Guest Author - Pam Garlick

You have three choices with child care: a day care center, taking your child to someone's personal home, or having someone come into your home. The differences between these is obvious, and a matter of preference for both parent and caregiver.

Choosing the right caregiver is much the same for all three.

▸ Conduct a personal interview both with and without the child present. This allows everyone time to get to know one another, as well discuss any concerns. It also allows a brief time without the child when personal details about him/her may be discussed.

▸ As to see a copy of the caregivers Criminal Record Check. (They can obtain these through their local State Police).

▸ Obtain references. Both parent and caregiver will benefit from these so they can learn about past experiences.

▸ Ask how many other children the caregiver is watching. States mandate how many children may be watched by one person. Too many children, or children with special needs, can tax even the best caregiver.

▸ Discuss and understand things like diet, illness or special needs, discipline, and rules. Both parents and caregiver needs to know, understand, and respect the other's needs or preferences.

▸ Request a trial period; at minimum a day, preferably a week. This gives the parent, caregiver and the child the opportunity to experience a full cycle. Mondays are vastly different from Fridays.

▸ Stop in during an unscheduled visit to see how things are going. This could be as simple as arriving prior to the time you usually pick up your child, or stopping by during lunch. This gives the parent time to observe their child, the caregiver and any other children who may be present.