dog will have a session with the trainer in which they will teach you to teach your dog to listen, and how to work together without being frustrated.

Canine boot camp can seem like a gift from the heavens, but owners should be careful. Beware of programs that claim to give you a perfectly trained animal within a matter of days; while a dog may be able to learn a trick or two in that time, it is unlikely the training will stick with them once they have returned home. Observation of their training techniques is important as well; while results are important, excessive force should not be used.

Regardless of which program you decide to use, investigate the facility and the staff carefully. Confirm the credentials of the staff, and that they have been trained to handle any emergencies that may arise while your dog is in their care. Be sure that the facility is clean, of adequate size and does not possess any features which may be hazardous to the dogs. Each dog should have its separate space, with plenty of time allotted for feeding and rest, and an isolation area should be available for any animal who becomes uncontrollable.

Information on these programs can be obtained online, through your veterinarian, and through the SPCA.

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What Toys Are Necessary For Day Care?

Any day care is going to need to have on hand all the necessary equipment. This encompasses cribs, high chairs, booster seats, strollers, car seats and toys. The first five are fairly self explanatory, but what sorts of toys should you buy? The very nature of day care almost guarantees that you will have a children in all age groups, from infants on up, and while some toys easily cross age gaps, a majority will not.

Infants through about six months have very little mobility, and therefore will need toys that will stimulate them without frustrating them because of their inability to interact. Soft toys in bright colors that they can put in their mouth are an excellent choice, and if they should happen to make noise all the better. As infants will taste everything in their attempts to identify it, items with sharp corners, loose attachments (such as beads or eyes), or excessive amounts of hair (think stuffed dog) are better suited for older children. Providing colorful pictures for the child to look at while lying down or being changed will delight them, as will a colorful, patterned blanket for tummy time. Many bouncy seats provide a toy bar for the infant to stare at while seated, and allow for interaction as the child grows and learns to use their hands to reach for things.

From six months to a year children learn to use their hands to explore objects. Soft toys, books, and teething rings are a good choice. This is also a good age to bring out plastic keys, telephones, bathtub squirting toys (be sure they are dry, clean and free of mildew on the inside), rattles, and any other item the child can hold in their hand easily, so long as they do not possess small parts which may present a choking hazard. Soft balls the child can throw will please them, as they are still learning how to use their hands and are delighted by the cause and effect of seeing a ball fly after they throw it.

From one to two years, children are beginning to understand the concept of play. Toys with small parts or sharp edges should still be avoided, but this is the age where the toddler will truly begin to interact with a toy. Anything that makes noise will be enjoyed, whether it be a plastic piano, xylophone, or a bowl and spoon. Blocks they can stack and knock down are popular, although at this age many children have trouble with the concept of blocks that lock together. Plenty of picture books should be available, with sturdy pages (preferably board books) and large, colorful illustrations.

From two to four children begin to engage in imaginary play, learning how to play with other children. Toys that allow them to explore their creativity should be available-dolls and doll sized infant gear, large action figures, toy vehicles, play kitchens and food, and blocks that allow them to build buildings and vehicles are now appropriate. Balls, playground equipment (both inside and outside), ride-on toys and other such physical outlets will be necessary as well, as children this age often have a tremendous amount of energy. This is a good time to stock your art supplies as well, keeping crayons, watercolors, fingerpaints, washable markers and coloring books/paint paper on hand at all times. It will astonish you what those budding geniuses will produce given the proper supplies, and this is an excellent way to occupy them on a rainy day.

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Day Care 101 What is Day Care

Day care has come a long way since the temporary babysitting jobs of the 60’s and 70’s that paid fifty cents an hour for one child, maybe a quarter more an hour for two children. Neighboring teens made good babysitter candidates, as did children of friends or older family members. All that was required of the babysitter was to fix a dinner plate for the child, clean up afterwards and play with the child before tucking them into bed. Most of the sitting was done on Friday or Saturday nights allowing the parents to enjoy a night out. Today, day care means a whole lot more.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the last 10 years almost 65 percent of women with children six years old or younger were working outside the home. Especially in a single parent household, it is essential to have access to day care, if other alternatives such as relatives or grandparents, are not available. In a family where both the husband and wife work full time jobs, ongoing day care is sometimes the only choice.

There are several options available today. More corporate employers are adding on-site day care facilities, in-home providers are available, and full or part time day care centers are located in nearly every city large or small. Some centers only accept children ages birth to toddler, while others welcome children of any age. There is a growing trend toward “drop-in” child care, with facilities offering affordable short-term, high-quality care. Schools, gyms, rec centers and even churches are jumping on the child care bandwagon by offering such events as Parent Nights Out. Some communities are organizing child care co-ops. Nannies, also known as a child’s nurse are also an alternative, however, a more costly one as it involves full-time in-home care by a person who may or may not reside on the property.

Nannies can be male or female; however mannys are becoming popular. Families can choose the care that fits their changing needs a nanny for the newborn, drop-in care for the toddler, and an environment rich day care for preschoolers. Summer needs may differ from those during the school year and parents may switch programs to accommodate those needs.

Day care centers that are evolving into highly structured learning centers now offer a wider range of activities. Still available are simple arts and crafts projects, but the addition of early learning programs has been attributed to research showing a response to academics at an earlier age. Parents want their children to start developing skills that previously were not taught until much later. Add-on extracurricular activities such as gymnastics, ballet and martial arts are offered for an additional fee. The instructor comes to the center on a weekly basis providing on-site instruction, and this is especially beneficial to those parents who are short on time and cannot accommodate weekly lessons. Keeping parents up-to-date on the schedules and events was done by a simple newsletter; today many providers have websites which even include the weekly menus. You can also request an update on your child’s conduct, which is in turn emailed to you.

Communication between the provider and the parent is important, but early morning goodbyes can be difficult for younger children and keeping it short and sweet encourages a better day for both child and provider.

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