Quality Child Care Settings.

Among my assignments includes the researching and preparations of a presentation on quality child care settings.

A child care programme or otherwise known as nurseries, is set for babies/toddlers aged 0-3 years of age.
Among the criterias set out for reflection is understanding of the Regulations and Accreditation set out by the Education Board in our respective countries, in researching & creating what a quality child care setting is.

Think about how these criterias are met by your local childcare settings?

1) health & safety:
-How do the centre provide for the safety of your child?
-What kind of measures are taken that your child will not inadvertently hurt themselves?
-If the centre provides nappy changes, what measures are taken to ensure the health of both the childcare worker and the child?
-How & where are the meds & poisons (chemicals) kept?
- How does the centre provide/individualize meals for children with special medical conditions?
- Does the centre put up displays/ instructions to inform others on procedures that are to be takens during emergency situations?

2) conducive learning environments.
Does the learning coordinator/group leader provide a warm, quiet & trusting environment where the children come in with the knowledge that they trust the adult?

3) supportive interactions (child, staff, community).
How does the staff communicate interactions with?
Type of medium used: Message books, Classroom books, photographs, newsletters, e-mailing, parent-teacher conferences.

4) flexibility in routines and planning.
Does the teacher's planning flexible enough to include teaching based on their observations of the children to support & make the teaching/learning fun, interesting, exciting?

5) partnerships with families.

6) cultural respect & support.
How does the centre respect the diversity & provide support for parents who do not speak the main language used at the centre?

7) planning- supporting learning & development.
-How knowledgeable is the teacher in putting into practice child development theories and teaching methodologies? (i.e Montessori planes of development, providing age-appropriate experiences, providing Sensorial, Practical Life activities that attract the children's attention)

-How does the teacher includes their observations to plan for the children's learning?
-What kind of language does the teacher uses to support learning? (STOP, We do not...., I do not like...)

-What kind of supportive behavour management language & strategies does the teacher uses to manage the children's behaviour? How do the children respond to this teacher?
(i.e. Eye contact, voice tone & volume, etc...)