Child Care Health Promotion

This program supports child care providers and parents/guardians in providing a safe and healthy child care environment where children thrive. A public health nurse is available for face-to-face or telephone consultations on any health-related issue in child care.

Issues

Child care is no longer just "babysitting". Licensed child care providers are required to have knowledge of child development and to have continuing training in topics relevant to providing high quality care.

Steps to choosing child care

(Adapted from the Washington State Department of Social & Health Services publication, Choosing Child Care: A Consumer Guide for Parents.)

1. Learn about the different kinds of child care and what makes quality caregiving.
2. List the things you feel are important for your child and you.
3. Collect names of potential child care providers.
4. Screen several child care providers over the phone by asking about:
   • Openings for your age child
   • Hours of operation, vacation coverage
   • Fees and, if needed, any subsidies that might be available
   • Location; transportation
   • State license and insurance coverage
   • Meals and snacks
   • Their ability to work with your child's special needs
   • Other things that are important to you

     If it sounds like they meet your basic requirements, you may wish to ask a few questions about the type and quality of care offered.

5. Make appointments to visit three or more sites. It's important to check them out in person. You can't rely on hearsay or phone conversations alone.
6. Be sure to ask all of your questions during the visits. Link to a checklist: http://www.del.wa.gov/publications/licensing/docs/ChildCareChecklist.pdf
7. Check references on your final choice(s) by talking to parents with children in the program and calling the local office of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services to find out if there have been complaints or actions taken.
8. Take your child to visit the final choice(s). If possible, let your child help make the final decision.
9. Trust your intuition and your observations. No setting is perfect, and you'll need to figure out which compromises you're willing to make.
10. Read the caregiver's parent handbook or their written policies and procedures carefully. Be sure to sign a contract or agreement form with the caregiver, and make your mutual expectations clear, including the fee structure, holidays, vacations and refunds.
11. Establish substitute caregivers in case your child is ill, or your provider goes on vacation or is closed.

Changes in caregivers are hard on children, so it's a good idea to make your decision and give it a fair trial period. It's far better to do a careful job of choosing child care in the first place. But, if you or your child are unhappy with the arrangement, change to a new site using the steps above. Unless the situation is critical, give your caregiver at least two weeks notice of your intent to remove your child from their program.

Get Involved

Internships or volunteer opportunities may be available. For more information, contact the public health nurse at 509-962-7515

Resources & Links

• Choosing Child Care: A Consumer Guide for Parents
• Department of Early Learning
• Community Resource List
• STARS - State Training and Registry System
• Immunization requirements
• Immunization schedules
• Minimum licensing requirements for child care centers
• Child care business regulations for family home child care
• Apply online for child care subsidy
• Form for provider to request increased subsidy for special needs

The program is made possible by funding from the Washington State Department of Health, Healthy Child Care Washington: http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/mch/cahcp/child_care.htm

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