Four Steps to Find the Right Child Care
Here are four steps to help you find the type of care that is best for your child.
1. Think about what type of care you and your child need.
- How many hours each day, and days each week, will you need child care?
- Does your child have any special needs that the child care has to meet?
- Do you need to find a child care program near your home, work or school?
2. Find at least three places to interview.
To start, try these sources:
- the Yellow Pages of the telephone book under Child Care or Day Care
- newspaper ads
- Internet
- bulletin boards in local stores
- community information centres, child care resource centres, Ontario Early Years Centres, libraries, churches
- friends, neighbours, relatives or co-workers
- regional offices of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services
- your local municipality
Some Ontario Early Years Centres or child care resource centres may have a list of child care providers for their area. Just remember: Neither the Ontario Early Years Centres, the family resource centres nor the Ministry of Children and Youth Services have approved this list. As a parent, it's up to you to research, choose and monitor your own child care arrangements.
3. Make the first contact.
Call each of the child care places you are considering. Speak to the person in charge (such as the supervisor or a home visitor at a home care agency. If they are not available, ask when would be a good time to call again.
When you call, have a list of questions ready to ask the child care provider. The answers to these questions can help you choose the places you want to visit.
4. Set up a visit to the child care program.
When you've decided what child care programs you want to visit, find out as much as you can about what happens there day to day. Take notes. When you have finished your visits, you can look over your notes. Then you can make your decision.
