Choosing Childcare

What to do.  What to do.  It’s time to find a child care program!   Where do you start?  Quiz all your friends and neighbors?  Check the classified ads?  Walk your fingers through the yellow pages?  If you’re like most parents the answer is “all of the above”.  Maybe you’re new to the area, returning to work after a maternity leave, starting a class, or looking for a new group of playmates for your child.  Whatever the reason, finding the ‘perfect person’ to care for your child can sometimes feel like searching for that needle in the haystack.  Parents often have a difficult time locating and choosing a child care provider but remember, there are many wonderful childcare programs in our community and there are things you can do to make sure you’re making the best possible choice for your family. 

First, find out if the program is regulated and inspected by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.  Childcare centers, unless operated by a religious organization or as a half-day nursery school, are required to be licensed.  Anyone caring for more than 4 children in their home (currently the provider’s children and related children don’t count) is also required to be licensed by DHSS.  These small, home-based programs are called family childcare providers.  A person caring for 4 or fewer children in a home-based program is exempt from licensing and is unregulated.  Many unregulated providers are wonderful, and some are not.   A small home-based provider who is ‘registered’ with the Family Support Division to care for low-income children has passed a background check but is still unregulated and should be interviewed carefully.

Licensed programs are required to meet many fire, health, and safety standards designed to protect children and are inspected at least twice each year.  Caregivers are screened for a history of child abuse, criminal activity, and also must attend classes throughout the year about caring for young children.   Families are allowed to review the records of any licensed program.  All you have to do is call the local DHSS office at 882-9399 and set up an appointment. 

Even though licensed programs meet minimum health and safety standards, parents should remember a license is not an automatic ‘stamp of approval’.  Do the children seem happy and well-cared for?  Are there enough adults to care for the children adequately?  Always ask for references, talk to other parents using the program, spend time visiting, and stop by unexpectedly during a convenient time of day.  Watch to see how the caregivers interact with the children.  How much early childhood training do they have?  Training is important.  Have you ever held a birthday party for a room full of pre-schoolers?  Imagine doing that every single day, for years and years, and tell me it doesn’t take a special kind of person with very special skills!  To assess the quality of the program you might also ask the caregiver if their program is accredited.  The Columbia area has many accredited childcare programs.   An accredited program has voluntarily met much higher standards that the state licensing requirements and the caregivers often have additional experience and training.

In the animated television show The Simpson’s, Homer and Marge shop at a huge warehouse-style grocery store called Monster Mart.  Monster Mart’s slogan is “where shopping is a baffling ordeal”.  Many parents find that trying to arrange for convenient, affordable, high quality childcare can be confusing, frustrating, and can take a lot of time - but there are people who can help get you through the ‘ordeal’.  Missouri has several not-for-profit organizations that are part of the Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network.  MOCCRRN has several services designed to improve childcare programs including childcare training for providers, and a referral service for families to simplify the search.   

What a great feeling to go to school or work every day and feel confident that your children are safe, happy and learning.  All parents should have that feeling.   All employers should reap the benefits of a workforce that is more dependable and productive because their childcare needs are ‘covered’.  And all children should spend their time learning and having fun with nurturing, responsive, trained, and well-compensated caregivers.