Choose the Best Environment for your Child (updated)

If parents understood the importance of the early years of their children, yet they still need to send them to care center for some good reasons, please consider the following criteria in choosing the best environment for your precious child.

It is common that parents will choose a provider whom they trust, probably with rich experience and good reference.


Our children need a loving and good learning environment for their healthy growth and development. A provider, whether a care center or in-home nanny 保姆 must demonstrates the love and understanding of children. Here, I highlight three core items in the Statement of Commitment with acknowledgment to the naeyc Code of Ethical Conduct for early childhood care and education.

• Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle
• Base the work on knowledge of how children develop and learn
• Respect the dignity, worth and uniqueness of each individual (child and his/her family member)

The first criteria shall lead to healthy and safety. Home-based is often a great choice because we want our young children to feel 'at home' as close as possible. Check on these for both home-based and caring center.

For infant/toddler:

• group size and ratio caregiver : children - never more than 10 toddlers with two caregivers
• separate cribs for each child and separate place for each child's belongings
• comfortable flooring and furniture
• sufficient number and variety of age-appropriate toys
• protected outdoor area for safe play

For preschool, good program will be:

•  group size of 18 to 20 with two teachers
• safe indoor and outdoor area
• developmentally appropriate material and equipment
• well-organized room with lots of choice - books, blocks, art, dramatic play, sand, water, puzzle etc.

Parents should check on the provider's background, philosophy on caring and learning of children, also the provided environment before enrollment. The caregiver must know how to perform CPR and First Aids in any emergency circumstance. Cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting procedures should be carried out as frequent as possible to stop germ and disease spreading. Always check on their written procedures for dealing with emergencies such as fire, flood, earthquake etc. It will be a plus to see some evidence of children self-help practice such as washing hands, brushing teeth, cleaning up and setting up tables.