Child Care Considerations - Family Situation
To narrow down your choices of child care settings, think carefully about your child’s needs and how they would best be satisfied in various environments. If your child has special needs your search for child care may be a little more involved and you will have several options to consider. Keep all these factors in mind as you look at a variety of child care situations:
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Does he do best in a small group or in a larger group with a lot of activity and contact with other children?
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Does your child have special scheduling needs, is she toilet-trained, does she need lots of room to run around?
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Does your child bond with others easily or handle separations well?
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Would your child benefit from having one provider vs. a group of teachers in her life?
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Has your child been in child care previously? What has worked well? What has been difficult?
Your choice of child care will depend not only upon the age and developmental stage of your child but also on your needs as a family. Think about your schedule, your financial constraints and the location of your workplace. If you need early drop-off times or late pick-ups, make sure you ask about the program’s hours and late fees. The more flexible your schedule, the more choices you will have.
