The New Face of Childcare

Daycare for Today

Gone are the days of hiring someone to "watch" or baby-sit your child. Today's childcare centers are safe environments for learning and fun. Whether you choose in-home or facility based care, today's providers are skilled professionals that encourage the growth and development of your little one while you work. So put your guilt aside - these options may provide your child with more stimulation and education than you could!

Making learning fun

It's never too early to begin focusing on a child's intellectual development. Today's childcare centers have developed programs to inspire and develop little minds. At many centers the approach is hands-on, getting kids involved in the world around them in order to teach. Teachers use counting bears instead of worksheets to teach real-life problem solving at Chesterbrook Academy. And at Holly Springs Early Learning Education kids learn about nature by working in the vegetable garden or by raising caterpillars.

Bright Horizons has developed "The World at Our Fingertips", a program which focuses on seven areas of learning, including science, math, foreign language, and art. To teach reading and comprehension to pre-K children, teachers focus on a new book each week. They also work on developing foreign language vocabulary. For grade-school kids, Bright Horizons has teachers available to help with homework. In addition to playtime, teachers also have lesson plans for the "after school kids." These plans ensure that their in-facility time is stimulating and productive.

In-home care providers can provide specialized learning experiences as well. Because of the highly personalized nature of in-home care, parents can often guide care providers to their learning activities of choice.

Easing the Transition to School Today's childcare centers gradually introduce structure to ease the transition to full time school. At Holly Springs Early Learning Education, pre-kindergarten age children begin "classes" in language, math, science and art. The children are divided into groups, and a teacher works for forty-five minutes with a group in a specific subject. The kids even rotate classrooms at the change of each topic.

Getting them active outdoors Today's childcare provider understands the importance of increasing kids activity levels. Even the little ones enjoy being outdoors. So, at Chesterbrook Academy infants go on outdoor walks in body carriers every day. At Children's Discovery Center Inc., children make the most of the 23-acre farm by feeding horses, jumping on the trampoline or engaging in other outdoor activities. When naptime arrives at Children's Discovery Inc., most little ones are ready for a break!

Keeping parents involved If you're concerned that you'll be "out of the loop" because your child is in facility-based care, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Communicating with parents and fostering connections between the childcare provider and each child's home is a priority for most providers. At Chesterbrook Academy parents are encouraged to take field trips with children and attend a monthly dinner or breakfast with their kids. Chesterbrook even provides monitors at the front of the center that allow parents to drop in at any time and observe their children in the classrooms.

Bright Horizons' teachers send out weekly lesson plans and pre-k children get a weekly journal sent home, which serves as a dialogue vehicle for parents and teachers. Parents with an Internet connection can look up their child's lesson plans online or post ideas for future lessons. Each classroom also has a phone, so parents can call their children's teachers directly.