Babies
Who Will Care For Your Baby When You Return To Work?
By Jillian Gallo
Nov 12, 2006, 20:00

If you have decided to return to work after your baby is born, there are several child care options you will want to look at and research.


1. Day Care Center (a facility that provides day care for many children, 15 or more)
2. Group Day Care Facility (A smaller facility than a day care center)
3. Family Day Care Home (A home where a person watches a few children)
4. Care by a Relative
5. Stay-At-Home Parent (you or your husband stay home)
6. Baby-Sitting Co-Op (several mothers and or dads who watch each others children according to a prearranged schedule.)

If you choose to use one of the first three options you will be dealing with strangers in the beginning, and you will want to ask many questions to them so you feel safe and assured that you are leaving your baby in good, loving hands while you are at work.

If you choose to use one last option then chances are you will already have some background on that person, depending on how you came to find them. If you know them personally, all the better for you. If you know of someone who uses their services for their own child you will already have quite a bit of information about them, but there are still questions you should ask.

If you are going to have a relative watch your baby, you will know all you need to about them, but ask questions anyway to make sure they have carefully thought out all scenarios that may come up while your baby is there. Emergency plans should always be a part of the picture. Hopefully, of course, they will never be needed, but it is good to know what to do in case some emergency does happen.

When you are planning to use a child care facility such as a day care center, a group day care facility or a family day care home you should make a list of concerns that you may have so when you are speaking with a child care provider you won't forget to ask. Don't be afraid to ask any questions that you may have. I have listed some guideline questions you may want to ask.

Questions for day care providers:

Can you go to visit the site for a few hours to see the operation at work?

Can you interview the workers yourself?

How are the children supervised? Is there more than one child care provider on site?

Is the facility kept clean especially the diaper changing area and the kitchen area?

Are all chemicals and medication out of range for the child?

What type of Discipline is used if your child misbehaves?

Is the child care provider certified or licensed? How current is their license?

What backgrounds do the child care providers have? What experience in the child care field?

Can you see the resumes of the people working in the child day care center.

Do the child care providers at the daycare center have medical training or backgrounds?

Are the other children that attend the facility immunized?

What type of emergency plan is used ?

What type of schedule is there?

What are the hours of operation?

Write down every concern you have and make sure you talk to the child day care personnel about it.

No question or concern is too minor or silly when your baby is the focus of the question.

If anyone makes you feel like your questions are not important, no matter what question it is, Do Not leave your child with them.

You must feel very, very comfortable that the employees at the day care center have your baby's best interests first and foremost in their daily activities.

You must also feel comfortable that they are very concerned with your feelings and fears as well.

This is a very important decision you are going to have to make, and you want to be completely sure you have made the right one.

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