Finding the right childcare centre can be overwhelming for parents, especially those sending their child to daycare for the first time. With so many options available, it’s essential to know what to look for in a facility that will best meet your child’s and your family’s needs. In this blog, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide you can follow when choosing the ideal childcare centre for your little one.
Your Guide to Finding the Right Childcare Centre
Determine Priorities
Before starting your search, it’s important to identify what matters most to you and your family regarding childcare. Consider factors such as location, hours of operation, educational philosophy, and cost. Understanding your priorities will help you narrow the list of potential centres and make the decision-making process easier.
Conduct Research
Finding the right childcare centre requires thorough research. Consider only those centres that will work for you and your family based on your priorities.
Here are three ways you can find available childcare centres in your area:
- Local council – They will have a list of businesses, including childcare centres operating in the area.
- Word of mouth – Ask for recommendations from people you trust.
- Online – Childcare centres usually have websites or social media pages. Check their information and reviews.
Once you have potential centres in mind, gather information about their programs, schedules, fees, and accreditation.
Schedule a Tour
Visiting the facility in person allows you to observe its atmosphere and environment. During the tour, you should check the cleanliness of the facility, their classrooms, the tools they use, the ratio of teachers to children and their interactions.
At Amaze, we have indoor and outdoor play spaces designed to fulfil the ideals of the Early Years Learning Framework. We take pride in our internationally inspired outdoor classrooms that offer sensory-rich environments, inspired landscaping, areas for running and playing and many more.
In-person visits are the best opportunity to ask questions about the centre’s policies, practices, and emergency procedures.
Check Educator/Staff Qualifications
Enquire about the qualifications of teachers and their experience working with children of various age groups. Choose centres with teachers who hold degrees in early childhood education. Amaze has university-qualified early childhood teachers in the preschool class every day.
Consider the Program / Philosophy
Every centre has its philosophy and way of approaching early childhood education. Finding a centre whose philosophy aligns with your values and beliefs is important. Speak with the centre’s director about their programme and how they structure their day. Do they focus on play-based learning, structured activities, or a combination of both? Make sure the centre’s curriculum works for you and your child.
Amaze offers an approved Queensland Government Kindergarten Program facilitated by a Bachelor trained teacher. Children will learn phonetics, pre-literacy, pre-numeracy and social skills. We also strongly believe that children learn best through playing. Hence, we adopt an Adventure Play Philosophy.
Finding The Right Childcare Centre: Trust Your Gut Feeling
Research is fundamental in choosing the childcare centre to which you will entrust your children, but above all, pay close attention to your intuition. If something feels off or you need to be more comfortable with the centre’s policies or practices, there may be a better fit for you and your child.
On the other hand, if all your research checks in and feels right, trust that feeling and move forward with enroling your child. With the right childcare centre, you can have peace of mind knowing that your child is in safe and nurturing hands. If you want to book a tour, please feel free to get in touch with us.
