Back to Parents @ Daycare Dayz
Daycare Dayz
for Parents
***Unedited by BPO staff
Looking for Quality Care for Infants
By
Lesia Oesterreich, Family Life Specialist
The "to do" list
can be long for families preparing for the arrival of a baby.
With the excitement of new clothes, cribs, toys and playpens,
it is easy to forget to plan for child care.
But if a mother expects
to go back to work after the birth, it is very important to start
making inquiries early in her pregnancy. A mother who has six
weeks of maternity leave will not want to wait until the child
is born to look for child care. Most infant care centers have
waiting lists.
A good place to begin looking
for child care is the local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency.
Ask them for a list of licensed or registered child care programs
in the area. These programs have met basic state requirements
for health and safety.
Many parents prefer a family
child care home for infants because they are looking for a home-like
atmosphere and small numbers of children. Others prefer center
care and a more structured program. Your decision will be based
on many obvious factors such as convenience or cost. However,
it is important to pay attention to those "gut-level"
feelings as well. Visit the child care centers you are interested
in, and if something doesn't feel right, keep looking.
You will want to visit
several programs to get a feel for the most comfortable atmosphere.
Look for the following qualities of infant care.
Infants need a warm, responsive caregiver who will help them feel
secure by tending to their cries. Feeling secure encourages infants
to try new things. Warning sign: Babies left crying for long periods
of time.
Infants should be held and cuddled during feeding. It is important
to their feeling of self-worth and security. Warning sign: Babies
propped up on pillows drinking bottles.
Babies should be moved regularly so they see new things. Warning
sign: Babies spending long periods of time in cribs, walkers,
play pens or high chairs.
Flexibility to accommodate a baby's natural schedule. Some babies
need to eat more frequently and some will sleep more. Warning
sign: Evidence of rigid or fixed eating and napping schedules.
Caregivers talk to the babies. Even though infants cannot understand
everything said to them, they will be learning many words in the
months to come. Warning sign: Very limited or no interaction between
caregiver and child during routine times such as diaper changing,
feeding, etc. No evidence of caregiver talking, singing, or playing
with child.
An environment rich with color and sound to stimulate the infant's
awareness of his or her world. Warning sign: Extremes of too much
color and sound that may overstimulate infants, or too little
color or sound for babies to look at or listen to.
Space for young infants to kick and wiggle and older babies to
practice crawling, pulling up, and walking. Warning sign: Rooms
filled with furniture leaving very little floor space for playing.
Lesia Oesterreich
Family Life Specialist
Iowa State University Extension
1105 Elm
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Phone: 515-294-0363
Email: x1oester@exnet.iastate.edu
|
