Monday, December 28, 2015

What You Should Know About A Day Care In Gainesville VA

By Thomas Young


Over 70 percent of children in Virginia are in some forms of childcare arrangement. Normally, children are placed in daycare because both parents are either working or are in school. The environment is vital for child development, and families self-sufficiency as well as their peace of mind. There are different types of day care in Gainesville VA, from small home settings to large centers. Your choice will be determined by your familys needs and the availability of childcare in your area. Here is what you need to know about childcare in Virginia.

Daycares are broadly divided into two main categories: family-based and center-based childcare facilities. To start with, center-based daycares offer their services in non-private facilities. You will find children of various ages in these centers. Charges vary from one center to the other based on the age of the child and where the facility is located.

According to Virginia law, every center-based daycare must have a license to operate a business. Licenses are obtained from Virginia Department of Social Services. You can operate a center-based daycare without a license so long as you are exempted from licensure as provided in the law. You get an exemption if you are operating a private certified preschool or due to religious practices. The law requires that any daycare operated from a non-private facility have a minimum of two children. If, on the other hand, the setting is a private residence, the facility should at least have 13 children.

Family-based daycares are operated in the owners home. The law does not require that every family-based daycare be licensed; however, if the provider is caring for more than five children, then they are not exempt from licensure. Besides the fact that operating a home-based daycare saves providers hassles of obtaining the license, this type of childcare is cheap and offers a family kind of setting for the children.

When looking for a daycare facility, most parents are more concerned about the safety and health of their kids than anything else. So, every childcare facility should have safety standards in place, which include child proofing, licensing, staff behavior among others. Parents should make sure that the childcare upholds to these standards before enrolling their children there.

Children are your most valuable asset, so you should have a good plan in place for protecting them. One way of ensuring their safety is checking off the items on the safety list above to make sure the center is safe. For instance, the center or family childcare program should at least meet all the licensing requirements in accordance with the law. In case of any doubts regarding the daycare, call up their licensor to find out if they have had any violations.

In the past few decades, Virginia has been in the limelight for death cases in daycare facilities. This is probably because most children are in unregulated settings. In fact, the number of children who need childcare is more than double the licensed supply. Also, the number of affordable and reliable daycare has really gone down of late.

Whether you have elected to take your child to a family-based or center-based facility, it is wise to ensure they are licensed. Also, the daycare should have an experienced doctor for consultation in matters related to health and safety. Finally, the workers should be well-versed with the early child education.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment