Looking for Childcare

If you have children, and you're looking for help with childcare, out of school clubs, early years education or help with a childcare career, Croydon Children's Information Service (CIS) can help you.

• Children's Information Service
• Paying for Childcare
• Childminders
• Pre-school
• Day nurseries
• Out of School Childcare
• Special Needs

In Croydon, there are many different types of childcare, early education, and pre-school education services - and it can be difficult to decide which is best for your child.

You want to do the best for your child - and this page will help you to do just that, and find more about what makes for a good service.

For local childcare information, visit the Childcarelink site, and follow the simple instructions.

What to look out for

Good quality childcare and early year's education can be identified by four key factors.

Quality staff - are they trained and/or experienced, and ready to respond to the needs of your child?

Good premises - are they clean and safe with plenty of space for your child to play and explore?

Stimulating activities - are these planned for your child each day, and supported by good resources, toys and equipment?

Welcoming atmosphere - do you and your child feel welcomed and cared about when you arrive?

Quality Staff

Working with children is a skilled and demanding job. Training gives people skills confidence and helps staff to deliver a top quality service to your family. It is not always necessary to have formal qualifications, and childcare workers with practical experience can also provide a high standard of care to your child.

We believe that the people who look after your children need to:

• Respond - to your child as an individual
• Plan - activities and plan to help your child learn
• Help - your child be safe and secure in their care
• Communicate - clearly with you and your child
• Respect - your family's culture, religion or language
• Enthuse - about their important job

For further childcare information, visit the Childcarelink site.

Good Premises

Children deserve comfortable, well-equipped premises in which to spend their time.

Children should be able to see toys, books, and fun equipment and reach some of it themselves.

Fresh, healthy snacks and drinks should be available. Equipment for children with disabilities should also be popular with other children.

Your child deserves to spend their time in a place that is:

• Welcoming - with bright and cheerful decoration, lots of light and space
• Clean - with clean surfaces, toilets, floors and furniture, and a pleasant smell throughout
• Sensibly constructed - and friendly for children, with lots of child-sized equipment

Stimulating activities

When children feel safe and happy, they are more likely to learn.

But it is also true that different children learn at different rates - and so activities need to be planned with the needs of each individual child in mind. Childcare staff should have planned each day's activities before the children arrive for that day.

Children enjoy making friends with other children - this is much easier if children attend the childcare service regularly and know who and what to expect each day.

Because children are very sensitive to ideas about stereotyping from a very early age, make sure that the childcare you choose for your child provides plenty of encouragement whatever their age, gender or ability.

For further childcare information, visit the Childcarelink site.

Welcoming atmosphere

When you visit your childcare service, you and your child should feel welcome.

Staff should find time to listen to you when you want to ask questions, and provide clear and comprehensive answers.

The childcare service should also involve you in planning your child's care and daily needs. The following issues should be taken into account when doing so:

• Routine - in terms of sleeping, feeding, toilet training and any other special needs
• Discipline - in terms of sweets, behaviour, and so on
• Acceptance - of your child's ability, gender, ethnicity, culture, language or religion

For further childcare information, visit the Childcarelink site.

Back to Childcare Home Page

Sunday, 14 March, 2010

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