Most parents want more for their children than just safety; they want a warm loving environment, a place where their children will grow and learn, and a place where their children will be happy. This kind of good, high quality child care program can be found in family day care homes, group family day care homes, and child care centers.

Low Child to Adult Ratios

The Licensing rules have established minimum child to adult ratios for child care centers as described in the Types of Child Care section above. Programs which have fewer children per adult may be better able to provide for the physical, social-emotional, and cognitive needs of the children.

Small Group Size

Group size is not addressed in State licensing standards for child care centers. NAEYC standards recommend a maximum group size of 6-8 infants, 6-12 toddlers, 10-20 preschoolers, and 20-24 young school age children. Within each age group, younger children should be in the smaller group size.

Positive Interactions

Positive adults tell children what they can do rather than what they can't do, and they treat all children equally regardless of race, religion, culture, or gender. Postive adults encourage children to gain developmentally appropriate independence and to learn self-help skills.

Stimulating Learning Environment

Children's development is enhanced by a learning environment that allows each child to make choices and gives plenty of opportunities for experiencing and exploring materials and ideas.  Look for a variety of toys, such as books, building blocks, wheeled toys, puzzles, art supplies, and dress up clothes.

Parent Involvement

Parents should feel free to drop in anytime to see their children. Good programs also supply parents with written information, such as a policy handbook, and provide regular communication by way of daily conversations, newsletters, notes home, etc.

Dependability

 Dependability becomes an issue when illness, a family emergency, or a vacation makes the primary caregiver unavailable. Parents should know in advance that satisfactory arrangements have been made to ensure that their child care will not be disrupted during the caregiver's absence.

OYC is part of the Michigan 4C (Community Coordinated Child Care) Association and the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral  Agencies (NACCRRA).

 
{Calendar of Events} {Choosing Care} {Community Resources} {Enhanced Referrals}  {Financial Help} {Training} {Home} {Contact Us}