What a parent should expect
When your child is cared for by a family child care provider in her home , you should be able to expect certain things.
1. Open communication. Providers should give you frequent and full updates on your child's progress and problems. They should welcome your questions and ask you questions about how they can help your child.
2. Open access to their home or center. Parents should be welcome to drop in any time. Providers should also allow parents to make a reasonable number of phone calls to check on their children's well being, in case of illness or if there's a special concern such as separation anxiety.
3. Safety for your child. Providers should take all possible precautions to keep children safe.
4. Honesty and confidence. Providers shouldn't make commitments that they can't or don't intend to keep. They shouldn't cover up problems or accidents that occur.
5. Acceptance of parent's wishes. Providers should abide by parent's wishes on matters such as discipline, TV watching and toilet training. If providers feel that they can't abide by parent's wishes, they need to tell parents before agreeing to care for the children and parents should look for other care.
6. Advance notice of any changes. Since it is often very difficult to find adequate care, providers should tell parents well in advance if they are going to change their hours or if they are going to stop or limit the time of caring for a child. Parents need adequate time if a provider is no longer going to care for a child. Parents should be given at least two weeks notice even if the provider won't be available for just one day, unless there is a personal emergency.
7. No interference in the child's family or family problems. Providers shouldn't talk to children about their family's problems, lifestyle or values. Likewise, the provider should be careful not to take sides in any family disputes, such as, custody battles.
8. No advice offered unless asked for and no judging of parenting practices. Providers shouldn't criticize or advise parents on child rearing unless their advice is asked for by parents. If the provider sees something that is seriously wrong with how parents are raising their children, such as abuse or signs of neglect, they should discuss the problem with the parents and, if needed, contact legal authorities.
9. Assurance that everyone in contact with the child is trustworthy and supervised. Providers must be responsible for everyone who enters & visits the home.
10. No surprises. This means that your family day care provider won't suddenly tell you that she is taking a job next week. Surprises are probably what parents fear most from their child care providers (and vice versa).
What your provider expects
In the home of a family child care provider your provider should be able to expect certain things from you.
1. Open communication. Explain clearly and carefully your wishes and expectations about how your child will be cared for. Also provide updates on problems and progress that your child is making. Give the provider information about your child's routine, activities and preferences. Good communication helps parents and providers work together in the best interest of the children.
2. Agreement on terms or arrangements. You should fully understand the expectations of the provider and what you as a parent are agreeing to.
3. Honesty and trust. This includes being honest about how you believe the arrangement is working, whether your child is happy with the provider and whether you are. Although you need to be vigilant in order to safeguard your child, you should still trust your child care provider to do the best for your child.
4. Advance notice of and agreement to any changes. Providers have to earn a living too, so they deserve advance notice if you are going to stop using their services or take a vacation or leave that will affect their pay.
5. Pick up on time and follow through on all agreements. Providers have personal lives too, and they should be able to expect that you will pick up your child at the agreed upon time. If it takes you 15 minutes a day longer to get home than you expected or if you find it more convenient to stop at the grocery store before picking up your child which makes you 30 minutes late three times a week you need to work out a new agreement with the provider or find a way to abide by the original one.
6. Sick children. Agree with your child care provider in advance about when you can and cannot bring a sick child. Then please abide by that agreement.
7. Payment on time. Child care providers have to pay the rent and buy food, too, so make arrangements to see that they get their pay on time.
8. Respect. Realize that taking care of children is a job and the child care worker is a worker, just as you are. A child care provider is not "just a baby sitter." She is one of the most important people in your child's life and in yours, too.
9. Jealousy. Try not to be jealous of you child's attachment to child care providers. Children who spend hours every day with a day care worker come to love that person. That love, though, doesn't diminish the love your child feels for you. Don't feel that you have to compete with your child care provider for your child's affection. Be happy that they love and get loved in return.
10. No surprises. Your child care provider shouldn't learn on Friday that you have decided to take next week off from work. This is her livelihood and changes in her income should be given advance notice. Child care providers don't like surprises any better than parents do.