Childcare - What will Work for You? Looking for a child care centre Many women face the reality of heading back to work. This is something many women think will be easy, However, when the time arrives they find that they have mixed feelings about leaving their child in someone else’s care. It is well documented that if a mother is unable to care for her child herself, the child will benefit most from a consistent care-giver in a familiar, secure environment. An infant,  who receives love, warmth and consistent care in his early years of life, is without a doubt, receiving the best start to life he could possibly ask for. In South Africa there are different kinds of individual and group care available: Individual care: Placing Professional Nannies, Au Pairs and Domestic /Child Minders in to the private home Group care: Day mother and Creche/nursery Schools What to look for when choosing a child care centre Are you made to feel welcome by all  the staff? Is there a sense of joy and a relaxed atmosphere? Is the centre clean, bright and airy?  Are the toys / equipment in a good state of repair?  Are the babies in a separate section from the older children?  What is the staff child ratio?  Do the staff know the children by name?  Do the children seem to be content, stimulated and happy?  How is the distressed child treated?  Do they offer a healthy diet daily? Are the staff qualified? Are the staff sent on further training? Is there  daily stimulation programmes for each age group? How to select a good child minder/nanny Itemise your requirements. Work out your budget. Plan a list of all your questions and work through them at the interview. Observe  while interviewing: Is she relaxed or tense? Is she paying attention to your child? Is she listening to your questions and answering them appropriately? Does she appear clean and neat? Does she speak well? Does she freely give information about herself, her philosophy about child care, stimulation, discipline, nutrition, hygiene? Is she willing to have a medical check-up? Is she keen to learn more, keep updated, go on courses? BABY BAROMETER No matter which child care alternative you select for your baby, be alert to the signs of discontent: sudden changes in personality or mood swings, clinginess, fretfulness that does not seem attributable to anything else, if your baby seems unhappy, check into your child care situation, it may need changing. Pros and Cons of Group and Individual Care  Group Care Pros  Group Care Cons Socialising with other children/learning from other children by observation and participation. Very important from about the age of 2.5 years. Usually offers care for 50 weeks of the year. If a member of staff is sick, there are enough staff to cover their duties. Possibly checked by the authorities, if registered. Daily exposure to germs /infections, leading to possible illness. Impossible to provide one on one care which is particularly important during the first two years of life.        Individual Care Pros  Individual Care Cons  Individual attention for the child, individual stimulation programme appropriate for his age and abilities.  Familiar surroundings of the family home. Flexibility of extended hours with the same care giver. Extra jobs can be done e.g. shopping, school lifts. Child can have friends to play in his own home. Child can have special outings by the care giver. Limited exposure to germs and infections. If the care giver is sick or on leave, there is no automatic back up/ replacement. If the care giver has personal problems, it is more likely to impact on the family.           Email this article to a friend Back to Child Care Articles.. .