{"id":35287,"date":"2021-06-01T22:58:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-01T12:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/?p=35287"},"modified":"2021-11-15T17:45:34","modified_gmt":"2021-11-15T07:45:34","slug":"how-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/how-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child\/","title":{"rendered":"How to choose a quality child care service for your child"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are lots of different options when it comes to finding quality child care, so how do you know what will be right for your child and your family?<\/p>\n<p>Choosing a child care service is an important decision, and one that many parents lose sleep over. After all, you are entrusting your most precious possession (your child!) to the service, and you want them to benefit from quality early childhood education and care to help give them their best start in life. So how is a parent supposed to know what is a \u2018good service\u2019 and a good fit for their family? Well \u2013 good news &#8211; these tips from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\">Startingblocks.gov.au<\/a> can make the decision process a little easier.<\/p>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35288\" src=\"https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/How-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child.jpg\" alt=\"How to choose a quality child care service for your child\" width=\"999\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/How-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child.jpg 999w, https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/How-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/How-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child-88x59.jpg 88w, https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/How-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child-235x157.jpg 235w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px\" \/>How to get started to choose quality childcare<\/h2>\n<p>When it comes to child care it\u2019s like the old saying about comparing apples and oranges &#8211; not all early childhood education and care services are the same!<\/p>\n<p>When it\u2019s competitive to find a place, you might feel you\u2019ve reached a point of desperation and be tempted to take the first offer that comes in. We\u2019ve all been there! Some families might feel anxious about securing a spot by a certain date. So it\u2019s a great idea to start your research on local child care services early \u2013 even during your pregnancy &#8211; to ensure you are on the waiting lists.<\/p>\n<p>Your personal criteria are important to you as a family and should always be considered in your search for a service. Write down your \u2018non negotiables\u2019 and \u2018nice to haves\u2019 and use this list to further guide your selection.<\/p>\n<h2>Educate yourself about the National Quality Standard (NQS)<\/h2>\n<p>If child care is on your mind you need to know about the NQS. All approved childcare services are given a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\/find-child-care\/\">National Quality Standard<\/a> (NQS) rating \u2013 an independent assessment by government regulatory authorities across Australia.<\/p>\n<p>A service\u2019s overall NQS rating follows assessment against these seven approved quality areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Educational program practice<\/li>\n<li>Children\u2019s health and safety<\/li>\n<li>Physical environment<\/li>\n<li>Staffing arrangements<\/li>\n<li>Relationships with children<\/li>\n<li>Collaborative partnerships with families and communities<\/li>\n<li>Governance and leadership<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Of course, you\u2019ll want to know what a service\u2019s NQS rating is before enrolling your child \u2013 here\u2019s how! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\/find-child-care\/\">Startingblocks.gov.au<\/a> is a fantastic free government resource for parents to use to search for local child care services, and also to find out what their NQS ratings are. This can help you to decide which centres you want to book a tour with, put your child\u2019s name on the waiting list, or enrol.<\/p>\n<h2>What types of child care are available?<\/h2>\n<p>When choosing child care, it\u2019s important to understand the different types of early childhood education and care services operating under our National Quality Framework (NQF).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Long Day Care is<\/strong> the most common type of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\/at-child-care\/choosing-a-service\/\" class=\"broken_link\">child care option<\/a> (from 0-6 years). These centres are usually open from early in the morning to late in the evening.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Family Day Care<\/strong> is a smaller based operation with lower enrolment numbers due to the staff to child ratios. Family day care centres are often run within the provider\u2019s home, and as other child care services.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Preschool<\/strong> often runs within school hours to help transition children into a school based learning program and schedule.<\/p>\n<p>Make your decision based on what format will best suit your family and child\u2019s needs. If you\u2019re not sure start by considering the centre\u2019s operating hours, the amount of care you need, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\/other-resources\/factsheets\/educator-to-child-ratios-what-to-expect\/\">child to educator ratios<\/a> at the service and the age of your child.<\/p>\n<h2>How will I know what to ask when I visit a child care service?<\/h2>\n<p>Head back to our favourite child care resource, the StartingBlocks.gov.au website! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\/\">StartingBlocks.gov.au<\/a> have made a simple checklist of questions to consider asking when meeting with a potential child care service. Some of the questions you may want to include are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What hours do you operate?<\/li>\n<li>Do you close throughout the year and for how long?<\/li>\n<li>Will I be charged fees for public holidays and when my child is not there?<\/li>\n<li>Do you provide meals and nappies for children?<\/li>\n<li>What qualifications and experience do the staff have?<\/li>\n<li>How will I know that my child\u2019s learning and development will be encouraged?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What if I\u2019m not going to enrol my child in care?<\/h2>\n<p>There are resources available to you to encourage your child\u2019s learning and development in their early years at home.<\/p>\n<p>Early learning is an important part of every child\u2019s development. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\">Startingblocks.gov.au<\/a> shares <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\/at-home\/activities-you-can-do-at-home-with-your-child\/\">activities<\/a> such as reading, creating and playing that are all great ways to help your child grow and learn. There are lots of ways that you can shape your child\u2019s day, from creating a regular routine, to limiting screen time and modelling appropriate use of screens at home.<\/p>\n<p>If you can find a play group or mother\u2019s group to join, this is a great way to meet other families and allow children to play together and practice social skills. For more parent resources, click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Make the best decision for your child \u2013 and family!<\/h2>\n<p>Choosing child care can be a worrying time for any parent. Being informed and allowing yourself time to consider your option is key to getting the best result! Of course, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.startingblocks.gov.au\">StartingBlocks.gov.au<\/a> and you\u2019re sure to have the information you need right at your fingertips \u2013 with this great resource you can choose your child\u2019s care with confidence! Good luck!<\/p>\n<p>This is a sponsored post for StartingBlocks.gov.au<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advice on how to choose a quality child care service including the use of the National Quality Standard rating<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2001],"tags":[1272],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to choose a quality child care service for your child - Baby Hints and Tips<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Advice on how to choose a quality child care service including the understanding and utilising the National Quality Standard rating\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/how-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to choose a quality child care service for your child - Baby Hints and Tips\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Advice on how to choose a quality child care service including the understanding and utilising the National Quality Standard rating\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/how-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Baby Hints and Tips\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/babyhintsandtips\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-06-01T12:58:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-11-15T07:45:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/babyhintsandtips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/How-to-choose-a-quality-child-care-service-for-your-child.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"999\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Baby Hints &amp; 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